Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By the late 1950s, he was directing films, most often comedies, but also dramas and romantic subjects, such as in ''Love Story'' (1970), which was nominated for seven Oscars. Hiller collaborated on films with screenwriters

Paddy Chayefsky Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky (; January 29, 1923 – August 1, 1981) was an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted and original screenplays. He w ...

and

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

. Among his other films were '' The Americanization of Emily'' (1964), ''Tobruk'' (1967), '' The Hospital'' (1971), ''The Out-of-Towners'' (1970), ''Plaza Suite'' (1971), '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (1975), ''Silver Streak'' (1976), ''The In-Laws'' (1979), ''

Making Love ''Making Love'' is a 1982 American drama (film and television), drama film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. The film tells the story of a married man coming to terms with his homosexuality an ...

'' (1982), and ''Outrageous Fortune'' (1987). Hiller served as president of the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of Film director, film and Television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dir ...

from 1989 to 1993 and president of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

from 1993 to 1997. He was the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2002. An annual film festival in Hiller's honor was held from 2006 until 2009 at his alma mater, Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts.

Early life and military service

Hiller was born in November 1923 in Edmonton, Alberta, the son of Rose (Garfin) and Harry Hiller. His family was Jewish, and had emigrated from Poland in 1912. He had two sisters, one 13 years older and one 11 years older. His father operated a second-hand musical instruments store in Edmonton. Hiller recalled that when he occasionally traveled home while he was in college, the black people he met with "treated me like a king. Why? Because they loved my father. They told me that unlike other shopkeepers, he treated them like normal folks when they went to his store. He didn't look down on them". Although his parents were not professionals in theater or had much money, notes Hiller, they enjoyed putting on a Jewish play once or twice a year for the Jewish community of 450 people, mainly to keep in touch with their heritage. Hiller recalls they started up the Yiddish theater when he was seven or eight years old; he helped set carpenters build and decorate the sets. When he was eleven, he got a role acting as an old man, wearing a long beard and the payot. He says that "the love of theater and music and literature my parents instilled in me" contributed to his later choosing to direct TV and films. After he graduated from high school, he joined the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

in 1941 during World War II. He served with 427 Lion Squadron as a navigator on four-engine Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers flying from Leeming, Yorkshire on Operations over Nazi-controlled territory in Europe.Arthur Hiller
ominion.ca After he returned from serving in the military, Hiller enrolled in and later graduated from University College, Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in 1947. After Israel was declared a state in 1948, he and his wife unsuccessfully tried to join the Israeli army because the country came under attack. Hiller returned to college and earned a Master of Arts in psychology in 1950. One of his early jobs, after graduating, was with Canadian radio directing various public affairs programs.

Directing career

Hiller began his career as a television director with the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

. NBC, one of the main networks in the United States, seeing his work in Canada, offered him positions directing television dramas. Over the next few years, his work for the small screen included episodes of '' Thriller'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'', ''The Rifleman, Gunsmoke'', ''Naked City'', Perry Mason, and ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

''.

1950s–1960s

Hiller directed his first film, '' The Careless Years'' (1957), the story of a young couple eloping developed by Bryna Productions. This was followed by '' This Rugged Land'' (1962), originally made for television but then released as a film, and then '' Miracle of the White Stallions'' (1963), a

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

film. With these first films, Hiller already showed competence in directing unrelated subjects successfully. He next directed a satirical anti-war comedy by screenwriter

, '' The Americanization of Emily'' (1964), starring James Garner and

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

. It was the first of two film collaborations with Chayefsky. The film, nominated for two Academy Awards, would establish Hiller as a notable Hollywood director and, according to critics, "earned him a reputation for flair with sophisticated comedy." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

wrote that Hiller's "brisk direction" of Chayefsky's script included some "remarkably good writing with some slashing irreverence." In 1964 Hiller also directed the first episode of the television series ''The Addams Family''. This was followed by the comedy '' Promise Her Anything'' (1965), with

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...

and Leslie Caron and ''Penelope'' (1966), starring

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood (née Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress. She began acting at age four and co-starred at age eight in ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947). As a teenager, she was nominated for an Academy Award f ...

. In a move away from comedy, he directed the desert warfare drama, ''Tobruk'' (1967), starring Rock Hudson and George Peppard, about a

North African Campaign The North African campaign of World War II took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943, fought between the Allies and the Axis Powers. It included campaigns in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert campaign, Desert Wa ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The film was nominated for one Academy Award and showed Hiller capable of handling action films as well as comedy. Around the same time, he returned to comedy with '' The Tiger Makes Out'' (also 1967), starring

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach ( ; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. Known for his character actor roles, his entertainment career spanned over six decades. He received a British Aca ...

and

Anne Jackson Anne Jackson (September 3, 1925 – April 12, 2016); retrieved April 16, 2016Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2016. was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was the wife of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often co-sta ...

