Robert Altman
Encyclopedia
Robert Bernard Altman (February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films
that are highly naturalistic
, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award
.
His films MASH
(1970), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), and Nashville (1975) have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
.
, the son of Helen (née Matthews), a Mayflower
descendant from Nebraska
, and Bernard Clement Altman, a wealthy insurance salesman and amateur gambler, who came from an upper-class family. Altman's ancestry was German, English and Irish; his paternal grandfather, Frank Altman, Sr., anglicized the spelling of the family name from "Altmann" to "Altman". Altman had a Catholic upbringing, but he did not continue to practice as a Catholic as an adult. He was educated at Jesuit schools, including Rockhurst High School
, in Kansas City.
In 1943 Altman joined the United States Army Air Forces
at the age of 18. During World War II
, Altman flew more than 50 bombing missions as a crewman on a B-24 Liberator
with the 307th Bomb Group in Borneo
and the Dutch East Indies
.
Upon his discharge in 1946, Altman moved to California. He worked in publicity for a company that had invented a tattoo
ing machine to identify dogs. He entered filmmaking on a whim, selling a script to RKO for the 1948 picture Bodyguard
, which he co-wrote with George W. George. Altman's immediate success encouraged him to move to New York City, where he attempted to forge a career as a writer. Having enjoyed little success, in 1949 he returned to Kansas City, where he accepted a job as a director and writer of industrial films for the Calvin Company
. He began to work with film technology and actors.
He directed some 65 industrial films and documentaries before being hired by a local businessman in 1956 to write and direct a feature film in Kansas City on juvenile delinquency
. The film, titled The Delinquents, made for $60,000, was purchased by United Artists
for $150,000, and released in 1957. While primitive, this teen exploitation film
contained the foundations of Altman's later work in its use of casual, naturalistic dialogue. With its success, Altman moved from Kansas City to California for the last time. He co-directed The James Dean Story
(1957), a documentary rushed into theaters to capitalize on the actor's recent death and marketed to his emerging cult following.
noticed Altman's first two features and hired him as a director for his CBS
anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents
. After just two episodes, Altman resigned due to differences with a producer. The exposure enabled him to begin a successful TV career; he directed series including Bonanza
, Combat!, and the Kraft Television Theater. He also was a director of the DuMont
drama series Pulse of the City
(1953–1954).
Through this early work on industrial films and TV series, Altman experimented with narrative technique and developed his characteristic use of overlapping dialogue. He also learned to work quickly and efficiently on a limited budget. During his TV period, though frequently fired for refusing to conform to network mandates, as well as insisting on expressing political subtexts and antiwar sentiments during the Vietnam years, Altman always was able to gain assignments. In 1964, the producers decided to expand one of his episodes for the Kraft Television Theatre for commercial release under the name, Nightmare in Chicago.
Two years later, Altman was hired to direct the low-budget space travel feature Countdown, but was fired within days of the project's conclusion because he had refused to edit the film to a manageable length. He did not direct another film until That Cold Day in the Park
(1969), which was a critical and box-office disaster.
, an adaptation of a little-known Korean War
-era novel satirizing life in the armed services; more than a dozen other filmmakers had passed on it. Production was sometimes so tumultuous that the leads Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland
tried to have Altman fired over his unorthodox filming methods, but MASH was widely hailed as an immediate classic upon its 1970 release. It won the Palme d'Or
at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival
and netted six Academy Award nominations. It was Altman's highest-grossing film, released during a time of increasing anti-war sentiment in the United States.
Now recognized as a major talent, Altman had critical breakthroughs with McCabe & Mrs. Miller
(1971), known for its gritty portrayal of the American frontier; The Long Goodbye
(1973), a remake of a Raymond Chandler novel; Thieves Like Us
(1974), and Nashville (1975). These made his distinctive, experimental, "Altman style" more well known.
Altman favored stories expressing the interrelationships among several characters; he stated that he was more interested in character motivation than in intricate plots. He tended to sketch out only a basic plot for the film, referring to the screenplay as a "blueprint" for action. He allowed his actors to improvise dialogue and was known as an "actor's director," a reputation that attracted many notable actors to work in his large casts.
To convey a naturalistic effect, he recorded the characters talking over each other, allowing the audience to hear only scraps of dialogue. He noted on the DVD commentary of McCabe & Mrs. Miller
(1971) that he uses this technique, together with leaving elements of the plot for the audience to infer, because he wants people to pay attention and become engaged in the film. During the filming, he wore a headset to ensure that important dialogue could be heard, without emphasizing it. He wanted his films to be rated R (by the MPAA rating system) to keep children out of his audiences; he did not believe they had the patience and attention for his films. Movie studio
s wanted the films rated for the largest possible audiences to gain increased revenues.
Altman made films that no other filmmaker and/or studio would. He had been reluctant to make the Korean War
comedy MASH (1970), but it became a critical success. It inspired the long-running TV series of the same name. In 1975, Altman made Nashville, which had a strong political theme set against the world of country music
. The stars of the film wrote their own songs; Keith Carradine
won an Academy Award
for the song "I'm Easy".
Audiences took some time to appreciate his films, and he did not want to have to satisfy studio officials. In 1970, following the release of MASH, he founded Lion's Gate Films to have independent production freedom. (It has no relation to today's Canada/U.S.-based entertainment company Lionsgate). The films he made through his company included Brewster McCloud
, A Wedding
, 3 Women, and Quintet
.
, based on the comic strip/cartoon of the same name
, which starred the comedian Robin Williams
in his big-screen debut. Though some critics thought it a failure, the film made money, and was the second highest-grossing film Altman had directed to that point. (Gosford Park is now the second highest).
During the 1980s, Altman did a series of films, some well-received (Secret Honor
, Streamers
), and some critically panned (O.C. & Stiggs). He also garnered a good deal of acclaim for his TV "mockumentary
" Tanner '88
, based on a presidential campaign, for which he earned an Emmy Award
and regained critical favor. Still, widespread popularity with audiences continued to elude him.
In 1981, finding Hollywood increasingly uninterested in funding and distributing the films he wanted to make, Altman sold his Lion's Gate studio and production facility to producer Jonathan Taplin
. He revitalized his career with The Player
(1992), a satire
of Hollywood, which was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director. While he did not win the Oscar, he was awarded Best Director by the Cannes Film Festival
, BAFTA, and the New York Film Critics Circle.
Altman directed Short Cuts
(1993), an ambitious adaptation of several short stories by Raymond Carver
, which portrayed the lives of various citizens of Los Angeles over the course of several days. The film's large cast and intertwining of many different storylines were similar to his large-cast films of the 1970s; he won the Golden Lion
at the 1993 Venice International Film Festival and another Oscar nomination for Best Director. In 1996, Altman directed Kansas City
, expressing his love of 1930s jazz through a complicated kidnapping story. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1999.
Altman directed Gosford Park
(2001), and his portrayal of a large-cast, British country house mystery was included on many critics' lists of the ten best films of that year. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Julian Fellowes
) plus six more nominations, including two for Altman, as Best Director and Best Picture.
Working with independent studios such as the now-shuttered Fine Line, Artisan (which was absorbed into today's Lionsgate), and USA Films (now Focus Features
), gave Altman the edge in making the kinds of films he has always wanted to make without studio interference. A film version
of Garrison Keillor
's public radio series A Prairie Home Companion
was released in June 2006. Altman was still developing new projects up until his death, including a film based on Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary
(1997).
