Bruce Brown

Directing

Bruce Brown

Born — Died

1937-12-01 — 2017-12-10

Place of birth

San Francisco, California, U.S.

Known for

Directing

Credits

32 titles

Bruce Brown (born December 1, 1937 - December 10, 2017) was an American documentary film director, known as an early pioneer of the surf film. He is the father of filmmaker Dana Brown. His surfing films are Slippery When Wet (1958), Surf Crazy (1959), Barefoot Adventure (1960), Surfing Hollow Days (1961), Waterlogged (1962), and his most well known film, The Endless Summer (1964) which received a nationwide theatrical release in 1966. Considered among the most influential in the genre, The Endless Summer follows surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August around the world. Thirty years later Brown would film The Endless Summer II with his son in 1994. He also made a number of short films includi…

Known for

The Dick Cavett Show poster
6.8

The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.

The Dick Cavett Show

1968

SpongeBob SquarePants poster
7.7

Deep down in the Pacific Ocean in the subterranean city of Bikini Bottom lives a square yellow sponge named SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob lives in a pineapple with his pet snail, Gary, loves his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, and has a knack for getting into all kinds of trouble without really trying. When he's not getting on the nerves of his cranky next door neighbor Squidward, SpongeBob can usually be found smack in the middle of all sorts of strange situations with his best buddy, the simple yet lovable starfish, Patrick, or his thrill-seeking surfer-girl squirrel pal, Sandy Cheeks.

SpongeBob SquarePants

1999

SpongeBob vs. the Big One poster
7.0

When SpongeBob and pals are swept out to sea, they must learn to surf or be stranded on a remote island forever! Then, SpongeBob and Patrick start 'Livin' like Larry,' Patrick gets a nose, Plankton gets a customer and lots more!

SpongeBob vs. the Big One

2009

I Am Steve McQueen poster
6.1

A walk through the incredible personal and artistic history of legendary actor, race car driver and cultural icon Steve McQueen (1930-80).

I Am Steve McQueen

2014

The Endless Summer poster
7.2

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer.

The Endless Summer

1966

Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis poster
NR

The documentary "Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis" reveals the untold story behind Bruce Brown's iconic film "The Endless Summer." It follows the journey of Dick Metz, a California surf pioneer, as he travels the world from 1958 to 1961. Metz's adventures lead him to discover the "perfect wave" at Cape St. Francis in South Africa, which inspires Bruce Brown to create "The Endless Summer" and revolutionize the sport of surfing. The film also documents Metz's return to South Africa at the age of 90 to retrace his original journey. It features interviews with influential figures in the surfing world, including Metz, Bruce Brown, and other surfers. The premiere of the film at the Newport Beach Film Festival is particularly special for director Richard Yelland, as it tells a personal story rooted in his hometown.

Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis

2023

Film credits

2020s · 2 titles

Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis poster
NR

The documentary "Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis" reveals the untold story behind Bruce Brown's iconic film "The Endless Summer." It follows the journey of Dick Metz, a California surf pioneer, as he travels the world from 1958 to 1961. Metz's adventures lead him to discover the "perfect wave" at Cape St. Francis in South Africa, which inspires Bruce Brown to create "The Endless Summer" and revolutionize the sport of surfing. The film also documents Metz's return to South Africa at the age of 90 to retrace his original journey. It features interviews with influential figures in the surfing world, including Metz, Bruce Brown, and other surfers. The premiere of the film at the Newport Beach Film Festival is particularly special for director Richard Yelland, as it tells a personal story rooted in his hometown.

Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis

2023

A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story poster
NR

Follow the summer season around the world with two surfers on a quest for the perfect wave. As it turned out, Bruce was on to something. Not only did the film become a hit, it earned a cult following, became the most successful surf film of all time and arguably made him the founding father of action sports films. Directed by second generation, award winning and documentarian filmmaker Dana Brown his projects have included such titles as Endless Summer 2, Step Into Liquid, Dust to Glory, Highwater, On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter and Dust 2 Glory. A Life of Endless Summers is the story of a man, a father, a husband, a filmmaker, a pioneer, a legend.

A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story

2020

2010s · 2 titles

2000s · 3 titles

1960s · 3 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

The Endless Summer poster
7.2

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer.

The Endless Summer

1966

The Endless Summer poster
7.2

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer.

The Endless Summer

1966

On Any Sunday poster
6.9

Documentary on motorcycle racing featuring stars of the sport, including film star Steve McQueen, a racer in his own right.

