Bruce Malmuth

Bruce Malmuth (February 4, 1934 – June 29, 2005) was an American film and television director, best known for his work in the action and thriller genres. His works include the Sylvester Stallone-Billy Dee Williams film '' Nighthawks'' (1981) and the Steven Seagal vehicle '' Hard to Kill'' (1990), as well as several collaborations with fellow director John G. Avildsen.

Early life

Malmuth was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Malmuth began making documentaries while serving with the U.S. Army Signal Corps, where he met baseball announcer Walter Red Barber. After his military career, Malmuth directed the New York Yankee games at WPIX radio before entering the film and television industry.

Career

Malmuth was an award-winning director of commercials, earning multiple Clio Awards. His feature directorial debut was '' Fore Play'', a sex comedy anthology film which he co-directed with John G. Avildsen, among others. Avildsen later recommended Malmuth to Sylvester Stallone, who hired him to direct his 1981 action-thriller '' Nighthawks'', after the first director was fired. The film also featured Billy Dee Williams and Rutger Hauer in his American film debut.

Malmuth then directed '' The Man Who Wasn't There,'' a 3D comedy starring Steve Guttenberg, and '' Where Are the Children?'', a thriller starring Jill Clayburgh, based on a Mary Higgins Clark novel. He directed episodes of the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' and ''The Twilight Zone'', and the Emmy-winning ABC Afterschool Special ''A Boy's Dream'', which featured Darryl Strawberry. He also did second unit work for his friend John G. Avildsen on ''Happy New Year'' (1987).

In 1990, Malmuth directed the Steven Seagal vehicle '' Hard to Kill,'' which was a widespread commercial success and grossed $75 million from a $11.5 million budget. The same year, he wrote and directed the play ''Thanksigiving Cries'' with his son Evan, which starred a young Tobey Maguire. The play was produced by his brother and business partner Daniel Saul Malmuth, a Columbia Pictures feature film Producer and Development Executive.

Malmuth was the original director attached to the biker action film ''Stone Cold'' (1991), but was fired and replaced by Craig R. Baxley after two weeks, who scrapped most of Malmuth's footage and rewrote the script. According to its star Brian Bosworth, Malmuth "personal issues that he couldn't control which poured out on set." Multiple sources described the footage as "unusable."

Malmuth's last film was 1994's ''Pentathlon'', a sports-themed action film starring Dolph Lundgren.

An avid sports and martial arts fan, Malmuth played the role of ring announcer in 1984's ''The Karate Kid'' and ''The Karate Kid Part II'', both directed by Avildsen, among other small acting roles.

Personal life

Bruce Malmuth was the brother of Gail Diane Malmuth, Chanel marketing executive, aeronautical scientist Norman Malmuth and Daniel S. Malmuth, an executive for Columbia Pictures and second unit director.

Bruce Malmuth's parents were Selma Malmuth, a couturier fashion designer, and Jacob Malmuth, an attorney and chief of the New York State Insurance Department.

Bruce was married to Cynthia Ruth (Wapner) Malmuth, and spoke French, was a gourmet, body builder, painter, and practical joker.

Death

On June 29, 2005, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Malmuth died at the age of 71 of esophageal cancer.

Filmography

Director

Actor

References

External links

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1934 births
2005 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American action film directors

{{US-film-director-1930s-stub
American male film actors
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Deaths from esophageal cancer in California
Film directors from Brooklyn
Male actors from Brooklyn
Military personnel from New York City
Military personnel from New York (state)
United States Army personnel of the Korean War
United States Army Signal Corps personnel