In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
awarded Altman an Academy Honorary Award
for Lifetime Achievement. During his acceptance speech, he revealed that he had received a heart transplant approximately ten or eleven years earlier. The director then quipped that perhaps the Academy had acted prematurely in recognizing the body of his work, as he felt like he might have four more decades of life ahead of him.
. He moved to Malibu but in 1981 sold that home and the Lion's Gate production company. "I had no choice", he told the New York Times. "Nobody was answering the phone" after the flop of Popeye." He moved his family and business headquarters to New York, but eventually moved back to Malibu, where he lived until his death.
In November 2000, he claimed that he would move to Paris if George W. Bush
were elected, but joked that he had meant Paris, Texas
when it came to pass. He noted that "the state would be better off if he (Bush) is out of it." Altman was an outspoken marijuana
user, and served as a member of the NORML advisory board. He was one of numerous notable public figures, including the linguist Noam Chomsky
and the actress Susan Sarandon
, who signed the "Not In My Name" declaration opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
in Los Angeles. According to his production company in New York, Sandcastle 5 Productions, he died of complications from leukemia
.
Altman is survived by his wife, Kathryn Reed Altman; six children, Christine Westphal, Michael Altman, Stephen Altman (his production designer
of choice for many films), Connie Corriere, Robert Reed Altman
, and Matthew Altman; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
The film director Paul Thomas Anderson
dedicated his 2007 film There Will Be Blood
to Altman. Anderson had worked as a standby director for A Prairie Home Companion
(2006) for insurance purposes, and in the event the ailing 80-year-old Altman was unable to finish shooting.
In 2009 the University of Michigan
made the winning bid for the Altman archives: approximately 900 boxes of personal papers, scripts, legal, business and financial records, photographs, props and related material; the total collection measures over 1,000 linear feet. Altman had filmed Secret Honor at the university, as well as directed several operas there.
:
BAFTA Awards:
Berlin International Film Festival
:
Cannes Film Festival
:
Directors Guild of America Awards
:
Emmy Awards:
Golden Globe Awards:
Independent Spirit Awards
:
Venice Film Festival
:
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
that are highly naturalistic
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award
Academy Honorary Award
The Academy Honorary Award, instituted in 1948 for the 21st Academy Awards , is given by the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to celebrate motion picture achievements that are not covered by existing Academy Awards, although prior winners of...
.
His films MASH
MASH (film)
MASH is a 1970 American satirical dark comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner, Jr., based on Richard Hooker's novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. It is the only feature film in the M*A*S*H franchise...
(1970), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), and Nashville (1975) have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
.
Early life and career
Altman was born in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, the son of Helen (née Matthews), a Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
descendant from Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, and Bernard Clement Altman, a wealthy insurance salesman and amateur gambler, who came from an upper-class family. Altman's ancestry was German, English and Irish; his paternal grandfather, Frank Altman, Sr., anglicized the spelling of the family name from "Altmann" to "Altman". Altman had a Catholic upbringing, but he did not continue to practice as a Catholic as an adult. He was educated at Jesuit schools, including Rockhurst High School
Rockhurst High School
Rockhurst High School is a private, Roman Catholic, Jesuit, preparatory school for boys located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, on the Missouri-Kansas border along State Line Road....
, in Kansas City.
In 1943 Altman joined the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
at the age of 18. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Altman flew more than 50 bombing missions as a crewman on a B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
with the 307th Bomb Group in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
and the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
.
Upon his discharge in 1946, Altman moved to California. He worked in publicity for a company that had invented a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ing machine to identify dogs. He entered filmmaking on a whim, selling a script to RKO for the 1948 picture Bodyguard
Bodyguard (1948 film)
Bodyguard is an American semi-documentary crime film noir directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Fred Niblo Jr.and Harry Essex, based on a story written by George W. George and Robert Altman, who would on to direct MASH and other notable films...
, which he co-wrote with George W. George. Altman's immediate success encouraged him to move to New York City, where he attempted to forge a career as a writer. Having enjoyed little success, in 1949 he returned to Kansas City, where he accepted a job as a director and writer of industrial films for the Calvin Company
Calvin Company
The Calvin Company was a Kansas City, Missouri-based educational and industrial film production company that for nearly half a century was the largest and most successful film producer of its type in the United States.-Origins:...
. He began to work with film technology and actors.
He directed some 65 industrial films and documentaries before being hired by a local businessman in 1956 to write and direct a feature film in Kansas City on juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
. The film, titled The Delinquents, made for $60,000, was purchased by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
for $150,000, and released in 1957. While primitive, this teen exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
contained the foundations of Altman's later work in its use of casual, naturalistic dialogue. With its success, Altman moved from Kansas City to California for the last time. He co-directed The James Dean Story
The James Dean Story
The James Dean Story is a 1957 American documentary.Released two years after Dean's death, the Warner Bros. Pictures release chronicles his short life and career via black-and-white still photographs, interviews with the aunt and uncle who raised him, his paternal grandparents, a New York City...
(1957), a documentary rushed into theaters to capitalize on the actor's recent death and marketed to his emerging cult following.
Television work
Alfred HitchcockAlfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
noticed Altman's first two features and hired him as a director for his CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
. After just two episodes, Altman resigned due to differences with a producer. The exposure enabled him to begin a successful TV career; he directed series including Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
, Combat!, and the Kraft Television Theater. He also was a director of the DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
drama series Pulse of the City
Pulse of the City
Pulse of the City was a television drama series on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network. The series ran from September 15, 1953 to March 9, 1954...
(1953–1954).
Through this early work on industrial films and TV series, Altman experimented with narrative technique and developed his characteristic use of overlapping dialogue. He also learned to work quickly and efficiently on a limited budget. During his TV period, though frequently fired for refusing to conform to network mandates, as well as insisting on expressing political subtexts and antiwar sentiments during the Vietnam years, Altman always was able to gain assignments. In 1964, the producers decided to expand one of his episodes for the Kraft Television Theatre for commercial release under the name, Nightmare in Chicago.
Two years later, Altman was hired to direct the low-budget space travel feature Countdown, but was fired within days of the project's conclusion because he had refused to edit the film to a manageable length. He did not direct another film until That Cold Day in the Park
That Cold Day in the Park
That Cold Day in the Park is a 1969 film directed by Robert Altman, shot in Vancouver, Canada. It stars Sandy Dennis and Michael Burns. It is based on the novel of the same name by Peter Miles. It was adapted to screen by Gillian Freeman...
(1969), which was a critical and box-office disaster.
Mainstream success
In 1969 Altman was offered the script for MASHMASH (film)
MASH is a 1970 American satirical dark comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner, Jr., based on Richard Hooker's novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. It is the only feature film in the M*A*S*H franchise...
, an adaptation of a little-known Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
-era novel satirizing life in the armed services; more than a dozen other filmmakers had passed on it. Production was sometimes so tumultuous that the leads Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
tried to have Altman fired over his unorthodox filming methods, but MASH was widely hailed as an immediate classic upon its 1970 release. It won the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and netted six Academy Award nominations. It was Altman's highest-grossing film, released during a time of increasing anti-war sentiment in the United States.
Now recognized as a major talent, Altman had critical breakthroughs with McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a 1971 American Western film starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, and directed by Robert Altman. The screenplay is by Altman and Brian McKay from the novel McCabe by Edmund Naughton. The cinematography is by Vilmos Zsigmond and the soundtrack includes three songs by...
(1971), known for its gritty portrayal of the American frontier; The Long Goodbye
The Long Goodbye (film)
The Long Goodbye is a 1973 neo noir, directed by Robert Altman and based on Raymond Chandler's 1953 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Leigh Brackett, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Big Sleep in 1946...
