Question: Do both directors of films They Shoot Horses, Don'T They? (Film) and Blackboard Jungle share the same nationality?

The screenplay, adapted from Horace McCoy's 1935 novel of the same name, was written by James Poe and Robert E. Thompson. The film focuses on a disparate group of characters desperate to win a Depression- era dance marathon and the opportunistic emcee who urges them on to victory. The film premiered at the 23rd Cannes Film Festival and was released theatrically in the United States on December 10, 1969. They Shoot Horses, Do n't They? is a 1969 American drama film directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Red Buttons, Bruce Dern, Bonnie Bedelia and Gig Young. Upon release it was a critical and commercial success, grossing$ 12.6 million on a budget of$ 4.86 million, becoming the sixteenth highest grossing film of 1969. Critics praised its direction, screenplay, depiction of the depression era, and performances, most notably of Fonda's, which marked a significant turning point in her career. The film received nine nominations at the 42nd Academy Awards including Best Director, Best Actress( for Fonda), Best Supporting Actress( for York), Best Adapted Screenplay and winning Best Supporting Actor( for Young). It holds the Academy record for most nominations without one for Best Picture. <SEP> Nominated for eight Oscars in his career, he was best known for" Blackboard Jungle"( 1955)," Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"( 1958)," Elmer Gantry"( 1960; for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay)," In Cold Blood"( 1967) and" Looking for Mr. Goodbar"( 1977). Richard Brooks( May 18, 1912 – March 11, 1992) was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and film producer. <SEP> Horace McCoy( April 14, 1897 – December 15, 1955) was an American writer whose hardboiled novels took place during the Great Depression. His best- known novel is" They Shoot Horses, Do n't They?"( 1935), which was made into a movie of the same name in 1969, fourteen years after McCoy's death. <SEP> It is remembered for its innovative use of rock and roll in its soundtrack and for the unusual breakout role of a black cast member, future Oscar winner and star Sidney Poitier as a rebellious, yet musically talented student. Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an interracial inner-city school, based on the novel" The Blackboard Jungle" by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being" culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". <SEP> Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. His 1985 film" Out of Africa" won him Academy Awards for directing and producing. He was also nominated for Best Director Oscars for" They Shoot Horses, Do n't They?"( 1969) and" Tootsie"( 1982) in which he also appeared. Some of his other best known works include" Jeremiah Johnson"( 1972)," The Way We Were"( 1973)," Three Days of the Condor"( 1975) and" Absence of Malice"( 1981). His subsequent films included" Havana"( 1990)," The Firm"( 1993)," The Interpreter"( 2005), and he produced and acted in" Michael Clayton"( 2007). Pollack is probably best known to television viewers for his recurring role playing Will Truman's father on the NBC sitcom" Will& Grace"( 2000 – 2006). Sydney Irwin Pollack( July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. <SEP> Robert E. Thompson( November 3, 1924 – February 11, 2004) was an American screenwriter. Thompson was known for such films as" The Trial of Lee Harvey OswaldA Case of Rape" and" They Shoot Horses, Do n't They?" He was nominated for an Academy Award for" They Shoot Horses, Do n't They?"