On Any Sunday

1971

On Any Sunday poster
6.9

Documentary on motorcycle racing featuring stars of the sport, including film star Steve McQueen, a racer in his own right.

On Any Sunday

1971

The Endless Summer II poster
7.5

Bruce Brown, king of surfing documentaries, returns after nearly thirty years to trace the steps of two young surfers to top surfing spots around the world. Along the way we see many of the people and locales Bruce visited during the filming of Endless Summer (1966).

The Endless Summer II

1994

The Endless Summer II poster
7.5

Bruce Brown, king of surfing documentaries, returns after nearly thirty years to trace the steps of two young surfers to top surfing spots around the world. Along the way we see many of the people and locales Bruce visited during the filming of Endless Summer (1966).

The Endless Summer II

1994

Surfing Hollow Days poster
7.0

Filmed before his wildly popular Endless Summer, this Bruce Brown documentary follows famed surfers Robert August, Peter Johnson, Mike Haley, Kemp Aaberg and others as they ride waves in Australia, Mexico, California and Florida. It also goes behind the scenes, offering glimpses of the surfers' personal lives and the culture they inhabit. Watch for the 15-foot shark checking out the line-up at Rincon (in Santa Barbara, Calif.)!

Surfing Hollow Days

1961

Lizard Boy poster
2.0

If you were a brilliant geneticist, working on a secret government genetic engineering project, and your fiancee dumped you because your sperm were not viable, what would you do to resolve your mid-life crisis? Dr. Gino Conti creates his own son by combining reptilian and human DNA, but discovers fatherhood an extraordinary challenge when his son's anger management issues include eating people.

Lizard Boy

2011

Slippery When Wet poster
4.0

Surfers Henry Ford, Freddy Pfhaler, Kemp Aaberg, Del Cannon, and Dick Thomas decide to leave California so they can embark on a dream trip to Hawaii. While in Hawaii the carefree quintet ride all kinds of waves at various top Hawaiian surfing spots and live together in a rundown shack on the North Shore of Oahu on only a hundred dollars a day.

Slippery When Wet

1958

Slippery When Wet poster
4.0

Surfers Henry Ford, Freddy Pfhaler, Kemp Aaberg, Del Cannon, and Dick Thomas decide to leave California so they can embark on a dream trip to Hawaii. While in Hawaii the carefree quintet ride all kinds of waves at various top Hawaiian surfing spots and live together in a rundown shack on the North Shore of Oahu on only a hundred dollars a day.

Slippery When Wet

1958

America's Newest Sport poster
7.0

America's Newest Sport is a short film made for Hobie. It was about his new skateboard and skateboard team. Hobie, as he always did, figured he could design something better. He came up with flexible trucks and clay wheels which sure beat the old steel ones. His skateboard "team" was a classic bunch of kids who performed state of the art maneuvers like riding a skateboard while covered by a trash can.

America's Newest Sport

1966

Surf Crazy poster
7.7

Surf Crazy is the second movie from veteran surf film producer Bruce Brown. During this movie a group of surfers head down to numerous unsurfed spots in Mexico, some huge waves in Hawaii and some classic surf in California.

Surf Crazy

1959

Water-Logged poster
9.0

The Fellini of Foam's fifth and last film before The Endless Summer, Waterlogged is made up of highlights from Bruce Brown's four previous films. This film features the best of four years of surf photography.

Water-Logged

1962

Surfin' Shorts poster
7.5

This program includes three of Bruce Brown's short films: "The Wet Set," featuring the Hobie-MacGregor Surf Team; "America's Newest Sport," presenting the Hobie Super Surfer Skateboard Team; and an early television special which includes the first surfing trip to Japan with 12-year-old Peter Johnson and Del Cannon in a segment filmed, but not used for, "The Endless Summer."

Surfin' Shorts

1964

Barefoot Adventure poster
8.0

Brown takes us to various surfing locales with his customary great photography, wry comments and solid musical score.

Barefoot Adventure

1960

Barefoot Adventure poster
8.0

Brown takes us to various surfing locales with his customary great photography, wry comments and solid musical score.

Barefoot Adventure

1960

Search for Surf poster
NR

There were 4 or 5 different films under the same title that were produced between 1957 and 1961. These films were used to promote Greg Noll surfboards. Featured classic Malibu, Manhattan Pier, Hawaii and Mexico. It was shown at local high schools, projecting without sound and personally narrated by Greg Noll.

Search for Surf

1961