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Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. One of the " New Hollywood" directors, Bogdanovich started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on Roger Corman's '' The Wild Angels'' (1966). After that film's success, he directed his own film '' Targets'' (1968), which received critical acclaim. He gained widespread recognition and further acclaim for his coming-of-age drama ''
The Last Picture Show ''The Last Picture Show'' is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film directed and co-written by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from the semi-autobiographical 1966 novel ''The Last Picture Show'' by Larry McMurtry. The film's ensemble cast include ...
'' (1971). The film received eight
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations, including for the Best Picture, with Bogdanovich receiving nominations for Best Director and
Best Adapted Screenplay This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
, and Ben Johnson and
Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomina ...
winning Oscars for their supporting roles. Following ''The Last Picture Show'', he directed the screwball comedy '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972), a major box office success, and another critical and commercial success, '' Paper Moon'' (1973), which earned him a
Golden Globe Award for Best Director The Golden Globe Award for Best Director – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Award that has been presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organization composed of journalists who cover the United States film industry fo ...
nomination. His following three films were all critical and commercial failures, including ''
Daisy Miller ''Daisy Miller'' is a novella by Henry James that first appeared in '' The Cornhill Magazine'' in June–July 1878, and in book form the following year. It portrays the courtship of the beautiful American girl Daisy Miller by Winterbourne, a s ...
'' (1974). He took a three-year hiatus and then returned with cult films ''
Saint Jack ''Saint Jack'' is a 1973 novel by Paul Theroux that was adapted into a 1979 film of the same name. It tells the life of Jack Flowers, a pimp in Singapore. Feeling hopeless and undervalued, Jack tries to make money by setting up his own bordello ...
'' (1979) and ''
They All Laughed ''They All Laughed'' is a 1981 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, John Ritter, Colleen Camp, Patti Hansen, and Dorothy Stratten. The film was based on a screenplay by Bogdanovic ...
'' (1981). After his girlfriend Dorothy Stratten's murder, he took another four-year hiatus from filmmaking and wrote a memoir on her death titled ''
The Killing of the Unicorn ''Killing of the Unicorn: Dorothy Stratten 1960–1980'' is a book by Peter Bogdanovich detailing the relationship between Bogdanovich and Dorothy Stratten, the making of '' They All Laughed'' and Stratten's murder. There is also criticism of Hugh ...
'' before making a comeback with ''
Mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...
'' (1985), a critical and commercial success. He later went on to direct films such as '' Noises Off'' (1992), '' The Thing Called Love'' (1993), ''
The Cat's Meow ''The Cat's Meow'' is a 2001 historical drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley, and Jennifer Tilly. The screenplay by Steven Peros is based on his 1997 play ...
'' (2001), and '' She's Funny That Way'' (2014). As an actor, he was known for his roles in HBO series ''
The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...
'' and
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
's last film, ''
The Other Side of the Wind ''The Other Side of the Wind'' is a 2018 satirical drama film, directed, co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Orson Welles, and posthumously released in 2018 after forty-eight years in development. The film stars John Huston, Bob Random, P ...
'' (2018), which he also helped to finish. He received a Grammy Award for Best Music Film for directing the
Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...
documentary '' Runnin' Down a Dream'' (2007). An accomplished film historian, he directed documentaries such as ''
Directed by John Ford ''Directed by John Ford'' is a documentary film directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Originally released in 1971, it covers the life and career of film director John Ford. Production Bogdanovich first met John Ford in 1963, on the set of Ford's film ...
'' (1971) and '' The Great Buster: A Celebration'' (2018), and published over ten books, some of which include in-depth interviews with friends
Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A ...
and
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
. Bogdanovich's works have been cited as important influences by many major filmmakers.


