Director Sidney Lumet Dead at 86

Sidney Lumet, director of Hollywood classics '12 Angry Men' (1957), 'Serpico' (1973), 'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975) and 'Network' (1976) passed away on Saturday, the New York Times reports, at his home in Manhattan. The four-time Oscar nominee, who died of lymphoma, was 86.

The Philadelphia native was a child actor on Broadway and radio, after which he worked as a TV director for CBS in the 1950's. He helmed televised productions of dramatic plays by Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill, before becoming a prolific, acclaimed director of more than 40 feature films.

Lumet was given an honorary Academy Award in 2005; about the statue, Lumet later said, "I wanted one, damn it, and I felt I deserved one." In presenting the award, Al Pacino reflected on the honoree: "A Sidney Lumet movie has a signature, a stamp of individuality, a point of view....I'm forever grateful, along with all the other actors and writers who have benefited from Sidney's genius."

Over the course of his career, Lumet directed the Oscar-winning performances of Ingrid Bergman (1974's 'Murder on the Orient Express') and Faye Dunaway ('Network'). Paul Newman, nominated for his performance in Lumet's 'The Verdict,' once said, "He just had an incredible eye for the truth."
Married four times (his wives included actress Rita Gam, socialite Gloria Vanderbilt and author Gail Jones), Lumet is survived by his fourth wife, Mary Gimbel, two daughters, a stepson and stepdaughter, nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Friends and admirers in the industry reacted to Lumet's death, and celebrated his legacy, on Twitter.

"RIP Sidney Lumet," Jon Favreau tweeted. "I played Juror 6 in 12 Angry Men on stage in Chicago for a year. We studied his film. He was a great director."

Roger Ebert wrote, "Oh, no. Dear Sidney Lumet, RIP." He later added, "His clarity is startling, his wisdom is deep."

Joan Collins said, "Sad that the great director Sidney Lumet passed away- he leaves a fabulous film legacy."

Paul Fieg (co-creator of cult hit series 'Freaks and Geeks') tweeted, "RIP Sidney Lumet - made some of the best movies ever. Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Serpico. A true master. Thanks for being so amazing."

Greg Mottola (director of 'Superbad') told his Twitter followers, "Very, very sad to hear that Sidney Lumet has passed away. I took a class with him at film school. A great teacher, a great artist."

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