(1973), a remake of a Raymond Chandler novel; Thieves Like Us
Thieves Like Us (film)
Thieves Like Us is a 1974 film directed by Robert Altman, starring Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall. The film was based on the novel Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson...
(1974), and Nashville (1975). These made his distinctive, experimental, "Altman style" more well known.
Altman favored stories expressing the interrelationships among several characters; he stated that he was more interested in character motivation than in intricate plots. He tended to sketch out only a basic plot for the film, referring to the screenplay as a "blueprint" for action. He allowed his actors to improvise dialogue and was known as an "actor's director," a reputation that attracted many notable actors to work in his large casts.
To convey a naturalistic effect, he recorded the characters talking over each other, allowing the audience to hear only scraps of dialogue. He noted on the DVD commentary of McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a 1971 American Western film starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, and directed by Robert Altman. The screenplay is by Altman and Brian McKay from the novel McCabe by Edmund Naughton. The cinematography is by Vilmos Zsigmond and the soundtrack includes three songs by...
(1971) that he uses this technique, together with leaving elements of the plot for the audience to infer, because he wants people to pay attention and become engaged in the film. During the filming, he wore a headset to ensure that important dialogue could be heard, without emphasizing it. He wanted his films to be rated R (by the MPAA rating system) to keep children out of his audiences; he did not believe they had the patience and attention for his films. Movie studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
s wanted the films rated for the largest possible audiences to gain increased revenues.
Altman made films that no other filmmaker and/or studio would. He had been reluctant to make the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
comedy MASH (1970), but it became a critical success. It inspired the long-running TV series of the same name. In 1975, Altman made Nashville, which had a strong political theme set against the world of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. The stars of the film wrote their own songs; Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
won an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for the song "I'm Easy".
Audiences took some time to appreciate his films, and he did not want to have to satisfy studio officials. In 1970, following the release of MASH, he founded Lion's Gate Films to have independent production freedom. (It has no relation to today's Canada/U.S.-based entertainment company Lionsgate). The films he made through his company included Brewster McCloud
Brewster McCloud
Brewster McCloud is a 1970 movie, directed by Robert Altman, about a young recluse who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome, where he is building a pair of wings so he can fly. He is helped by his fairy godmother, played by Sally Kellerman....
, A Wedding
A Wedding
A Wedding is a 1978 black comedy film directed by Robert Altman, starring Carol Burnett, Lillian Gish, Geraldine Chaplin, Vittorio Gassman, Mia Farrow, Lauren Hutton, Craig Richard Nelson, Pam Dawber, Desi Arnaz, Jr., Paul Dooley, Dennis Christopher, and Howard Duff...
, 3 Women, and Quintet
Quintet (film)
Quintet is a post-apocalyptic science fiction film by Robert Altman produced in 1979. It features among others Paul Newman, Brigitte Fossey, Bibi Andersson, Fernando Rey, Vittorio Gassman and Nina Van Pallandt....
.
Later career and renaissance
In 1980, he directed the musical PopeyePopeye (film)
Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical...
, based on the comic strip/cartoon of the same name
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
, which starred the comedian Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
in his big-screen debut. Though some critics thought it a failure, the film made money, and was the second highest-grossing film Altman had directed to that point. (Gosford Park is now the second highest).
During the 1980s, Altman did a series of films, some well-received (Secret Honor
Secret Honor
Secret Honor is a 1984 film written by Donald Freed and Arnold M. Stone, and directed by Robert Altman and starring Philip Baker Hall as former president Richard M. Nixon, a fictional account attempting to gain insight into Nixon's personality, life, attitudes and behavior...
, Streamers
Streamers
Streamers is a play by David Rabe. After premiering at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut in 1975, the production transferred to Broadway, opening on April 21, 1976 at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, where it ran for 478 performances...
), and some critically panned (O.C. & Stiggs). He also garnered a good deal of acclaim for his TV "mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
" Tanner '88
Tanner '88
Tanner '88 is a political mockumentary miniseries written by Garry Trudeau and directed by Robert Altman. First broadcast by HBO during the months leading up to the 1988 U.S. presidential election, it purports to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the campaign of a former Michigan U.S...
, based on a presidential campaign, for which he earned an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and regained critical favor. Still, widespread popularity with audiences continued to elude him.
In 1981, finding Hollywood increasingly uninterested in funding and distributing the films he wanted to make, Altman sold his Lion's Gate studio and production facility to producer Jonathan Taplin
Jonathan Taplin
Jonathan Trumbull Taplin is an American writer, film producer and scholar. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and has lived in Los Angeles, California since 1973. Taplin graduated from Princeton University in 1969 and is currently a Professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg School...
. He revitalized his career with The Player
The Player
The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name....
(1992), a satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
of Hollywood, which was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director. While he did not win the Oscar, he was awarded Best Director by the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, BAFTA, and the New York Film Critics Circle.
Altman directed Short Cuts
Short Cuts
Short Cuts is a 1993 American drama film directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Robert Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver...
(1993), an ambitious adaptation of several short stories by Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver
Raymond Clevie Carver, Jr. was an American short story writer and poet. Carver is considered a major American writer of the late 20th century and also a major force in the revitalization of the short story in the 1980s....
, which portrayed the lives of various citizens of Los Angeles over the course of several days. The film's large cast and intertwining of many different storylines were similar to his large-cast films of the 1970s; he won the Golden Lion
Golden Lion
Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
at the 1993 Venice International Film Festival and another Oscar nomination for Best Director. In 1996, Altman directed Kansas City
Kansas City (1996 film)
Kansas City is a 1996 film, directed by Robert Altman, and featuring numerous jazz tracks. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte, and Steve Buscemi starred. The film was entered into the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
, expressing his love of 1930s jazz through a complicated kidnapping story. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1999.
Altman directed Gosford Park
Gosford Park
Gosford Park is a 2001 British-American mystery comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, and Michael Gambon...
(2001), and his portrayal of a large-cast, British country house mystery was included on many critics' lists of the ten best films of that year. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Julian Fellowes
Julian Fellowes
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
) plus six more nominations, including two for Altman, as Best Director and Best Picture.
Working with independent studios such as the now-shuttered Fine Line, Artisan (which was absorbed into today's Lionsgate), and USA Films (now Focus Features
Focus Features
Focus Features is the art house films division of NBC Universal's Universal Pictures, and acts as both a producer and distributor for its own films and a distributor for foreign films....
), gave Altman the edge in making the kinds of films he has always wanted to make without studio interference. A film version
A Prairie Home Companion (film)
A Prairie Home Companion is a 2006 ensemble comedy elegy directed by Robert Altman, and was his final film, released just five months before his death...
of Garrison Keillor
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality. He is known as host of the Minnesota Public Radio show A Prairie Home Companion Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (born August 7, 1942) is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio...
's public radio series A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
was released in June 2006. Altman was still developing new projects up until his death, including a film based on Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary
Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary
Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary is a 1997 film directed by S. R. Bindler documenting an endurance competition that took place in Longview, Texas. The yearly competition pits twenty-four contestants against each other to see who can keep their hand on a pickup truck for the longest amount of...
(1997).
In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
awarded Altman an Academy Honorary Award
Academy Honorary Award
The Academy Honorary Award, instituted in 1948 for the 21st Academy Awards , is given by the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to celebrate motion picture achievements that are not covered by existing Academy Awards, although prior winners of...
for Lifetime Achievement. During his acceptance speech, he revealed that he had received a heart transplant approximately ten or eleven years earlier. The director then quipped that perhaps the Academy had acted prematurely in recognizing the body of his work, as he felt like he might have four more decades of life ahead of him.
