Paul Mazursky
Paul Mazursky | |
|---|---|
 Mazursky at the 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2008 | |
| Born | Irwin Lawrence Mazursky April 25, 1930 |
| Died | June 30, 2014 (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1953–2011 |
| Spouse |
Betsy Mazursky (m. 1953) |
| Children | 2 |
Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky (/məˈzɜːrski/; April 25, 1930 – June 30, 2014) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), An Unmarried Woman (1978), Harry and Tonto (1974), and Enemies, A Love Story (1989). He is also known for directing such films as Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Moon over Parador (1988), and Scenes from a Mall (1991).
Early life and education
[edit]He was born into a Jewish family[1] in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Jean (née Gerson), a piano player for dance classes, and David Mazursky, a laborer.[2][3] Mazursky's grandfather was an immigrant from Ukraine.[4] Mazursky graduated from Brooklyn College in 1951.
Career
[edit]Mazursky began his film career as an actor in Stanley Kubrick's first feature, Fear and Desire (1953). Mazurksy, who never liked his first name of Irwin, was asked by his then-girlfriend Betty Purdy what name he wanted to use in the credits for the film, as he had told Kubrick to use her as a go-between when he was busy waiting tables at Sunrise Manor. When on the phone with her, she suggested using Paul for his screen name, which he agreed with.[5] Two years later he appeared in a featured position as one of a classroom of teenagers with issues towards authority in The Blackboard Jungle (1955). His acting career continued for several decades, starting with parts in episodes of television series such as The Twilight Zone and The Rifleman. He also did shows for nightclubs in the late 1950s, most notably with Herb Hartig, with their comedy act being named "Igor and H" before breaking up to do a solo act. He applied to (and was rejected by) the Actors Studio, but he took classes with Lee Strasberg as instructor, having previously studied under Paul Mann and Curt Conway.[6]
Soon after starting his acting career, Mazursky became a writer and worked on The Danny Kaye Show in 1963 with Larry Tucker, who he had first known when Tucker went from personal manager of comedy clients to being a part of the Los Angeles operation of The Second City troupe.[7] In 1965, they crafted the script of the original pilot of The Monkees television series, in which they both also appeared in cameos, although the pilot ended up being their only script for the series. Mazursky's debut as a film screenwriter was the Peter Sellers comedy I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968). The original intent was for Tucker to produce and for Mazursky to direct. Peter Sellers, the star of the feature, instead picked Hy Averback to direct the film.[8] The following year, he directed his first film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) produced and written by Mazursky and Larry Tucker), which proved to be a major critical and commercial success. The film was the fifth highest grossing of the year and earned Mazursky his first Oscar nomination.
His career behind the camera continued for the next two decades as he wrote and directed a prolific string of quirky, dramatic and critically popular films. His most successful films were contemporary dramatic comedies and include the Academy Award-winning Harry and Tonto (1974), the Best Picture-nominated An Unmarried Woman (1978), and popular hits such as Moscow on the Hudson (1984) and Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986). In light of his comedies that tackled a number of modern social subjects, The Hollywood Reporter stated that "from the late '60s through the '80s, [he] seemed to channel the zeitgeist..."[9] and Variety stated that "his oeuvre smacks of cultural significance."[10]
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Other films made by Mazursky during this time include the Hollywood satire Alex in Wonderland (1970), the cutting Los Angeles relationship comedy Blume in Love (1973), and the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976). Mazursky also played supporting roles in The Other Side of the Wind (1972; finished 2015), A Star Is Born (1976). He also directed during the 1980s the New York City-based Jules and Jim homage Willie & Phil (1980), the contemporary Shakespeare comedy Tempest (1982), the Caribbean-set political farce Moon over Parador (1988), and the acclaimed Isaac Bashevis Singer adaptation Enemies, a Love Story (1989). Late in his life, Mazursky was developing a Broadway musical adaptation of his 1988 film Moon over Parador.[11] He had supporting roles in History of the World Part I (1981), Into the Night (1985), Punchline (1988) and Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989).
Mazursky appeared in supporting roles or cameos in most of his own films. In Moon over Parador (1988), with the Rio Opera House available for only three days of shooting, Mazursky cast himself as a dictator's mother when Judith Malina was unavailable, playing the character in drag. He also acted in 1990s in projects such as Man Trouble (1992), Carlito's Way (1993), Love Affair (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), Miami Rhapsody (1995), Crazy in Alabama (1999), and I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006). He also performed the voice of the Psychologist in Antz (1998). He then experienced less success in the 1990s. He directed Scenes from a Mall (1991), starring Woody Allen and Bette Midler.