Early life

Peter Bogdanovich was born in
Kingston, New York Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, United States. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. The city's metropolitan area is grouped with the New York metropolitan area around Manhattan by the Unite ...
, the son of Herma (née Robinson) and Borislav Bogdanovich, a pianist and painter. His mother was of Austrian Jewish descent and his father was a Serb. Bogdanovich was fluent in Serbian, having learned it before English. He had an older brother who died in an accident in 1938, at eighteen months of age, after a pot of boiling soup fell on him, though Bogdanovich did not learn about his brother until he was seven and did not know the circumstances of his death until he was an adult. His parents both arrived in the U.S. in May 1939 on visitors' visas, along with his mother's immediate family, three months before the onset of World War II. In 1952, when he was twelve, Bogdanovich began keeping a record of every film he saw on index cards, complete with reviews; he continued to do so until 1970. He saw up to four hundred films a year. He graduated from New York City's Collegiate School in 1957 and studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory.


Career


1960s

In the early 1960s, Bogdanovich was known as a film programmer at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of t ...
in New York City, where he programmed influential retrospectives and wrote
monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monogra ...
s for the films of
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
,
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
,
Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A ...
, and
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
. Bogdanovich also brought attention to
Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, wa ...
, a pioneer of American film who had fallen into obscurity by then, in a 1971 retrospective Dwan attended. He also programmed for New Yorker Theater. Before becoming a director, he wrote for ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'', ''
The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...
'', and ''
Cahiers du Cinéma ''Cahiers du Cinéma'' (, ) is a French film magazine co-founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca.Itzkoff, Dave (9 February 2009''Cahiers Du Cinéma Will Continue to Publish''The New York TimesMacnab ...
'' as a film critic. These articles were collected in '' Pieces of Time'' (1973). In 1966, following the example of ''Cahiers du Cinéma'' critics
François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more th ...
,
Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran ...
,
Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues a ...
, and
Éric Rohmer Jean Marie Maurice Schérer or Maurice Henri Joseph Schérer, known as Éric Rohmer (; 21 March 192011 January 2010), was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher. Rohmer was the last of the post-World ...
, who had created the Nouvelle Vague ("New Wave") by making their own films, Bogdanovich decided to become a director. Encouraged by director
Frank Tashlin Frank Tashlin (born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein, February 19, 1913 – May 5, 1972), also known as Tish Tash and Frank Tash, was an American animator, cartoonist, children's writer, illustrator, screenwriter, and film director. He was best k ...
, whom he would interview in his book ''Who the Devil Made It'', Bogdanovich headed for Los Angeles with his wife Polly Platt and in so doing, left his rent unpaid. Intent on breaking into the industry, Bogdanovich would ask publicists for movie premiere and industry party invitations. At one screening, Bogdanovich was viewing a film and director Roger Corman was sitting behind him. The two struck up a conversation when Corman mentioned he liked a cinema piece Bogdanovich wrote for ''Esquire''. Corman offered him a directing job, which Bogdanovich accepted immediately. He worked with Corman on '' Targets'', which starred
Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...
, and '' Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women'', under the pseudonym Derek Thomas. Bogdanovich later said of the Corman school of filmmaking, "I went from getting the laundry to directing the picture in three weeks. Altogether, I worked 22 weeks – preproduction, shooting, second unit, cutting, dubbing – I haven't learned as much since."