Personal life
In the 1960s, Altman lived for nine years with his second wife in Mandeville Canyon in Brentwood, CaliforniaBrentwood, Los Angeles, California
Brentwood is a district in western Los Angeles, California, United States. The district is located at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains, bounded by the San Diego Freeway on the east, Wilshire Boulevard on the south, the Santa Monica city limits on the southwest, the border of Topanga State...
. He moved to Malibu but in 1981 sold that home and the Lion's Gate production company. "I had no choice", he told the New York Times. "Nobody was answering the phone" after the flop of Popeye." He moved his family and business headquarters to New York, but eventually moved back to Malibu, where he lived until his death.
In November 2000, he claimed that he would move to Paris if George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
were elected, but joked that he had meant Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
when it came to pass. He noted that "the state would be better off if he (Bush) is out of it." Altman was an outspoken marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
user, and served as a member of the NORML advisory board. He was one of numerous notable public figures, including the linguist Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
and the actress Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
, who signed the "Not In My Name" declaration opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Death
Altman died on November 20, 2006, at age 81 at Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterCedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles. According to his production company in New York, Sandcastle 5 Productions, he died of complications from leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
.
Altman is survived by his wife, Kathryn Reed Altman; six children, Christine Westphal, Michael Altman, Stephen Altman (his production designer
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
of choice for many films), Connie Corriere, Robert Reed Altman
Robert Reed Altman
Robert Reed Altman has served as a camera operator and director of photography on feature films and television series since the 1970s...
, and Matthew Altman; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
The film director Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has written and directed five feature films: Hard Eight , Boogie Nights , Magnolia , Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood...
dedicated his 2007 film There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is a 2007 drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film is based on Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil!. It tells the story of a silver miner-turned-oilman on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and...
to Altman. Anderson had worked as a standby director for A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
(2006) for insurance purposes, and in the event the ailing 80-year-old Altman was unable to finish shooting.
In 2009 the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
made the winning bid for the Altman archives: approximately 900 boxes of personal papers, scripts, legal, business and financial records, photographs, props and related material; the total collection measures over 1,000 linear feet. Altman had filmed Secret Honor at the university, as well as directed several operas there.
Shorts
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Honeymoon for Harriet | Short Industrial Film: International Harvester International Harvester International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P... |
| 1951 | Modern Football | Short Industrial Film: Official Sports Film Service |
| The Dirty Look | Short Industrial Film: Gulf Oil Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies... |
|
| 1952 | The Last Mile | Short Industrial Film: Caterpillar Tractor Company |
| The Sound of Bells | Short Industrial Film: Goodrich Corporation Goodrich Corporation The Goodrich Corporation , formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, is an American aerospace manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company name was changed to the "B.F... |
|
| King Basketball | Short Industrial Film: Official Sports Film Service | |
| 1953 | Modern Baseball | Short Industrial Film: Official Sports Film Service |
| 1954 | The Builders | Short Industrial Film: Wire Reinforcement Institute |
| Better Football | Short Industrial Film: Official Sports Film Service | |
| The Perfect Crime | Short Industrial Film: Caterpillar Tractor Company | |
| 1955 | The Magic Bond | Short Industrial Film: Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat... |
| 1965 | The Katherine Reed Story | Short Documentary |
| Pot au feu | Short | |
| 1966 | Girl Talk | ColorSonics Short |
| The Party | ColorSonics Short | |
| Speak Low | ColorSonics Short | |
| Ebb Tide | ColorSonics Short |
Motion pictures
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The Delinquents | |
| The James Dean Story The James Dean Story The James Dean Story is a 1957 American documentary.Released two years after Dean's death, the Warner Bros. Pictures release chronicles his short life and career via black-and-white still photographs, interviews with the aunt and uncle who raised him, his paternal grandparents, a New York City... |
Documentary co-dir: George W. George |
|
| 1968 | Countdown | |
| 1969 | That Cold Day in the Park That Cold Day in the Park That Cold Day in the Park is a 1969 film directed by Robert Altman, shot in Vancouver, Canada. It stars Sandy Dennis and Michael Burns. It is based on the novel of the same name by Peter Miles. It was adapted to screen by Gillian Freeman... |
|
| 1970 | MASH | Palme d'Or Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director Steven Spielberg holds the record for most wins: 6 . Peter Jackson won an award for each and every film of The Lord of the Rings-trilogy.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:*... Nominated – Academy Award for Directing Academy Award for Directing The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry... Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Direction BAFTA Award for Best Direction Winners of the BAFTA Award for Best Direction presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-2010s:* 2010 - David Fincher – The Social Network** Tom Hooper – The King's Speech** Danny Boyle – 127 Hours... Nominated – Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures is one of the annual awards given by Directors Guild of America.-1940s:* 1948: Joseph L... Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Director |
| Brewster McCloud Brewster McCloud Brewster McCloud is a 1970 movie, directed by Robert Altman, about a young recluse who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome, where he is building a pair of wings so he can fly. He is helped by his fairy godmother, played by Sally Kellerman.... |
||
| 1971 | McCabe & Mrs. Miller McCabe & Mrs. Miller McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a 1971 American Western film starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, and directed by Robert Altman. The screenplay is by Altman and Brian McKay from the novel McCabe by Edmund Naughton. The cinematography is by Vilmos Zsigmond and the soundtrack includes three songs by... |
Nominated – Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is one of the three screenwriting Writers Guild of America Awards, one that is specifically for film... |
| 1972 | Images Images (film) Images is a 1972 British-American psychological thriller film directed by Robert Altman.-Plot:Wealthy housewife and children's author Cathryn receives a series of disturbing and eerie phone calls in her home in London one dreary night... |
Nominated – Palme d'Or Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... Nominated – Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay The Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay is one of the three film writing awards given by the Writers Guild of America Award.... |
| 1973 | The Long Goodbye The Long Goodbye (film) The Long Goodbye is a 1973 neo noir, directed by Robert Altman and based on Raymond Chandler's 1953 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Leigh Brackett, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Big Sleep in 1946... |
|
| 1974 | Thieves Like Us Thieves Like Us (film) Thieves Like Us is a 1974 film directed by Robert Altman, starring Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall. The film was based on the novel Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson... |
|
| California Split California Split California Split is a 1974 film directed by Robert Altman and starring Elliott Gould and George Segal as a pair of gamblers. It was the first non-Cinerama movie to use eight-track stereo sound.-Plot:... |
||
| 1975 | Nashville | Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film The Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film was one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . The Bodil Awards were created in 1948 and are one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. This category was originally named "Best American Film" until... Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director Steven Spielberg holds the record for most wins: 6 . Peter Jackson won an award for each and every film of The Lord of the Rings-trilogy.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:*... National Board of Review Award for Best Director National Board of Review Award for Best Director An incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review Award for Best Director made by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures:-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director is an annual award given by National Society of Film Critics to honor the best film director of the year.... Nominated – Academy Award for Directing Academy Award for Directing The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry... Nominated – César Award for Best Foreign Film César Award for Best Foreign Film This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Foreign Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures is one of the annual awards given by Directors Guild of America.-1940s:* 1948: Joseph L... Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Director |
