Over the course of an eclectic directorial career that spans some forty years, Jules Dassin has worked in Hollywood, London, France, and Greece and has directed film noir, comedy, contemporary versions of the Greek classics, documentaries, and political dramas. After producing three of the most acclaimed, hard bitten, and fast-paced American crime films of the 1940s (Brute Force, Naked City, and Thieves’ Highway), his career was seriously challenged when fellow director Edward Dmytryk named him as a Communist before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Transplanted to Europe, he overcame a five-year period of difficulty in finding work and returned to acclaim with Rififi, one of the most influential “crime caper” movies ever made, the huge international hit Never on Sunday, and the sparkling comedy Topkapi. 

It was during this period of renewed activity that Dassin met Greek actress and singer Melina Mercouri, who was to become his wife and the star of eight of his films. Possessed of a passionate and exuberant persona, Mercouri achieved international acclaim for her performance as Ilya in Never on Sunday. Long a political activist, she devoted much of her energy in the late 1960s and early 70s fighting against the right-wing military junta in Greece. Despite forced exile, she eventually returned to Greece and was elected to political office, serving for more than eight years as Minister of Culture. For both her acting achievements on stage and screen and for her zestful commitment to Greek art and politics, Mercouri was considered a national heroine at the time of her death in 1994.