1970s

Returning to journalism, Bogdanovich struck up a lifelong friendship with
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
while interviewing him on the set of
Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
's ''
Catch-22 ''Catch-22'' is a satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953; the novel was first published in 1961. Often cited as one of the most significant novels of the twentieth century, it uses a distinctive non- ...
''. Bogdanovich played a major role in reviving Welles and his career with his writings on the actor-director, including his book '' This is Orson Welles''. In the early 1970s, when Welles was having financial problems, Bogdanovich let him stay at his Bel Air mansion for a couple of years. In 1970, Bogdanovich was commissioned by the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...
to direct a documentary about
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
for their tribute, ''
Directed by John Ford ''Directed by John Ford'' is a documentary film directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Originally released in 1971, it covers the life and career of film director John Ford. Production Bogdanovich first met John Ford in 1963, on the set of Ford's film ...
''. The resulting film included candid interviews with
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...
,
James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality ...
, and Henry Fonda, and was narrated by Orson Welles. Out of circulation for years due to licensing issues, Bogdanovich and TCM released it in 2006, re-edited it to make it "faster and more incisive", with additional interviews with
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...
, Walter Hill,
Harry Carey Jr. Henry George Carey Jr. (May 16, 1921 – December 27, 2012) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 90 films, including several John Ford Westerns, as well as numerous television series. Early life Carey was born on a ranch near ...
,
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
,
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
, and others. Much of the inspiration that led Bogdanovich to his cinematic creations came from early viewings of the film ''
Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
''. In an interview with
Robert K. Elder Robert K. Elder (born January 20, 1976) is an American journalist, author, and film columnist. He is currently the President and CEO othe Outrider Foundation He has written more than a dozen books on topics ranging from the death penalty and m ...
, author of '' The Film That Changed My Life'', Bogdanovich explains his appreciation of Orson Welles's work:
It's just not like any other movie you know. It's the first modern film: fragmented, not told straight ahead, jumping around. It anticipates everything that's being done now, and which is thought to be so modern. It's all become really decadent now, but it was certainly fresh then.
The 32-year-old Bogdanovich was hailed by critics as a "Wellesian" wunderkind when his best-received film, ''
The Last Picture Show ''The Last Picture Show'' is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film directed and co-written by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from the semi-autobiographical 1966 novel ''The Last Picture Show'' by Larry McMurtry. The film's ensemble cast include ...
'', was released in 1971. The film earned eight
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations, including Best Director, and won two statues, for
Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomina ...
and Ben Johnson in the supporting acting categories. Bogdanovich co-wrote the screenplay with
Larry McMurtry Larry Jeff McMurtry (June 3, 1936March 25, 2021) was an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work was predominantly set in either the Old West or contemporary Texas.
, and it won the 1971 BAFTA award for Best Screenplay. Bogdanovich cast the 21-year-old model
Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. ...
in a major role in the film and fell in love with her, an affair leading to his divorce from Polly Platt, his longtime artistic collaborator and the mother of his two daughters. Bogdanovich followed up ''The Last Picture Show'' with the screwball comedy '' What's Up, Doc?'', starring
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
and
Ryan O'Neal Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Place ...
. Bogdanovich then formed The Directors Company with
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...
and William Friedkin and co-owned by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
. Paramount allowed the directors to make a minimum of twelve films with a budget of $3 million each. It was through this entity that Bogdanovich's '' Paper Moon'' was produced. ''Paper Moon'', a Depression-era comedy starring
Ryan O'Neal Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Place ...
that won his 10-year-old daughter
Tatum O'Neal Tatum Beatrice O'Neal (born November 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award, winning at age 10 for her performance as Addie Loggins in '' Paper Moon'' (1973) opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal. S ...
an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress, proved the high-water mark of Bogdanovich's career. Forced to share the profits with his fellow directors, Bogdanovich became dissatisfied with the arrangement. The Directors Company subsequently produced only two more pictures, Coppola's '' The Conversation'' (1974, which was nominated for Best Picture in 1974 alongside '' The Godfather Part II''), and Bogdanovich's Cybill Shepherd-starring ''
Daisy Miller ''Daisy Miller'' is a novella by Henry James that first appeared in '' The Cornhill Magazine'' in June–July 1878, and in book form the following year. It portrays the courtship of the beautiful American girl Daisy Miller by Winterbourne, a s ...
'', which had a lackluster critical reception and was a disappointment at the box—office. The partners of The Directors Company all went their separate ways after the production of ''Daisy Miller''. Bogdanovich's next effort, ''
At Long Last Love ''At Long Last Love'' is a 1975 American jukebox musical comedy film written, produced, and directed by Peter Bogdanovich. It stars Burt Reynolds, Cybill Shepherd, Madeline Kahn, and Duilio Del Prete as two couples who each switch partners d ...
'', was a musical starring Shepherd and
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
. Both that and his next film, ''
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
'', were critical and box-office disasters, severely damaging his standing in the film community. Reflecting upon his recent career, Bogdanovich said in 1976, "I was dumb. I made a lot of mistakes." In 1975, he sued
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...
for breaching a contract to produce and direct ''Bugsy''. He then took a few years off, then returned to directing with a lower-budgeted film, ''
Saint Jack ''Saint Jack'' is a 1973 novel by Paul Theroux that was adapted into a 1979 film of the same name. It tells the life of Jack Flowers, a pimp in Singapore. Feeling hopeless and undervalued, Jack tries to make money by setting up his own bordello ...
'', which was filmed in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
and starred
Ben Gazzarra Biagio Anthony Gazzara (August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director of film, stage, and television. He received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award, in addition to nominations ...
in the title role. The film earned critical praise, although was not a box-office hit. The making of this film marked the end of his romantic relationship with Cybill Shepherd.


