Paul Mazursky | |
|---|---|
 Mazursky at the43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2008 | |
| Born | Irwin Lawrence Mazursky (1930-04-25)April 25, 1930 |
| Died | June 30, 2014(2014-06-30) (aged 84) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1953–2011 |
| Spouse | |
| 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 fiveAcademy Awards forBob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969),Harry and Tonto (1974),An Unmarried Woman (1978), andEnemies, A Love Story (1989). He is also known for directing the autobiographicalNext Stop, Greenwich Village (1976),Moscow on the Hudson (1984),Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986),Moon over Parador (1988), andScenes from a Mall (1991).
He was born into aJewish family[1] inBrooklyn,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 fromRussian Empire city ofKobrin (modernBelarus).[4] Mazursky graduated fromBrooklyn College in 1951.
Mazursky began his film career as an actor inStanley 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 inThe Blackboard Jungle (1955). His acting career continued for several decades, starting with parts in episodes of television series such asThe Twilight Zone andThe Rifleman. He also did shows for nightclubs in the late 1950s, including withHerb Hartig in a comedy act named "Igor and H" before breaking up to do a solo act. He applied unsuccessfully to theActors Studio, but he took classes fromLee Strasberg, having previously studied underPaul Mann andCurt Conway.[6]
Soon after starting his acting career, Mazursky became a writer onThe Danny Kaye Show in 1963 withLarry Tucker, who he had met when Tucker went from managing comedians to being in the Los AngelesSecond City troupe.[7] In 1965, they crafted the script for the pilot ofThe 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 thePeter Sellers comedyI 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 film, instead pickedHy Averback to direct.[8] The following year, he directed his first filmBob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) which he also co-wrote with its producer 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 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, including the Academy Award-winningHarry and Tonto (1974), the Best Picture-nominatedAn Unmarried Woman (1978), and popular hits such asMoscow on the Hudson (1984) andDown and Out in Beverly Hills (1986). In light of his comedies that tackled modern social subjects,The Hollywood Reporter stated that "from the late '60s through the '80s, [he] seemed to channel the zeitgeist..."[9] andVariety stated that "his oeuvre smacks of cultural significance."[10]
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Other films made by Mazursky during this time include theHollywood satireAlex in Wonderland (1970), the cuttingLos Angeles relationship comedyBlume in Love (1973), and the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age storyNext Stop, Greenwich Village (1976). Mazursky played supporting roles inThe Other Side of the Wind (1972; finished 2015) andA Star Is Born (1976). He also directed the 1980sNew York City-basedJules and Jim homageWillie & Phil (1980), the contemporaryShakespeare comedyTempest (1982), theCaribbean political farceMoon over Parador (1988), and the acclaimedIsaac Bashevis Singer adaptationEnemies, a Love Story (1989). Late in his life, Mazursky was developing a Broadway musical adaptation of his 1988 filmMoon over Parador.[11] He had supporting roles inHistory of the World Part I (1981),Into the Night (1985),Punchline (1988) andScenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989).
Mazursky appeared in supporting roles or cameos in most of his own films. InMoon over Parador (1988), with the Rio Opera House available for only three days of shooting, Mazursky cast himself as a dictator's mother whenJudith Malina was unavailable, playing the character in drag. He also acted in 1990s in projects such asMan Trouble (1992),Carlito's Way (1993),Love Affair (1994),2 Days in the Valley (1996),Miami Rhapsody (1995),Crazy in Alabama (1999), andI Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006). He performed the voice of the Psychologist inAntz (1998). He experienced less success in the 1990s directingScenes from a Mall (1991), starringWoody Allen andBette Midler.
Following his filmmaking satireThe Pickle (1993), which was his last writing credit, Mazursky worked only sporadically as a director on such films asFaithful (1996),Winchell (1998), andCoast to Coast (2003). His final film was the independentdocumentaryYippee (2006). In later years, Mazursky had a small part as"Sunshine" thepoker dealer inThe Sopranos. He also appeared in five episodes of season 4 ofCurb Your Enthusiasm asMel Brooks' associate Norm, a role that he later reprised in a season 7 episode. In his autobiographyShow Me the Magic (1999), Mazursky recounts his experiences in filmmaking and with several well-known screen personalities includingPeter Sellers. He was the subject of the 2011 bookPaul on Mazursky bySam Wasson. Mazursky appeared as himself in a number of documentaries on film, includingA Decade Under the Influence,New York at the Movies, andScreenwriters: Words Into Image. From 2011 until his death in 2014, Mazursky served as a film critic forVanity Fair.[12]
Every film written and directed by Mazursky used New York City or Los Angeles as one of its settings. In 1991 theLos 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 asBob & Carol & Ted & Alice andAlex in Wonderland andBlume in Love andDown 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 criticRoger 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]
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 anatheist.[18]
Mazursky went intocardiopulmonary arrest and died on June 30, 2014, aged 84, atCedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.[16][19]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | I Love You, Alice B. Toklas | No | Yes |
| 1969 | Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice | Yes | 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) |
TV series
TV movies
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 |
Mazursky received fiveAcademy Award nominations, four for his screenplay writing onBob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969),Harry and Tonto (1974),An Unmarried Woman (1978), andEnemies, a Love Story (1989), and once as producer ofAn Unmarried Woman (nominated forBest Picture). He was also twice nominated for aGolden Globe and twice for theCannes Film Festival'sPalme d'Or, among many other awards. In 2000, he was the recipient of theAustin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award. In 2000, he was awarded theAmicus Poloniae (Latin: "Friend of Poland"), which is a distinction established by thePolish ambassador to the United States and conferred annually on citizens of the United States for special contributions to Polish-American relations. In 2010, theLos Angeles Film Critics Association honored him with an award for Career Achievement. On December 13, 2013, Mazursky was awarded the 2,515th star of theHollywood Walk of Fame, in front ofMusso & Frank Grill.[20] Friends and collaboratorsMel Brooks,Richard Dreyfuss, andJeff Garlin were all present.
On February 1, 2014, at theWGA Awards, Mazursky received theScreen Laurel Award, which is the lifetime achievement award of theWriters Guild of America. Comedian, filmmaker and close friendMel 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 filmDigging for Fire was dedicated in memory to Mazursky.[22] In 2019,Greg Pritikin dedicated his filmThe Last Laugh to Mazursky.
I've always felt very Jewish but very ambivalent about being Jewish. I'm an atheist.
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