, and featured

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...

's film debut. '' Popi'' (1969), recounts the tale of a Puerto Rican widower, starring Alan Arkin, struggling to raise his two young sons in the New York City neighborhood known as

Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the east ...

. Arkin was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

1970s

Hiller directed ''Love Story'' (1970), his best known work and most successful at the box-office. The film stars Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw in a romantic tragedy, and it was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Director. The

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

ranks it No. 9 in their list of the greatest love stories. Critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

disagreed with some critics who felt the story was too contrived: "Why shouldn't we get a little misty during a story about young lovers separated by death? Hiller earns our emotional response because of the way he's directed the movie...The movie is mostly about life, however, not death. And because Hiller makes the lovers into individuals, of course we're moved by the film's conclusion. Why not?"Ebert, Roger. ''Roger Ebert's Four Star Reviews—1967–2007'', Andrews McMeel Publishing (2007) p. 443 The following year Hiller again collaborated with screenwriter Paddy Chayevsky in directing '' The Hospital'' (1971), a satire starring George C. Scott which has been described as being his best film. It is a black comedy about disillusionment and chaos within a hospital setting. Chayevsky received the

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

. In directing the film, Hiller tried to create a sense of action and movement by keeping the camera mobile and using handheld cameras as much as possible. His goal was to have the camera reflect the chaos and confusion taking place in the hospital. "I've always liked that sort of realistic feel," he states. "I wanted the feeling that the audience was peeking around the corner." Hiller directed two comedy films in collaboration with playwright

. The first film was ''The Out-of-Towners'' (1970), starring

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

and Sandy Dennis, who were both nominated for Golden Globe awards for their roles. Their next collaboration was ''Plaza Suite'' (1971), starring Walter Matthau, which was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture. Both films were driven by intense comedy dialogue and were considered "crisply directed" by reviewers. Hiller returned to directing serious drama with '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (1975), starring

Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was a Swiss actor. Born in First Austrian Republic, Austria, his parents were involved in the arts and he grew up surrounded by performance and literature. While he was still a child, his fa ...

, in a screen adaptation of a stage play written by Robert Shaw. Schell played the role of a man trying to deal with questions of self-identity and guilt as a survivor of the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

during World War II. For his highly emotional role, Schell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award. Returning to comedy, Hiller directed ''Silver Streak'' (1976), starring

Gene Wilder Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, including his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Fa ...

, Jill Clayburgh and

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...

. The film was well received by critics and is rated No. 95 on the AFI's best comedy films. He directed another comedy, ''The In-Laws'' (1979), with

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo on the NBC/American Broadcasting Company, ABC series ''Columbo'' (196 ...

and Alan Arkin, which was also a critical and commercial success.

1980s

Hiller directed the film ''

'', which was released in February 1982, a story of a married man coming to terms with his homosexuality. ''Author! Author!'' (also 1982), starred

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

. The following year Hiller directed ''Romantic Comedy'' (1983), starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen. His next comedy, '' The Lonely Guy'' (1984), starred Steve Martin as a greeting card writer and was followed by ''

Teachers A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

'' (1984), a comedy-drama film starring Nick Nolte. ''Outrageous Fortune'' (1987) stars Shelley Long and

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

. The film was successful at the box office, with Midler being nominated or winning various awards. The film was followed by '' See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' (1989), another comedy again starring

and

. Pryor plays a blind man and Wilder a deaf man who work together to thwart a trio of murderous thieves.

1990s

The 1990s saw Hiller directing a number of films, most of which received negative or mixed reviews: '' Taking Care of Business'' (1990); ''

The Babe ''The Babe'' is a 1992 American Biographical film, biographical Sports film, sports drama film about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who is portrayed by John Goodman. Directed by Arthur Hiller, written by John Fusco, it was release ...

'' (1992), a biographical film about

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

, portrayed by

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He rose to prominence in television before becoming an acclaimed and popular film actor. Goodman has received List of awards and nominations received by John Goodman, various acc ...

; '' Married to It'' (1993) and ''Carpool'' (1996). In 1997, Hiller helmed the infamous flop '' An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn'', which mirrored its title when Hiller requested his name be removed from the picture – thus truly making it an Alan Smithee film. Nine years later, when he was in his 80s, Hiller directed '' National Lampoon's Pucked'' (2006), his last film, which starred rock star

Jon Bon Jovi John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and Lead vocalist, frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was fo ...