1980s

Bogdanovich's next film was the romantic comedy ''
They All Laughed ''They All Laughed'' is a 1981 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, John Ritter, Colleen Camp, Patti Hansen, and Dorothy Stratten. The film was based on a screenplay by Bogdanovic ...
'' which featured Dorothy Stratten, a former model and ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' Playmate of the Month for August 1979 and Playmate of the Year in 1980, who began a romantic relationship with Bogdanovich. Bogdanovich took over distribution of ''They All Laughed'' himself. He later blamed this for why he had to file for bankruptcy in 1985. He declared he had a monthly income of $75,000 and monthly expenses of $200,000. Stratten was murdered by her estranged husband shortly after filming completed. Following her death, Bogdanovich began writing '' The Killing of the Unicorn – Dorothy Stratten 1960–1980'', a memoir detailing the relationship between Bogdanovich and Stratten, the making of ''
They All Laughed ''They All Laughed'' is a 1981 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, John Ritter, Colleen Camp, Patti Hansen, and Dorothy Stratten. The film was based on a screenplay by Bogdanovic ...
'' and Stratten's murder. Bogdanovich says he wrote the book for himself, "I wanted to understand what happened to her. I felt I couldn't move forward with my life, creative or otherwise until I did." Bogdanovich says the book was meant to be delivered to William Morrow in August 1982 "but new facts kept coming to light and so it was delayed. I did more and more rewriting. In all, I suppose, I wrote the book five times." The book was eventually published in 1984. Teresa Carpenter's "Death of a Playmate" article about Dorothy Stratten's murder was published in ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
'' and won the 1981
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...
, and while Bogdanovich did not criticize Carpenter's article in his book, she had lambasted both Bogdanovich and ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' mogul
Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...
, claiming that Stratten was a victim of them as much as of her husband,
Paul Snider Paul Leslie Snider (April 15, 1951 – August 14, 1980) was a Canadian nightclub promoter and pimp who murdered his estranged wife, ''Playboy'' model and actress Dorothy Stratten. Following her murder, Snider killed himself. Biography Snider w ...
, who killed her and himself. Carpenter's article served as the basis of Bob Fosse's film '' Star 80''. Bogdanovich opposed the production and refused to allow the film to use his name. He was portrayed as the fictional "Aram Nicholas", and he threatened litigation if he found the character objectionable. Hefner retaliated by accusing Bogdanovich of seducing Stratten's younger sister Louise, shortly after the murder, when she was 13. Bogdanovich vehemently denied the accusation. On December 30, 1988, the 49-year-old Bogdanovich married 20-year-old Louise, sparking a tabloid frenzy. The couple divorced in 2001. In 1984, John Cassavetes called Bogdanovich to the set of his film '' Love Streams'' to direct a scene.Yule, p 180 Bogdanovich returned to directing officially with ''
Mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...
'', released in 1985 to critical acclaim. ''Mask'' was released with a song score by
Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...
against Bogdanovich's wishes (he favored
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
). A director's cut of the film, slightly longer and with
Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
's songs, was belatedly released on DVD in 2004. Bogdanovich directed the comedy '' Illegally Yours'' in 1988, a film he later disowned.