| 1976 | Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson is a 1976 revisionist Western directed by Robert Altman and based on the play Indians by Arthur Kopit. It stars Paul Newman as William F... |
Golden Bear Golden Bear According to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear.... at Berlin 26th Berlin International Film Festival The 26th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 25 to July 6, 1976.-Jury:* Jerzy Kawalerowicz * Hannes Schmidt* Marjorie Bilbow* Michel Ciment* Guido Cinotti* Georgi Daneliya* Wolf Hart* Bernard R... |
| 1977 | 3 Women 3 Women (film) 3 Women is a 1977 American film directed by Robert Altman, starring Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Janice Rule. The story came directly from a dream Altman had, which he did not fully understand, but nonetheless adapted into a treatment, intending to film without a script... |
Nominated – Palme d'Or Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... |
| 1978 | A Wedding A Wedding A Wedding is a 1978 black comedy film directed by Robert Altman, starring Carol Burnett, Lillian Gish, Geraldine Chaplin, Vittorio Gassman, Mia Farrow, Lauren Hutton, Craig Richard Nelson, Pam Dawber, Desi Arnaz, Jr., Paul Dooley, Dennis Christopher, and Howard Duff... |
Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Direction BAFTA Award for Best Direction Winners of the BAFTA Award for Best Direction presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-2010s:* 2010 - David Fincher – The Social Network** Tom Hooper – The King's Speech** Danny Boyle – 127 Hours... Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay The BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay is the British Academy Film Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. It has been awarded since 1984, when the original category was split into two awards, the other being the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted... Nominated – César Award for Best Foreign Film César Award for Best Foreign Film This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Foreign Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay The Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay is one of the three film writing awards given by the Writers Guild of America Award.... |
| 1979 | Quintet Quintet (film) Quintet is a post-apocalyptic science fiction film by Robert Altman produced in 1979. It features among others Paul Newman, Brigitte Fossey, Bibi Andersson, Fernando Rey, Vittorio Gassman and Nina Van Pallandt.... |
|
| A Perfect Couple A Perfect Couple A Perfect Couple is a 1979 film directed by Robert Altman.- Plot :An older man, played by Paul Dooley, tries romancing a younger woman, played by Marta Heflin. She is part of a travelling band of bohemian musicians who perform gigs in outdoor arenas around the country. He joins them on the road... |
||
| 1980 | HealtH Health (film) HealtH is a 1980 ensemble comedy film, the fifteenth feature project from director Robert Altman. It stars Carol Burnett, Glenda Jackson, James Garner, Lauren Bacall, and Paul Dooley, and was written by Altman, Dooley and Frank Barhydt... |
|
| Popeye Popeye (film) Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical... |
||
| 1982 | Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean | |
| 1983 | Streamers Streamers (film) Streamers is a 1983 film adapted by David Rabe from his play of the same title. The film was directed by Robert Altman and produced by Robert Michael Geisler and John Roberdeau... |
DVD released in 2010 by Shout! Factory Shout! Factory Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label... |
| 1984 | Secret Honor Secret Honor Secret Honor is a 1984 film written by Donald Freed and Arnold M. Stone, and directed by Robert Altman and starring Philip Baker Hall as former president Richard M. Nixon, a fictional account attempting to gain insight into Nixon's personality, life, attitudes and behavior... |
|
| O.C. & Stiggs | Released in 1987 | |
| 1985 | Fool for Love Fool for Love (film) Fool for Love is a 1985 film directed by Robert Altman. The film stars Sam Shepard, who also wrote the screenplay. It was entered into the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:... |
Troia International Film Festival Golden Dolphin Nominated – Palme d'Or Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... |
| 1987 | Beyond Therapy Beyond Therapy (film) -Plot:Based on the play Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang, it focuses on Prudence and Bruce, two Manhattanites who are seeking stable romantic relationships with the help of their respective psychiatrists, lecherous Stuart and scatterbrained Charlotte, each of whom suggests the patient place a... |
|
| Aria | Segment: Les Boréades Nominated – Palme d'Or Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... |
|
| 1990 | Vincent and Theo | |
| 1992 | The Player The Player The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name.... |
BAFTA Award for Best Direction BAFTA Award for Best Direction Winners of the BAFTA Award for Best Direction presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-2010s:* 2010 - David Fincher – The Social Network** Tom Hooper – The King's Speech** Danny Boyle – 127 Hours... Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film The Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film was one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . The Bodil Awards were created in 1948 and are one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. This category was originally named "Best American Film" until... Prix de la mise en scène Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival) The Best Director Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.... Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award for Best Foreign Director London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director The London Film Critics Circle Award for Director of the Year in an annual award given by the London Film Critics' Circle.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honour the finest achievements in filmmaking.... Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Director Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Director The Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Director is an annual film award given by the Southeastern Film Critics Association to honor the best film director of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – Academy Award for Directing Academy Award for Directing The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry... Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Film BAFTA Award for Best Film This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards... Nominated – Palme d'Or Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... Nominated – César Award for Best Foreign Film César Award for Best Foreign Film This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Foreign Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures is one of the annual awards given by Directors Guild of America.-1940s:* 1948: Joseph L... Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Director |
| 1993 | Short Cuts Short Cuts Short Cuts is a 1993 American drama film directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Robert Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver... |
Independent Spirit Award for Best Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Film The Independent Spirit Award for Best Film is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.-1980s:* 1985: After Hours - Martin Scorsese** Blood Simple - Joel and Ethan Coen** Smooth Talk... Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay The Film Independent's Spirit Award for Best Screenplay is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.-1980s:* 1985: The Trip to Bountiful - Horton Foote** After Hours - Joseph Minion** Blood Simple - Joel and Ethan Coen... Bodil Award for Best American Film Bodil Award for Best American Film The Bodil Award for Best American Film is one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . It was created in 1948 and is one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. The category was named "Best American Film" until 1961, when it became the "Best... Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay The Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay is one of the annual film awards given by the Boston Society of Film Critics.- 1980s :... Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award for Best Foreign Director Golden Lion Golden Lion Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes... Nominated – Academy Award for Directing Academy Award for Directing The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry... Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay The Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture is one of the annual awards given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association."†" indicates the winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing "‡" indicates the winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing "§" indicates a Golden Globe Award... Nominated – César Award for Best Foreign Film César Award for Best Foreign Film This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Foreign Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
| 1994 | Prêt-à-Porter Prêt-à-Porter (film) Prêt-à-Porter is a 1994 American satirical black comedy film co-written, directed, and produced by Robert Altman and shot during the Paris, France, Fashion Week with a host of international stars, models and designers... |
Also released as Ready to Wear |
| 1996 | Kansas City Kansas City (1996 film) Kansas City is a 1996 film, directed by Robert Altman, and featuring numerous jazz tracks. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte, and Steve Buscemi starred. The film was entered into the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:... |
Nominated – Palme d'Or Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... |
