He was an American theater director, producer, and screenwriter. After Hollywood blacklisted him in the 1950s, he moved to Europe, where he made the rest of his films, mostly in the United Kingdom. His films achieved critical and commercial success. He won a number of awards such as Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1971. Among his works are The Servant (1963), and Mr. Klein (1976). He died on June 22, 1984 in London.