Influences

In an interview with journalist Robert K. Elder for '' The Film That Changed My Life'', Hiller states that the film ''

Rome, Open City ''Rome, Open City'' (), also released as ''Open City'', is a 1945 Italian Italian neorealism, neorealist war film, war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and co-written by Sergio Amidei, Celeste Negarville and Federico Fellini. Set in Rom ...

'' (1945) had had a strong influence on his career because he saw it right after leaving the military where he was a bomber navigator in the Canadian Air Force. The film is set during the Nazi occupation of Italy and shows the priesthood and the Communists teaming up against the enemy forces. Hiller commented, "You just get the strongest emotional feelings about what happened to people in Italy."Hiller, Arthur. Interview with Robert K. Elder. ''The Film That Changed My Life'', Chicago Review Press, 2011. p. 162 Hiller preferred his scripts to contain "good moral values," a preference which he says came from his upbringing. He wanted high quality screenplays whenever possible, which partly explains why he collaborated on multiple films with both

and

. Hiller explains his rationale:

Awards and honors

Hiller served as president of the

(DGA) from 1989 to 1993"In Memoriam: Arthur Hiller 1923–2016"
Directors Guild of America, August 17, 2016 DGA presented Hiller with the Robert B. Aldrich Award in 1999 and the DGA Honorary Life Member Award in 1993. In 1970 he received a DGA Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for ''Love Story''. He was also a member of the National Film Preservation Board of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

from 1989 to 2005 and President of the

from 1993 to 1997. He also served on the board of the National Student Film Institute. He received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2002 Academy Awards ceremony in recognition of his humanitarian, charitable and philanthropic efforts.Froug, William. ''How I Escaped from Gilligan's Island'', Univ. of Wisconsin Press (2005) p. 78 In 2002, he was honoured with a star on

Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame () in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a series of maple leaf-like stars embedded in 13 de ...

in Toronto. In 2006, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

. Writer and producer William Froug said that "Hiller is that rare and hugely successful gentleman who has remained humble all his life." He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria in June 1995. He received an honorary degree of

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

(LL.D) from the University of Toronto in November 1995.

Personal life and death

In 1948, he married Gwen Pechet, who was also Jewish; they had two children and two grandchildren. His wife died on June 24, 2016."Gwen Hiller, Wife of 'Love Story' Director Arthur Hiller, Dies at 92"
''The Hollywood Reporter'', 26 June 2016 They were married for 68 years. Hiller died almost two months later in Los Angeles on August 17, 2016, at the age of 92 from natural causes. Hiller was portrayed by actor Jake Regal in the 2022 miniseries '' The Offer''.

Filmography

*'' The Careless Years'' (1957) *'' Miracle of the White Stallions'' (1963) *'' The Wheeler Dealers'' (1963) *'' The Americanization of Emily'' (1964) *'' Promise Her Anything'' (1965) *''

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or , ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Homer's Ithaca, Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius (Spartan), Icarius and ...

'' (1966) *''

Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop� ...

'' (1967) *'' The Tiger Makes Out'' (1967) *'' Popi'' (1969) *'' The Out-of-Towners'' (1970) *'' Love Story'' (1970), Best Director

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

nomination *'' The Hospital'' (1971) *'' Plaza Suite'' (1971) *'' Man of La Mancha'' (1972) *'' The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder'' (1974) *'' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (1975) *'' Silver Streak'' (1976) *'' W. C. Fields and Me'' (1976) *''

Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero alias used by multiple characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent bearer is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, who adopts the Nightwing identity to assert his independence from Batman. ...

'' (1979) *'' The In-Laws'' (1979) *''

'' (1982) *'' Author! Author!'' (1982) *''

Romantic Comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

'' (1983) *'' The Lonely Guy'' (1984) *''

'' (1984) *'' Outrageous Fortune'' (1987) *'' See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' (1989) *'' Taking Care of Business'' (1990) *'' Married to It'' (1991) *''

'' (1992) *''

Carpool Carpooling is the sharing of Automobile, car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car, and prevents the need for others to have to drive to a location themselves. Carpooling is considered a Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) serv ...

'' (1996) *'' An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn'' (1997) (credited as Alan Smithee) *'' Pitch'' (1997) (as himself) *'' National Lampoon's Pucked'' (2006)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hiller, Arthur 1923 births 2016 deaths American people of Polish-Jewish descent American television directors American fantasy film directors Best Director Golden Globe winners Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery Canadian Broadcasting Corporation people Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian people of Polish-Jewish descent Canadian television directors Film directors from Edmonton Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award winners NBC Officers of the Order of Canada Presidents of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II University of Toronto alumni Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts alumni Jewish Canadian film people Canadian comedy film directors Canadian fantasy film directors