| 1998 | The Gingerbread Man The Gingerbread Man (film) The Gingerbread Man is a 1998 American legal thriller film directed by Robert Altman and based on a discarded John Grisham manuscript. The film stars Kenneth Branagh, Embeth Davidtz, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Berenger, Daryl Hannah, Famke Janssen, and Robert Duvall.-Plot:Divorced lawyer Rick Magruder ... |
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| 1999 | Cookie's Fortune Cookie's Fortune Cookie's Fortune is a 1999 comedy film directed by Robert Altman and starring an ensemble cast, including Patricia Neal, Charles S. Dutton, Julianne Moore, Glenn Close, Liv Tyler and Chris O'Donnell... |
Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Film The Independent Spirit Award for Best Film is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.-1980s:* 1985: After Hours - Martin Scorsese** Blood Simple - Joel and Ethan Coen** Smooth Talk... |
| 2000 | Dr. T & the Women Dr. T & the Women Dr. T & the Women is a 2000 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Altman. It stars Richard Gere as wealthy gynecologist Dr. Sullivan Travis and Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Tara Reid, Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler as the various "women" that encompass his everyday... |
Nominated – Golden Lion Golden Lion Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes... |
| 2001 | Gosford Park Gosford Park Gosford Park is a 2001 British-American mystery comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, and Michael Gambon... |
American Film Institute Director of the Year American Film Institute Awards 2001 The AFI Awards 2001 honoring the best in film and television for 2001 were held January 5th 2002. The nominations were announced December 17, 2001. The ceremony announcing the winners was broadcast on CBS. It did not do well in the ratings so it would not be held in this format again... BAFTA Award for Best British Film BAFTA Award for Best Film This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards... Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Film Evening Standard British Film Awards The Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by the British London area evening newspaper Evening Standard. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony honours films from the previous... Golden Globe Award for Best Director Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award for Best Foreign Director Director National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director is an annual award given by National Society of Film Critics to honor the best film director of the year.... New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honour the finest achievements in filmmaking.... Robert Award for Best American Film of the Year Robert Award The Robert statue is a Danish film prize awarded each year by the Film Academy of Denmark. It is the Danish equivalent of the American Oscars. The award, voted only by academy members, is acknowledgement by Danish industry colleagues of a person's or film's outstanding contributions during the... Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Direction BAFTA Award for Best Direction Winners of the BAFTA Award for Best Direction presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-2010s:* 2010 - David Fincher – The Social Network** Tom Hooper – The King's Speech** Danny Boyle – 127 Hours... Nominated – Academy Award for Directing Academy Award for Directing The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry... Nominated – Bodil Award for Best American Film Bodil Award for Best American Film The Bodil Award for Best American Film is one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . It was created in 1948 and is one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. The category was named "Best American Film" until 1961, when it became the "Best... Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Film Nominated – César Award for Best European Union Film Nominated – Goya Award for Best European Film Goya Award for Best European Film The Goya Award for Best European Film is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.-1990s:-2000s:-Awards by nation:-External links:**... |
| 2003 | The Company | |
| 2006 | A Prairie Home Companion A Prairie Home Companion (film) A Prairie Home Companion is a 2006 ensemble comedy elegy directed by Robert Altman, and was his final film, released just five months before his death... |
Also released as The Last Show Hochi Film Award for Best International Film Hochi Film Award The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by the Hochi Shimbun.- Categories :*Best Picture*Best International Picture*Best Actor*Best Actress*Best Supporting Actor*Best Supporting Actress*Best New Artist*Special Award*Best Director- Winner :... Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Director Independent Spirit Award for Best Director The Film Independent's Spirit Award for Best Director is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.- 1980s :* 1985: Joel Coen – Blood Simple** Martin Scorsese – After Hours** Joyce Chopra – Smooth Talk... Nominated – Bodil Award for Best American Film Bodil Award for Best American Film The Bodil Award for Best American Film is one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . It was created in 1948 and is one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. The category was named "Best American Film" until 1961, when it became the "Best... |
television films and miniseries
- Nightmare in Chicago (1964) [previously "Once Upon a Savage Night" in Kraft Suspense Theater]
- Precious Blood (1982) – Television film written by Frank South
- Rattlesnake in a Cooler (1982) – Television film written by Frank South
- Secret HonorSecret HonorSecret Honor is a 1984 film written by Donald Freed and Arnold M. Stone, and directed by Robert Altman and starring Philip Baker Hall as former president Richard M. Nixon, a fictional account attempting to gain insight into Nixon's personality, life, attitudes and behavior...
(1984) - The Laundromat (1985) (60 min.)
- Basements (1987) – two one-act plays by Harold PinterHarold PinterHarold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
: The Dumb WaiterThe Dumb WaiterThe Dumb Waiter is a one-act play by 2005 Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter written in 1957; it premiered at the Hampstead Theatre Club, on 21 January 1960...
and The Room (the former was released to video as its own feature by Prism Entertainment) - Tanner '88Tanner '88Tanner '88 is a political mockumentary miniseries written by Garry Trudeau and directed by Robert Altman. First broadcast by HBO during the months leading up to the 1988 U.S. presidential election, it purports to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the campaign of a former Michigan U.S...
(1988) – six hour mini-series for HBO - The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1988) – Television film based on the play by Herman WoukHerman WoukHerman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author of novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.-Biography:...
- Vincent & TheoVincent & TheoVincent & Theo is a 1990 biographical drama directed by Robert Altman, starring Tim Roth and Paul Rhys. The movie is an exploration of the relationship between Vincent van Gogh and his art dealer brother, Theo....
(1990) – British Mini-series in 4 parts, later released in edited form worldwide as feature film. - McTeagueMcTeagueMcTeague is a novel by Frank Norris, first published in 1899. It tells the story of a couple's courtship and marriage, and their subsequent descent into poverty, violence and finally murder as the result of jealousy and avarice...
(1992) – an opera for PBS - The Real McTeague (1993) – making of "McTeagueMcTeagueMcTeague is a novel by Frank Norris, first published in 1899. It tells the story of a couple's courtship and marriage, and their subsequent descent into poverty, violence and finally murder as the result of jealousy and avarice...
", also for PBS - Black and BlueBlack and Blue (musical)Black and Blue is a musical revue celebrating the black culture of dance and music in Paris between World War I and World War II.Based on an idea by Mel Howard and conceived by Hector Orezzoli and Claudio Segovia, it consists of songs by artists such as W. C...
(1993) – an Emmy nominated filmed play which aired on PBS' "Great PerformancesGreat PerformancesGreat Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on Public Broadcasting Service public television since 1972...
" - Robert Altman's Jazz '34 (1996) – PBS special about the music from Kansas CityKansas City (1996 film)Kansas City is a 1996 film, directed by Robert Altman, and featuring numerous jazz tracks. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte, and Steve Buscemi starred. The film was entered into the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
- Tanner on TannerTanner on TannerTanner on Tanner is a 2004 comedy and the sequel series to the 1988 Robert Altman directed and Garry Trudeau written miniseries about a failed presidential candidate, Tanner '88...
(2004) – two hour mini-series for the Sundance Channel, a follow-up to Tanner '88
Television episodes
- Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
(1957–58)- ep. 3–9: "The Young One" (air-date December 1, 1957)
- ep. 3–15: "Together" (a.d. January 12, 1958)
- M SquadM SquadM Squad is an American police drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. Its format would later inspire the creation of spoof TV show Police Squad! Its sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's star, appeared in its commercials during the...
(1958) ep. 1–21: "Lover's Lane Killing" (a.d. February 14, 1958) - The Millionaire aka If You Had A Million (1958–59)
- directed by Altman
- ep #148 / 5–14: "Pete Hopper: Afraid of the Dark" (a.d. December 10, 1958)
- ep #162 / 5–28: "Henry Banning: The Show Off" (a.d. April 1, 1959)
- ep #185 / 6–14: "Jackson Greene: The Beatnik" (a.d. December 22, 1959)
- written by Altman
- ep #160 / 5–26: "Alicia Osante: Beauty and the Sailor" (a.d. March 18, 1959)
- ep #174 / 6-3: "Lorraine Dagget: The Beach Story" [story] (a.d. September 29, 1959)
- ep #183 / 6–12: "Andrew C. Cooley: Andy and Clara" (a.d. December 8, 1959)
- WhirlybirdsWhirlybirdsWhirlybirds is an American drama television series....
