Bert Schneider | |
|---|---|
| Born | Berton Jerome Schneider (1933-05-05)May 5, 1933 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 12, 2011(2011-12-12) (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Spouse(s) | Judith Feinberg (divorced); three subsequent marriages |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent | Abraham Schneider |
Berton "Bert"Jerome Schneider (May 5, 1933 – December 12, 2011) was an Americanfilm andtelevision producer.
He was responsible for several topical films of the late 1960s and early 1970s,[1] including theroad filmEasy Rider (1969), directed byDennis Hopper.
Schneider was born to a wealthyJewish family[2] inNew York City[3] and raised inNew Rochelle, New York.[2] His father was Abraham Schneider (1905-1993), who succeededHarry Cohn as the president ofColumbia Pictures.[2] He was the middle of two brothers, the younger Harold and the elder Stanley.[2] Schneider tended toward the rebellious politics of the day. Briefly a student atCornell University, located inIthaca, New York, he was ultimately expelled.[4][5]
His brother, Harold Schneider, also became a film producer.
In 1953, he worked forScreen Gems, Columbia's television division inLos Angeles.[2] In 1965, Schneider formed a partnership with thefilm directorBob Rafelson, creatingRaybert Productions. The duo brought to televisionThe Monkees (1966–1968), asituation comedy about a fictionalrock band (who became a real group,The Monkees, to meet public demand, and their own aspirations).
The success ofThe Monkees allowed Schneider and Rafelson to break into feature films, first with thecounterculture filmHead (1968), starring The Monkees, directed by Rafelson and featuring a screenplay co-written by Rafelson andJack Nicholson. The film bombed in its initial release due to poor distribution and the lack of a target audience for 1968.[6] Monkees fans were disappointed that the disjointed,stream-of-consciousness ring of stories was not just an expanded episode.Art film enthusiasts may have embraced its creativity but were not interested in a film by the "pre-fab four."[6] In recent years, the film has received above average reviews from critics and fans alike as an interesting 1960s period piece.[6]
They had their first major success withEasy Rider (1969), which ushered in the era ofNew Hollywood. Then followed with thedrama filmFive Easy Pieces (1970), which Rafelson directed. FollowingFive Easy Pieces, Schneider and Rafelson added a partner,Stephen Blauner, and Raybert turned intoBBS Productions.
They subsequently made a series of films, including the drama filmsThe Last Picture Show (1971), directed byPeter Bogdanovich andThe King of Marvin Gardens (1972), directed by Rafelson. In 1975 he was a member of the jury at the9th Moscow International Film Festival.[7]
In 1975, Schneider received anAcademy Award for Best Documentary Feature for producingHearts and Minds (1974), adocumentary film about theVietnam War, directed byPeter Davis.[8] His acceptance speech was one of the most politically controversial in the ceremony's history. Schneider's speech included this statement: "It’s ironic that we’re here at a time just before Vietnam is about to be liberated." He then read a telegram from the head of the North Vietnamese delegation to the Paris peace talks. It thanked the antiwar movement "for all they have done on behalf of peace. Greetings of friendship to all American people." After receiving thousands of angry telegrams backstage,Frank Sinatra appeared later in the show to read a disclaimer that disavowed Schneider's statement, which in turn provoked angry responses from actorsShirley MacLaine andWarren Beatty. Beatty later berated Sinatra on stage, calling him "you old Republican."[9]
In 1954, he married his first wife, Judy Feinberg (born 1936), who was also Jewish and from a wealthy family.[2] They had two children: Jeffrey and Audrey.[2] They later divorced and he was subsequently married three more times.[10]
Between 1971 and 1974 Schneider had a relationship withCandice Bergen. Bergen wrote about their relationship in her first memoir, 'Knock Wood', referring to Schneider under the pseudonym "Robin".[11][12]
In 2011, Schneider died of natural causes, aged 78, inLos Angeles, California.[13][14][15]
Peter Fonda based his character Terry Valentine in thecrime filmThe Limey (1999) partly on Schneider, according to Fonda's interview on the film's DVD.
The Big Cigar, a 2024biographical dramathrillerminiseries developed by Jim Hecht, based on the 2012Playboy article of the same name byJoshuah Bearman,[16][17] followsBlack Panther Party founderHuey P. Newton escaping theFBI toCuba with the help of Schneider. Schneider is portrayed byAlessandro Nivola.
 |
| Year | Title | Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–1968 | The Monkees | televisionsituation comedy |
|
| Year | Title | Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Head | ||
| 1969 | Easy Rider | road film | producer |
| 1970 | Five Easy Pieces | drama film | |
| 1971 | The Last Picture Show | drama film | |
| 1971 | Drive, He Said | drama film | |
| 1971 | A Safe Place | drama film | |
| 1972 | The King of Marvin Gardens | drama film | |
| 1974 | Hearts and Minds | documentary film | |
| 1977 | Tracks | drama film | |
| 1978 | Days of Heaven | drama film | |
| 1981 | Broken English | drama film |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