1990s

In 1990, Bogdanovich adapted Larry McMurtry’s novel ''Texasville'', a sequel to ''The Last Picture Show'', into a
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
. It is set 33 years after the events of ''
The Last Picture Show ''The Last Picture Show'' is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film directed and co-written by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from the semi-autobiographical 1966 novel ''The Last Picture Show'' by Larry McMurtry. The film's ensemble cast include ...
'', and Jeff Bridges and
Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. ...
both reprised their roles as Duane and Jacy. It was a critical and
box office disappointment A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
relative to the first film. Bogdanovich often complained that the version of ''Texasville'' that was released was not the film he had intended. His cut of ''Texasville'' was later released on
LaserDisc The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diameter typical ...
, and the theatrical cut was released on DVD by MGM in 2005. After the release of ''Texasville'', Bogdanovich revisited ''The Last Picture Show'' and produced a modified director's cut for Criterion which includes seven minutes of previously unseen footage and re-edited scenes. In 1991, Bogdanovich developed an alternative
calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a phy ...
, titled ''A Year and a Day: Goddess Engagement Calendar''. The calendar consisted of 13 months of 28 days and a bonus day to equal 365 days. Each month was named after a different species of tree. Bogdanovich attributed his inspiration for the calendar to the works of
Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celt ...
. Bogdanovich directed two more theatrical films in 1992 and 1993, but neither of these films recaptured the success of his early career. One, '' Noises Off'', based on the Michael Frayn play, while another, '' The Thing Called Love'', is better known as one of River Phoenix's last roles before his death. In the mid-90s, Bogdanovich began to work in television, directing films such as '' To Sir, with Love II''. In 1997, he declared bankruptcy again. Drawing from his encyclopedic knowledge of film history, he authored several critically lauded books, including ''Peter Bogdanovich's Movie of the Week'', which offered the lifelong cinephile's commentary on 52 of his favorite films, and ''Who The Devil Made It: Conversations with Legendary Film Directors'' and ''Who the Hell's in It: Conversations with Hollywood's Legendary Actors'', both based on interviews with directors and actors.


2000s

In 2001, Bogdanovich resurfaced with ''
The Cat's Meow ''The Cat's Meow'' is a 2001 historical drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley, and Jennifer Tilly. The screenplay by Steven Peros is based on his 1997 play ...
''. Returning once again to a reworking of the past, this time the alleged killing of director Thomas Ince by
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...
. The film was a modest critical success but made little money at the box-office. Bogdanovich said that he was told the story of the alleged Ince murder by Welles, who in turn said he heard it from writer Charles Lederer. In addition to directing some television work, Bogdanovich returned to acting with a recurring guest role on the cable television series ''
The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...
'', playing Dr. Melfi's psychotherapist, also later directing a fifth-season episode. He had a voice role, as
Bart Simpson Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in '' The Tracey Ullman Sh ...
's therapist's analyst in an episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'', and appeared as himself in the "
Robots Versus Wrestlers "Robots Versus Wrestlers " is the 22nd episode of the fifth season of the CBS sitcom '' How I Met Your Mother'' and 110th episode overall. It aired on May 10, 2010. Plot Barney is excited to get the gang to come with him to a grandscale fig ...
" episode of ''
How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom, created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014, follows the main c ...
''.
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
cast Bogdanovich as a disc jockey in '' Kill Bill: Volume 1'' and '' Kill Bill: Volume 2''. "Quentin knows, because he's such a movie buff, that when you hear a disc jockey's voice in my pictures, it's always me, sometimes doing different voices", said Bogdanovich. "So he called me and he said, 'I stole your voice from ''The Last Picture Show'' for the rough cut, but I need you to come down and do that voice again for my picture ... '" He hosted '' The Essentials'' on
Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...
, but was replaced in May 2006 by TCM host Robert Osborne and film critic
Molly Haskell Molly Clark Haskell (born September 29, 1939)Aitken, Ian, ed. (2006)''Encyclopedia of Documentary Film, Volume 2'' New York: Routledge. p. 541. . is an American feminist film critic and author. She contributed to '' The Village Voice''—fir ...
. Bogdanovich hosted introductions to movies on
Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cine ...
DVDs, and had a supporting role in '' Out of Order''. In 2006, Bogdanovich joined forces with ClickStar, where he hosted a classic film channel, Peter Bogdanovich's Golden Age of Movies. Bogdanovich also wrote a blog for the site. In 2003, he appeared in the BBC documentary '' Easy Riders, Raging Bulls'', and in 2006 he appeared in the documentary '' Wanderlust''. The following year, Bogdanovich was presented with an award for outstanding contribution to film preservation by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
.


