Peter Bogdanovich Movies

Friday, January 14, 2011 at 12:47 pm

Peter Bogdanovich Biography

Peter Bogdanovich movies, while great, aren’t as interesting as the man himself. Peter Bogdanovich started out as an actor and film critic, and then headed to Hollywood in 1968 with the intention of becoming a director. Later that year, he made his first feature film. Within a few years, he was letting a cash-strapped Orson Welles crash at his Bel-Air mansion.

Peter Bogdanovich has also had a storied love life, romancing both Cybill Shepherd and Playboy model Dorothy Stratten. The latter left her husband for Bogdanovich, resulting in her shooting death at the hands of her ex.

In recent years, Bogdanovich has appeared on The Sopranos and hosted programs about cinema for Turner Classic Movies and ClickStar. In 2010, he became a member of the faculty at the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Peter Bogdanovich Books

If you’d like to try his written works, here are my suggestions for books by Peter Bogdanovich:

Peter Bogdanovich Movies

Targets (1968) – Bogdanovich got his start for producer Roger Corman, and there were only three stipulations for his feature film debut: stay under budget, use horror legend Boris Karloff, and include clips from Corman’s The Terror. But instead of turning out a horror movie, Bogdanovich (along with uncredited help from Samuel Fuller) crafted a tense thriller in which a disturbed Vietnam veteran goes on a shooting rampage a la Charles Whitman. While not a major success, the film got Bogdanovich noticed by Hollywood studios, which in turn allowed him to make movies like The Last Picture Show.

The Last Picture Show (1971) – Adapted from the novel by Larry McMurtry, this black-and-white drama about a dying Texas town and several restless teenagers within it would wind up being Bogdanovich’s most acclaimed film. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, it includes a smart mix of veteran actors and then-unknowns, including Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman, Timothy Bottoms, Ellen Burstyn, and Randy Quaid. Almost twenty years later, Bogdanovich reunited much of the cast for the sequel, Texasville.

Directed by John Ford (1971) – While most Peter Bogdanovich movies were features, he also tested his abilities in the field of documentary filmmaking with this look at the life and career of Oscar-winning director John Ford. The one-eyed curmudgeon is interviewed in Monument Valley, and others who lend their insight include John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Henry Fonda. If you’re a fan of John Ford movies, you’ll find this to be a fascinating work.

What’s Up, Doc? (1972) – Filled with musical in-jokes and tributes to the screwball comedies of the 1930s, this Peter Bogdanovich film is set in San Francisco and centers around four overnight bags and their owners. Starring Ryan O’Neal, Barbra Streisand, and Madeline Kahn, it also features Bugs Bunny and pals doing what they do best (hence the film‘s title). A smash hit at the box office.

Paper Moon (1973) – Set in Kansas during the Great Depression, this critically-acclaimed, sweet film stars Ryan O’Neill and real-life daughter Tatum as a con man and young orphan traveling cross-country together. Co-starring Madeline Kahn, Noble Willingham, Randy Quaid, and John Hillerman. Tatum O’Neil became the youngest winner in the history of the Oscars by taking home the Best Supporting Actress award.

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Saint Jack (1973) – The only Hollywood movie to be shot entirely on location in Singapore, Saint Jack is taken from the novel by Paul Theroux and stars Ben Gazzara as an American pimp trying to open a bordello. This doesn’t sit well with the local crime bosses, and soon Jack finds himself at odds with the Chinese Triad. Bogdanovich has a small role in the film, and the rest of the cast includes Denholm Elliott, Joss Ackland, Lisa Lu, and George Lazenby. One of the director’s better films, although it was overlooked upon its release.

They All Laughed (1981) – Praised by directors such as Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino, They All Laughed caused Bogdanovich to file for bankruptcy following poor box office returns. (He distributed the film himself following the studio‘s refusal to release the movie after co-star Dorothy Stratten‘s murder). The film follows three private investigators (Ben Gazzara, Blaine Novak, and John Ritter) as they follow a pair of women (Audrey Hepburn and Dorothy Stratten) suspected of infidelity. As they begin to fall for their targets, the wily females manage to take advantage of the situation.

Mask (1985) – The inspirational, heartbreaking story of Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz), a young man living with a rare condition resulting in cranial enlargement. Cher co-stars as Rocky’s drug-addicted and fiercely supportive mother, while a young Lara Dern is the blind girl who captures his heart. Also starring Sam Elliott, Estelle Getty, and Richard Dysart, Mask brought in almost $150 million at the box office and left many moviegoers weeping into their popcorn.

Texasville (1990) – Set 33 years after the events in The Last Picture Show, this sequel picks up with Duane Jackson (Jeff Bridges) suffering through personal and professional difficulties. Then Jacy Farrow (Cybill Shepherd) blows back into his life, returning to her hometown following a painful personal tragedy. Meanwhile, Sonny Crawford’s (Timothy Bottoms) mental health begins to decline, as does the physical well-being of Lester Marlow (Randy Quaid). Once again based on the novel by Larry McMurtry, the film co-stars Cloris Leachman, Annie Potts, and Eileen Brennan.

Noises Off (1992) – As an eccentric cast prepares to put on an awful Broadway-bound performance, we’re treated to a play within a play about neurotic actors, harried directors, and the importance of learning your lines. Based on a popular British farce, the film’s cast includes Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, John Ritter, Christopher Reeve, Nicollette Sheridan, Denholm Elliott, and Marilu Henner.

If you think I’ve overlooked your favorite Peter Bogdanovich movies, voice your opinion in our comments section.

See also:

  1. Robert Altman Movies
  2. Warren Beatty Movies
  3. Woody Allen Movies
  4. Darren Aronofsky Movies
  5. Marlon Brando Movies
  6. PT Anderson Movies
  7. Wes Anderson Movies

This entry was posted on Friday, January 14th, 2011 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Good Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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