Following his filmmaking satire The Pickle (1993), which was his last writing credit, Mazursky worked only sporadically as a director on such films as Faithful (1996), Winchell (1998), and Coast to Coast (2003). His final film was the independent documentary Yippee (2006). In later years, Mazursky had a small part as "Sunshine" the poker dealer in The Sopranos. He also appeared in five episodes of season 4 of Curb Your Enthusiasm as Mel Brooks' associate Norm, a role that he later reprised in a season 7 episode. In his autobiography Show Me the Magic (1999), Mazursky recounts his experiences in filmmaking and with several well-known screen personalities including Peter Sellers. He was the subject of the 2011 book Paul on Mazursky by Sam Wasson. Mazursky appeared as himself in a number of documentaries on film, including A Decade Under the Influence, New York at the Movies, and Screenwriters: Words Into Image. From 2011 until his death in 2014, Mazursky served as a film critic for Vanity Fair.[12]
Legacy
[edit]Every film written and directed by Mazursky used New York City or Los Angeles as one of its settings. In 1991 the Los Angeles Times commented that "No filmmaker has been wiser or funnier about the L.A. cavalcade than Mazursky. It's not simply a matter of being hip to the scene; what makes such L.A. movies as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Alex in Wonderland and Blume in Love and Down and Out in Beverly Hills soar is Mazursky's wide-eyed infatuation with the city's rampant pop nuttiness."[13] His films received a total of twelve Academy Award nominations, with one win, and nineteen Golden Globe nominations, with two wins. Film critic Roger Ebert was a particular fan of Mazursky's work, giving six of his films the optimal four stars in his reviews.[14] In 1986, Ebert stated that "Mazursky has a way of making comedies that are more intelligent and relevant than most of the serious films around."[15]
Personal life
[edit]Mazursky was married to librarian and social worker Betsy Mazursky (née Purdy) from 1953 until his death. They had two daughters, Meg and Jill.[16][17] Mazursky was an atheist.[18]
Mazursky went into cardiopulmonary arrest and died on June 30, 2014, aged 84, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.[16][19]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice | Yes | Yes |
| 1966 | The Monkees | No | Yes |
| 1968 | I Love You, Alice B. Toklas | No | Yes |
| 1970 | Alex in Wonderland | Yes | Yes |
| 1973 | Blume in Love | Yes | Yes |
| 1974 | Harry and Tonto | Yes | Yes |
| 1976 | Next Stop, Greenwich Village | Yes | Yes |
| 1978 | An Unmarried Woman | Yes | Yes |
| 1980 | Willie & Phil | Yes | Yes |
| 1982 | Tempest | Yes | Yes |
| 1984 | Moscow on the Hudson | Yes | Yes |
| 1986 | Down and Out in Beverly Hills | Yes | Yes |
| 1988 | Moon over Parador | Yes | Yes |
| 1989 | Enemies, A Love Story | Yes | Yes |
| 1991 | Scenes from a Mall | Yes | Yes |
| 1993 | The Pickle | Yes | Yes |
| 1996 | Faithful | Yes | No |
| 2006 | Yippee | Yes | No |
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Fear and Desire | Pvt. Sidney | |
| 1955 | Blackboard Jungle | Emmanuel Stoker | |
| 1965 | Deathwatch | Maurice | |
| 1968 | I Love You, Alice B. Toklas | Hippie on Sidewalk | Uncredited |
| 1969 | Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice | Man Screaming at the Institute | Uncredited |
| 1970 | Alex in Wonderland | Hal Stern | |
| 1972 | The Other Side of the Wind | Paul | finished posthumously in 2018 |
| 1973 | Blume in Love | Kurt Hellman | |
| 1974 | Harry and Tonto | Prostitute | Uncredited |
| 1976 | Next Stop, Greenwich Village | Casting Director | Uncredited |
| A Star Is Born | Brian Wexler | ||
| 1978 | An Unmarried Woman | Hal | |
| 1979 | A Man, a Woman, and a Bank | Norman Barrie | |
| An Almost Perfect Affair | Himself | Uncredited | |
| 1981 | History of the World: Part I | Roman Officer | (The Roman Empire) |
| 1982 | Tempest | Terry Bloomfield | Producer |
| 1984 | Moscow on the Hudson | Dave | |
| 1985 | Into the Night | Bud Herman | |
| 1986 | Down and Out in Beverly Hills | Sidney Waxman | |
| 1988 | Moon over Parador | Momma | Credited as Carlotta Gerson |
| Punchline | Arnold | ||
| 1989 | Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills | Sidney Lipkin | |
| Enemies, a Love Story | Leon Tortshiner | ||
| 1991 | Scenes from a Mall | Dr. Hans Clava | |
| 1992 | Man Trouble | Lee MacGreevy | |
| 1993 | The Pickle | Butch Levine | |
| Carlito's Way | Judge Feinstein | ||
| 1994 | Love Affair | Herb Stillman | |
| 1995 | Miami Rhapsody | Vic Marcus | |
| 1996 | Faithful | Mr. Susskind | |
| 2 Days in the Valley | Teddy Peppers | ||
| 1997 | Touch | Artie | |
| 1998 | Bulworth | Himself | Uncredited |
| Why Do Fools Fall in Love | Morris Levy | ||
| Antz | Psychologist | Voice | |
| 1999 | Crazy in Alabama | Walter Schwegmann | |
| 2001 | The Majestic | Studio Executive | Voice |
| Big Shot's Funeral | Studio Boss | ||
| 2002 | Do It for Uncle Manny | Famous Movie Director | |
| 2006 | I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | Charlie Perlman | |
| Cattle Call | Judge Mandel | ||
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Musician Bunny | Voice |
| 2018 | The Other Side of the Wind | Himself | (final film role) |
Television
[edit]TV movies
- Winchell (1998)
- Coast to Coast (2003)
Acting credits
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The Monkees | T.V. Interviewer | Episode "The Monkees" |
| 1996 | Frasier | Vinnie | Voice, Episode "The Last Time I Saw Maris" |
| 1999–2002 | Once and Again | Phil Brooks | 6 episodes |
| 2000–2001 | The Sopranos | Sunshine | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Coast to Coast | Stanley Tarto | TV movie |
| 2004–2009 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Norm | 5 episodes |
| 2011 | Femme Fatales | Warden Jeffries | 2 episodes |
Awards and honors
[edit]Mazursky received five Academy Award nominations, four for his screenplay writing on Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), Harry and Tonto (1974), An Unmarried Woman (1978), and Enemies, a Love Story (1989), and once as producer of An Unmarried Woman (nominated for Best Picture). He was also twice nominated for a Golden Globe and twice for the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, among many other awards. In 2000, he was the recipient of the Austin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award. In 2000, he was awarded the Amicus Poloniae (Latin: "Friend of Poland"), which is a distinction established by the Polish ambassador to the United States and conferred annually on citizens of the United States for special contributions to Polish-American relations. In 2010, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association honored him with an award for Career Achievement. On December 13, 2013, Mazursky was awarded the 2,515th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in front of Musso & Frank Grill.[20] Friends and collaborators Mel Brooks, Richard Dreyfuss, and Jeff Garlin were all present.