2010s

In 2010, Bogdanovich joined the directing faculty at the School of Filmmaking at the
University of North Carolina School of the Arts The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is an arts school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants high school, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina School of the Arts by then-Govern ...
. On April 17, 2010, he was awarded the Master of Cinema Award at the 12th Annual
RiverRun International Film Festival The RiverRun International Film Festival is an annual Oscar-qualifying film festival held each spring in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and presents a variety of feature-length and short films fr ...
. In 2011, he was given the Auteur Award by the
International Press Academy The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment journalists, representing both domestic and foreign markets in print, television, radio, cable and new media New media describes communication tech ...
, which is awarded to filmmakers whose singular vision and unique artistic control over the elements of production give a personal and signature style to their films. In 2012, Bogdanovich made news with an essay in ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'', published in the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting, in which he argued against excessive violence in the movies: In 2014, Bogdanovich's last narrative film, '' She's Funny That Way'', was released in theaters and on-demand, followed by the documentary, '' The Great Buster: A Celebration'' in 2018. In 2018,
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
' long-delayed film ''
The Other Side of the Wind ''The Other Side of the Wind'' is a 2018 satirical drama film, directed, co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Orson Welles, and posthumously released in 2018 after forty-eight years in development. The film stars John Huston, Bob Random, P ...
'', which was filmed in the 1970s and featured a prominent supporting role by Boganovich, who had long hoped to complete it, was released by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
to critical acclaim.


2020s

He collaborated with Turner Classic Movies, and TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, to create a documentary podcast about his life, which premiered in 2020. In 2020, a copy of Bogdanovich's original cut of '' She's Funny That Way'', originally titled ''Squirrels to the Nuts'', was found on eBay. In the wake of Bogdanovich's death in January 2022, the cut was shown at New York's
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of t ...
beginning on March 28, 2022. Weeks before his death in January 2022, Bogdanovich collaborated with Kim Basinger to create ''LIT Project 2: Flux'', a first of its kind short film made available on the Ethereum
blockchain A blockchain is a type of distributed ledger technology (DLT) that consists of growing lists of records, called ''blocks'', that are securely linked together using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, ...
as a non-fungible token. The project was scheduled to be released on January 25, 2022.


Death and legacy

Bogdanovich died from complications of
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms beco ...
at his home in Los Angeles on January 6, 2022, at the age of 82. Since his death, many directors, actors, and other public figures paid tribute to him, including
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
,
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...
,
Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...
,
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
,
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
, William Friedkin,
Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and '' The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for ...
, James Gunn, Ellen Burstyn,
Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actor Bruce Dern and act ...
,
Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably '' Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies with ...
,
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
, Ben Stiller, Jeff Bridges, Michael Imperioli, Paul Feig and Viola Davis. Peter Bradshaw of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' described him as "a loving cineaste and fearless genius of cinema." ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described Bogdanovich as " geniusof the Hollywood system who, with great success and frustration, worked to transform it in the same era." His work has been cited as an influence by such filmmakers as
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
,
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. F ...
, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach,
Edgar Wright Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English filmmaker. He is known for his fast-paced and kinetic, satirical genre films, which feature extensive utilisation of expressive popular music, Steadicam tracking shots, dolly zooms and a ...
,
M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an Indian-American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for making original films with contemporary supernatural plots and twist endings. He was born in Mahé, India, and raise ...
,
David O. Russell David Owen Russell (born August 20, 1958) is an American filmmaker. His early directing career includes the comedy films '' Spanking the Monkey'' (1994), '' Flirting with Disaster'' (1996), ''Three Kings'' (1999), and ''I Heart Huckabees'' (20 ...
,
James Mangold James Allen Mangold (born December 16, 1963) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for the films ''Cop Land'' (1997), '' Girl, Interrupted'' (1999), '' Walk the Line'' (2005), '' 3:10 to Yuma'' (2007), '' The Wolverine'' (2013) and '' Logan' ...
,
Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitio ...
, and the Safdie brothers.


