Person Biography:
Frank Capra, Jr. is the president of EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina, currently the largest motion picture studio east of Hollywood. As a second-generation filmmaker, he is the son of world-renowned director Frank Capra, who directed the classic film "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946).
Growing up, Capra had the best of both worlds, with a relatively normal life with friends balanced by dinners with guests who were Hollywood stars, including Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Harlow, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, and Gary Cooper. Despite growing up in a show-business household, Capra credits his parents for allowing him to have a normal family life and holiday time.
After studying at the California Institute of Technology and Pomona College with a degree in geology, Capra chose to pursue a career in filmmaking. He started making films that documented government research programs conducted by Hughes Tool Co., and later worked on TV shows such as "Dennis the Menace," "Hazel," and "Gunsmoke."
Capra served in the army's film unit, the Signal Corps, and taught combat motion picture photography to soldiers stationed in New Jersey and Vietnam. After his discharge, he worked on several TV shows and eventually migrated to producing feature films.
In 1983, Capra was sent to Wilmington, North Carolina, to find a location for the feature film "Firestarter" (1984). He and producer Dino De Laurentiis found Wilmington a wonderful place to live and work, and continued to film projects there. In 1996, Capra was appointed President and CEO of EUE Screen Gems Studios, and has since received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the film industry.
