Steve Gordon (October 10, 1938 – November 27, 1982) was an American screenwriter and film director who wrote and directed the 1981 comedy ''

Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

'', starring

Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. He first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writer-perf ...

. Gordon died in New York City on November 27, 1982, from a heart attack at the age of 44. Gordon was nominated for 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 ...

for ''Arthur''. The film not only marked his directorial debut, but his only work as a film director. He had written only one previous feature film, '' The One and Only'' (1978), starring

Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler (born October 30, 1945) is an American actor, producer, director, and author. Widely known as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984), Winkler has distinguished himself as a character acto ...

, having spent several years writing for television.

Early and personal life

Gordon was born in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area (also known as the Delaware Valley) on the western bank of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. ...

but was raised by his aunt and uncle in Ottawa Hills, Ohio, after his parents died. Gordon grew up in a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in the Toledo suburb of Ottawa Hills, Ohio, and graduated from Ottawa Hills High School in 1957. Gordon then attended

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

, where he majored in political science and history; he graduated in 1961. Gordon had resided in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

since his graduation from Ohio State. He never married.

Death and legacy

According to Gordon's brother Dr. Michael Gordon, Gordon had been suffering from chest pains and had seen a doctor five days before his death. Gordon's niece was with him at his New York City apartment when he suffered a fatal heart attack while eating lunch. Steve Gordon was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo, Ohio. In 1982, his brother, Dr. Michael Gordon, created an annual scholarship for Ottawa Hills High School students in Gordon's name. In 2010, Gordon was inducted into the Ottawa Hills Foundation's Community Hall of Fame.

Filmography

*'' Lotsa Luck'' (1974) (TV) *''

The New Dick Van Dyke Show ''The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American sitcom starring Dick Van Dyke that aired on CBS from 1971 to 1974. It was Van Dyke's first return to series television since '' The Dick Van Dyke Show''. Background CBS was so eager to have Dick V ...

'' (1974) (TV) *'' Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers'' (1974) (TV) *''

Chico and the Man ''Chico and the Man'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for four seasons from September 13, 1974, to July 21, 1978. It stars Jack Albertson as Ed Brown (the Man), the cantankerous owner of a run-down garage in an East Los ...

'' (1974) (TV) *''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th Street in Greenwich Village (Lower Manhattan). The series was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Janu ...

'' (1975) (TV) *''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...

'' (1976) (TV) (Creator) *'' The One and Only'' (1978) *'' Good Time Harry'' (1980) (TV) *''

'' (1981) (Director/Writer)

References

External links

* *
Steve Gordon
by Ken Levine {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Steve 1938 births 1982 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters American male screenwriters American television writers American male television writers Film directors from Pennsylvania Film directors from Ohio Golden Globe Award–winning producers Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences alumni People from Chester, Pennsylvania People from Ottawa Hills, Ohio Screenwriters from Ohio Screenwriters from Pennsylvania American television show creators Writers Guild of America Award winners Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Toledo, Ohio)