Filmography


As director


Feature films


Documentary films


Television


As actor


Film


Television


Music videos


Miscellaneous

*'' The Wild Angels'' – Second unit director and uncredited writer and editor *'' Great Performances'' – episode – James Stewart: A Wonderful Life – Himself (1987) *''Great Performances'' – episode – Bacall on Bogart – Himself (1988) *''John Wayne Standing Tall'' – TV Movie – Himself (1989) *'' Ben Johnson: Third Cowboy on the Right'' – Documentary – Himself (1996) *''Howard Hawks: American Artist'' – TV Movie documentary – Himself (1997) *''Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary: No Guts, No Glory'' – TV Movie documentary – Himself (1998) *''John Ford Goes to War'' – Documentary – Himself (2002) *''Karloff and Me'' – Documentary – Himself (2006) *'' American Masters'' – episode – ''John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend'' – Himself (2006) *'' American Masters'' – episode – ''Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood'' *''Stagecoach: A Story of Redemption'' – Video Documentary – Himself (2006) *''Commemoration: Howard Hawks' "Rio Bravo"'' – Video short – Himself (2007) *''Ride, Boldly Ride: The Journey to El Dorado: 7 Part Documentary'' (2009) *''Dreaming the Quiet Man'' – Documentary – Himself (2010) *''Peter Bogdanovich'' – Stagecoach Criterion Collection Edition Special Feature (2010) *''A Film of Firsts: Peter Bogdanovich on Red River'' – Red River Criterion Collection Edition Special Feature (2014)


Bibliography

*1961:
The Cinema of Orson Welles
'. New York: Museum of Modern Art Film Library. . *1962:
The Cinema of Howard Hawks
'. New York: Museum of Modern Art Film Library. . *1963:
The Cinema of Alfred Hitchcock
'. New York: Museum of Modern Art Film Library. . *1967: ''John Ford''. London: Studio Vista. . Expanded edition: Berkeley: University of California, 1978. . *1967:
Fritz Lang in America
'. London: Studio Vista. ; New York: Praeger. . *1970: ''Allan Dwan: The Last Pioneer''. Inglaterra: Studio Vista. . *1973: '' Pieces of Time''. New York: Arbor House. . Expanded edition, 1985: ''Pieces of Time: Peter Bogdanovich on the Movies, 1961–1985''. . *1984: '' The Killing of the Unicorn – Dorothy Stratten 1960–1980''. William Morrow and Company. . *1991: ''A Year and a Day Engagement Calendar 1992: A Desk Diary Adapted From the Works of Robert Graves''. New York: Overlook Books. . *1992: '' This is Orson Welles''. HarperPerennial. . *1995: ''A Moment with Miss Gish''. Santa Barbara: Santa Teresa Press. . *1997: ''Who the Devil Made It''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. . *1999: ''Peter Bogdanovich's Movie of the Week''. New York: Ballantine Books. . *2004: ''Who the Hell's in It: Conversations with Hollywood's Legendary Actors''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. .


Audio commentaries, intros, etc.


References


General sources

*Yule, Andrew, ''Picture Shows: The Life and Films of Peter Bogdanovich'', Limelight, 1992


External links

* * * * , movie clip compilation, 4 minutes
1Bogdanovich's ''Who the Hell's in It?'' reviewed in ''Seattle Weekly''

Bogdanovich's blog at indiewire
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bogdanovich, Peter 1939 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American film critics American film historians American film producers American male non-fiction writers American male screenwriters American people of Austrian-Jewish descent American people of Serbian descent Best Screenplay BAFTA Award winners Collegiate School (New York) alumni Commanders of the Order of Saint James of the Sword Film directors from New York (state) Film directors from New York City Film theorists Historians from New York (state) People from Kingston, New York Screenwriters from New York (state) Writers from New York (state) Deaths from Parkinson's disease Neurological disease deaths in California