On February 1, 2014, at the WGA Awards, Mazursky received the Screen Laurel Award, which is the lifetime achievement award of the Writers Guild of America. Comedian, filmmaker and close friend Mel Brooks presented the award. In May 2014, Mazursky received the Best of Brooklyn Award at his alma mater Brooklyn College's annual gala in New York City.[21] In 2015, Joe Swanberg's film Digging for Fire was dedicated in memory to Mazursky.[22] In 2019, Greg Pritikin dedicated his film The Last Laugh to Mazursky.
References
[edit]- ^ Tugend, Tom Jewish Journal: "Paul Mazursky, filmmaker, 84" Archived 2015-10-08 at the Wayback Machine Jewish Journal (July 9, 2014)
- ^ "Paul Mazursky Biography (1930-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
- ^ Variety: "Secret lunch honors Ladd" by Bob Verini September 27, 2007
- ^ Farber, Stephen (2006-12-31). "A Night in Hollywood, a Day in Ukraine". The New York Times. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
- ^ Show me the magic. Simon & Schuster. 1999. ISBN 9780684847351.
- ^ Wasson, Sam (January 2012). Paul on Mazursky. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 9780819571441.
- ^ Adler, Dick (1970-07-26). "'Bob & Carol' & Then What?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ Show me the magic. Simon & Schuster. 1999. ISBN 9780684847351.
- ^ "Paul Mazursky: How the WGA Awards Honoree Captured the Culture". Hollywood Reporter. 31 January 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ "Mazursky and Actors: A Love Story". Variety. 11 December 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (July 2014). "RIP Paul Mazursky, Brilliant Hollywood Writer-Director". Indiewire.com. Retrieved 2014-11-22.
- ^ Mazursky, Paul. "Paul Mazursky in Vanity Fair". Vanityfair.com. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
- ^ Rainer, Peter (February 22, 1991). "MOVIE REVIEW : Down and Out in Beverly Center : A Slice of L.A.--Without the Bite". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
- ^ Emerson, Jim (14 December 2012). "Roger Ebert on Mazursky". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (1986-01-31). "Roger Ebert Review of Down and Out in Beverly Hills". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
- ^ a b Natale, Richard (1 July 2014). "Paul Mazursky, Director of 'Unmarried Woman,' Dies at 84". Variety. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ Cheng, Cheryl (October 3, 2017). "Betsy Mazursky, Widow of Director Paul Mazursky, Dies at 90". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Farber, Stephen (2006-12-31). "A Night in Hollywood, a Day in Ukraine". The New York Times. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
I've always felt very Jewish but very ambivalent about being Jewish. I'm an atheist.
- ^ Woo, Elaine (1 July 2014). "Paul Mazursky dies at 84; director chronicled trends of '60s and '70s". Latimes.com. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ Ruymen, Jim. "Paul Mazursky honored with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles". United Press International.
- ^ Brooklyn College Magazine. 3 (2/ Spring/Summer 2014): 36. September 2014.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Walsh, Katie (21 August 2015). "Interview: Joe Swanberg Talks Personal Filmmaking, Paul Mazursky, And The Inspiration Of 'Friday Night Lights'". Indiewire.
External links
[edit]- Ken Regan's Celebrity Portraiture: Paul Mazursky Comes Home | "From the Stacks" at New-York Historical Society
- Paul Mazursky at IMDb
- Paul Mazursky at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- The films of Paul Mazursky, Hell Is For Hyphenates, August 31, 2014
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1930 births
- 2014 deaths
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- American atheists
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- American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
- Brooklyn College alumni
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- Film directors from New York City
- Jewish American atheists
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