(1958–59)- ep. #71 / 2–32: "The Midnight Show" (a.d. December 8, 1958)
- ep. #79 / 3-1: "Guilty of Old Age" (a.d. April 13, 1959)
- ep. #80 / 3-2: "A Matter of Trust" (a.d. April 6, 1959)
- ep. #81 / 3-3: "Christmas in June" (a.d. April 20, 1959)
- ep. #82 / 3–4: "Til Death Do Us Part" (unknown air-date, probably April 27, 1959)
- ep. #83 / 3–5: "Time Limit" (a.d. May 4, 1959)
- ep. #84 / 3–6: "Experiment X-74" (a.d. May 11, 1959)
- ep. #87 / 3–9: "The Challenge" (a.d. June 1, 1959)
- ep. #88 / 3–10: "The Big Lie" (a.d. June 8, 1959)
- ep. #91 / 3–13: "The Perfect Crime" (a.d. June 29, 1959)
- ep. #92 / 3–14: "The Unknown Soldier" (a.d. July 6, 1959)
- ep. #93 / 3–15: "Two of a Kind" (a.d. July 13, 1959)
- ep. #94 / 3–16: "In Ways Mysterious" (a.d. July 20, 1959)
- ep. #97 / 3–19: "The Black Maria" (a.d. August 10, 1959)
- ep. #98 / 3–20: "The Sitting Duck" (a.d. August 17, 1959)
- U.S. Marshal (original title: Sheriff of Cochise) (1959)
- verified
- ep. 4–17: "The Triple Cross"
- ep. 4–23: "Shortcut to Hell"
- ep. 4–25: "R.I.P." (a.d. June 6, 1959)
- uncertain; some sources cite Altman on these episodes; no known source cites anybody else
- ep. 4–18: "The Third Miracle"
- ep. 4–31: "Kill or Be Killed"
- ep. 4–32: "Backfire"
- ep. "Tapes For Murder"
- ep. "Special Delivery"
- ep. "Paper Bullets"
- ep. "Tarnished Star"
- Troubleshooters (1959) (13 episodes)
- Hawaiian EyeHawaiian EyeHawaiian Eye is an American television series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company television network.-Premise:...
(1959) ep. 8: "Three Tickets to Lani" (a.d. November 25, 1959) - SugarfootSugarfootSugarfoot is the title of a TV western that aired from 1957 to 1961. The series featured Will Hutchins as fledgling frontier lawyer Tom Brewster and Jack Elam as sidekick Toothy Thompson...
(1959–60)- ep. #47 / 3–7: "Apollo With A Gun" (a.d. December 8, 1959)
- ep. #50 / 3–10: "The Highbinder" (a.d. January 19, 1960)
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1960)
- ep. "The Sound of Murder" (a.d. January 1, 1960)
- ep. "Death of a Dream"
- The Gale Storm ShowThe Gale Storm ShowThe Gale Storm Show is an American sitcom starring Gale Storm. The series premiered on September 29, 1956, and ran until 1960 for 143 half-hour black-and-white episodes, initially on CBS and in its last year on ABC...
aka Oh! Susanna (1960) ep. #125 / 4–25: "It's Magic" (a.d. March 17, 1960) - BroncoBronco (TV series)Bronco is a Western series on ABC from 1958 through 1962. It was shown by the BBC in the United Kingdom. The program starred Ty Hardin as Bronco Layne, a former Confederate officer who wandered the Old West, meeting such well-known individuals as Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, Jesse James,...
(1960) ep #41 / 3-1: "The Mustangers" (a.d. October 17, 1960) - MaverickMaverick (TV series)Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
(1960) ep. #90: "Bolt From the Blue" (a.d. November 27, 1960) - The Roaring '20sThe Roaring Twenties (TV series)The Roaring 20s is an American drama series that aired on the ABC network beginning on October 15, 1960, and ending on September 21, 1962.-Synopsis:...
(1960–61)- ep. 1–5: "The Prairie Flower" (a.d. November 12, 1960)
- ep. 1–6: "Brother's Keeper" (a.d. November 19, 1960)
- ep. 1–8: "White Carnation" (a.d. December 3, 1960)
- ep. 1–12: "Dance Marathon" (a.d. January 14, 1961)
- ep. 1–15: "Two a Day" (a.d. February 4, 1961)
- ep. 1–28&29: "Right Off the Boat" Parts 1 & 2 (a.d. May 13/20, 1961)
- ep. 1–31: "Royal Tour" (a.d. June 3, 1961)
- ep. 2–4: "Standing Room Only" (a.d. October 28, 1961)
- BonanzaBonanzaBonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
(1960–61)- ep. 2–13: "Silent Thunder" (a.d. December 10, 1960)
- ep. 2–19: "Bank Run" (a.d. January 28, 1961)
- ep. 2–25: "The Duke" (a.d. March 11, 1961)
- ep. 2–28: "The Rival" (a.d. April 15, 1961)
- ep. 2–31: "The Secret" (a.d. May 6, 1961)
- ep. 2–32 "The Dream Riders" (a.d. May 20, 1961)
- ep. 2–34: "Sam Hill" (a.d. June 3, 1961)
- ep. 3–7: "The Many Faces of Gideon Finch" (a.d. November 5, 1961)
- Lawman (1961) ep. #92 / 3–16: "The Robbery" (a.d. January 1, 1961)
- Surfside 6Surfside 6Surfside 6 was an ABC television series which aired from 1960 to 1962. The show centered around a Miami Beach detective agency set on a houseboat and featured Troy Donahue as Sandy Winfield, II; Van Williams as Kenny Madison ; and Lee Patterson as Dave Thorne...
(1961) ep. 1–18: "Thieves Among Honor" (a.d. Jan 30, 1961) - Peter GunnPeter GunnPeter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
(1958) ep. 3–28: "The Murder Bond" (a.d. April 24, 1961) - Bus StopBus Stop (TV series)Bus Stop is a 26-episode drama which aired on ABC from October 1, 1961, until March 25, 1962, starring Marilyn Maxwell as Grace Sherwood, the owner of a bus station and diner in the fictitious town of Sunrise in the Colorado Rockies...
(1961–62)- ep. 4: "The Covering Darkness" (a.d. October 22, 1961)
- ep. 5: "Portrait of a Hero" (a.d. October 29, 1961)
- ep. 8: "Accessory By Consent" (a.d. November 19, 1961)
- ep. 10: "A Lion Walks Among Us" (a.d. December 3, 1961)
- ep. 12: "... And the Pursuit of Evil" (a.d. December 17, 1961)
- ep. 15: "Summer Lightning" (a.d. January 7, 1962)
- ep. 23: "Door Without a Key" (a.d. March 4, 1962)
- ep. 25: "County General" [possibly failed pilot] (a.d. March 18, 1962)
- Route 66Route 66 (TV series)Route 66 is an American TV series in which two young men traveled across America. The show ran weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and, for two and a half seasons, George Maharis as Buz Murdock. Maharis was ill for much of the third season, during which time Tod...
(1961)- ep. #40/2-10: "Some of the People, Some of the Time' (a.d. December 1, 61)
- ep. 3–17: "A Gift For A Warrior" (a.d. January 18, 1963) – often incorrectly cited, Altman did not direct this
- The Gallant MenThe Gallant MenThe Gallant Men is a 1962-1963 ABC television series which depicted an infantry company of American soldiers fighting their way through Italy in World War II.-Description:...
(1962) pilot: "Battle Zone" (a.d. October 5, 1962) - Combat! (1962–63)
- ep. 1-1: "Forgotten Front" (a.d. October 2, 1962)
- ep. 1–2: "Rear Echelon Commandos" (a.d. October 9, 1962)
- ep. 1–4: "Any Second Now" (a.d. October 23, 1962)
- ep. 1–7: "Escape to Nowhere" (a.d. December 20, 1962)
- ep. 1–9: "Cat and Mouse" (a.d. December 4, 1962)
- ep. 1–10: "I Swear By Apollo" (a.d. December 11, 1962)
- ep. 1–12: "The Prisoner" (a.d. December 25, 1962)
- ep. 1–16: "The Volunteer" (a.d. January 22, 1963)
- ep. 1–20: "Off Limits" (a.d. February 19, 1963)
- ep. 1–23: "Survival" (a.d. March 12, 1963)
- Kraft Suspense TheatreKraft Suspense TheatreKraft Suspense Theatre, an anthology series, was telecast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall specials once monthly...
(1963)- ep 1–8: "The Long Lost Life of Edward Smalley" (also writer) (a.d. December 12, 1963)
- ep 1–9: "The Hunt" (also writer) (a.d. December 19, 1963)
- ep 1–21: "Once Upon a Savage Night"
- released as Television film Nightmare in Chicago in 1964
- The Long Hot Summer (1965) pilot
- Nightwatch (1968) pilot: "The Suitcase"
- Premiere (1968) ep. "Walk in the Sky" (a.d. July 15, 1968)
- Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
(1977) ep. #39 / 2–16 "h: Sissy SpacekSissy SpacekSissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She came to international prominence for her for role as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination...
", seg. "Sissy's Roles" (a.d. March 12, 1977) - Gun (aka Robert Altman's Gun) (1997) ep. 4: "All the President's Women" (a.d. May 10, 1997)
- this episode, along with another, was released on DVD as Gun: Fatal Betrayal; subsequently, the entire six-episode series was released
Awards and nominations
Academy AwardsAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
:
- 1971: Best Director (MASH, nominated)
- 1976: Best Picture (Nashville, nominated)
- 1976: Best Director (Nashville, nominated)
- 1993: Best Director (The Player, nominated)
- 1994: Best Director (Short Cuts, nominated)
- 2002: Best Picture (Gosford Park, nominated)
- 2002: Best Director (Gosford Park, nominated)
- 2006: Honorary Oscar (won)
BAFTA Awards:
- 1971: Best Direction (MASH, nominated)
- 1979: Best Direction (A Wedding, nominated)
- 1979: Best Screenplay (A Wedding, nominated)
- 1993: Best Film (The Player, nominated)
- 1993: Best Direction (The Player, won)
- 2002: Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film (Gosford Park, won)
- 2002: David Lean Award for Direction (Gosford Park, nominated)
Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
:
- 1976: Golden Berlin Bear (Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson, won)
- 1985: FIPRESCI Prize - Forum of New Cinema (Secret Honor, won)
- 1999: Golden Berlin Bear (Cookie's Fortune, nominated)
- 1999: Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas (Cookie's Fortune, won)
- 2002: Honorary Golden Berlin Bear (won)
- 2006: Golden Berlin Bear (A Prairie Home Companion, nominated)
- 2006: Reader Jury of the "Berliner Morgenpost" (A Prairie Home Companion, won)
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
:
- 1970: Golden Palm (MASH, won)
- 1972: Golden Palm (Images, nominated)
- 1977: Golden Palm (3 Women, nominated)
- 1986: Golden Palm (Fool for Love, nominated)
- 1987: Golden Palm (Aria, nominated)
- 1992: Golden Palm (The Player, nominated)
- 1992: Best Director (The Player, won)
- 1996: Golden Palm (Kansas City, nominated)
Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D.W. Griffith....
:
- 1971: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (MASH, nominated)
- 1976: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (Nashville, nominated)
- 1993: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (The Player, nominated)
- 1994: Lifetime Achievement Award (won)
- 2005: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television (Tanner on Tanner, nominated)
Emmy Awards:
- 1989: Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (Tanner '88, won)
- 1993: Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program (Great Performances - Black and Blue, nominated)
Golden Globe Awards:
- 1971: Best Director (MASH, nominated)
- 1976: Best Director (Nashville, nominated)
- 1993: Best Director (The Player, nominated)
- 1994: Best Screenplay (Short Cuts, nominated)
- 2002: Best Director (Gosford Park, won)
Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
:
- 1994: Best Director (Short Cuts, won)
- 1994: Best Screenplay (Short Cuts, won)
- 1995: Best Feature (Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, nominated)
- 2000: Best Feature (Cookie's Fortune, nominated)
- 2007: Best Director (A Prairie Home Companion, nominated)
Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
:
- 1993: Golden Lion (Short Cuts, won)
- 1996: Career Golden Lion (won)
- 2000: Golden Lion (Dr T and the Women, nominated)
Quotes
"Sometimes I feel like Little Eva, running across the ice .. with the dogs yapping at my ass. Maybe the reason I'm doing all this is so I can get a lot done before they catch up with me." – 1976Bibliographies
- Robert Altman Bibliography (via UC Berkeley)
- Rafal Syska, Keep the Distance. Film World of Robert Altman, Rabid, Cracow 2008. ISBN 978-83-60236-36-9
Additional resources
- The director's commentary on the McCabe & Mrs. Miller DVD, while focusing on that film, also to some degree covers Altman's general methodology as a director.
- Judith M. Kass. Robert Altman: American Innovator early (1978) assessment of the director's work and his interest in gamblingGamblingGambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
. Part of Leonard MaltinLeonard MaltinLeonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
's Popular LibraryPopular LibraryPopular Library was a New York paperback book company established in 1942 by Leo Margulies and Ned Pines, who at the time was a major pulp magazine, newspapers and magazine publishers...
filmmaker series. - The English band Maxïmo ParkMaxïmo ParkMaxïmo Park are a British alternative rock band, formed in 2000. They are signed to Warp Records. The band consists of Paul Smith , Duncan Lloyd , Archis Tiku , Lukas Wooller and Tom English...
have a song named "Robert Altman", a b-side to their single "Our VelocityOur Velocity"Our Velocity" is the first single from Our Earthly Pleasures, the second album from the band, Maxïmo Park. The single was released two weeks prior to the release of the album, on 19 March 2007....
" - The Criterion Collection has released several of Altman's films on DVD (Short Cuts, 3 Women, Tanner '88, Secret Honor) which include audio commentary and video interviews with him that shed light on his directing style.
- Charles Warren, "Cavell, Altman and Cassavetes" in the Stanley Cavell special issue, Jeffey Crouse (ed.), Film International, Issue 22, Vol. 4, No. 4, 2006, pp. 14–20.
- Rick Armstrong, "Robert Altman: Critical Essays" Actors, historians, film scholars, and cultural theorists reflect on Altman and his five-decade career...(McFarland, February 18, 2011)
- Mitchell Zuckoff, Robert Altman: The Oral Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. ISBN 9780307267689
Sources
- Cook, David A. (2000). Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979 (Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London: University of California Press). ISBN 0-520-23265-8
External links
- Robert Altman at the Criterion Collection
- Listen to Robert Altman discussing his career – a British Library recording.
- Robert Altman bibliography via UC Berkeley Media Resources Center
- Still up to mischief – The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, May 1, 2004 - Reverse Shot interview
- The Onion A.V. Club's 2004 interview
- The Onion A.V. Club's 2000 interview
- Ebert's Altman Home Companion
- Gerald Peary interview
- Literature on Robert Altman
- "Altman: Would you go to a movie that was hailed as a masterpiece?" by Roger Ebert
- Bomb magazine interview
- Artist of the Month: Robert Altman at Hyena Productions