Robert Altman

Robert Altman

Robert Bernard Altman

American Film Director 

Date of birth: February 20, 1925

Death: November 20, 2006

Spouse : Kathryn Reed (1959 - 20 November 2006)

Short before his death in 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him the Academy Honorary Award.

Altman lived in his native Kansas City, MO, until 1945.

In the early 1950s Altman  made promotional films for Gulf oil and safety films for Caterpillar Tractor and International Harvester. After returning to Hollywood and clicking in the late 1950s and early 1960s on television series like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gallant Men, Bonanza and Combat!

In the 1970s he started making movies such as. With M*A*S*H, Brewster McCloud, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, The Long Goodbye and Nashville, Robert Altman worked with young filmmakers like Paul Mazursky, John Cassavetes, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese

In 1975, Altman made the semi-musical Nashville. Keith Carradine won an oscar for the song Im Easy.

In 1980, he made a movie musical of the comic strip/cartoon Popeye, with Robin Williams.

In 1992 Robert Altman directer the Player, a satire on Hollywood and its troubles which was nominated for three Academy Awards, including one for Best Director. 

1998 He directed The Gingerbread Man and one year later Cookies Fortune.

2006 After five Oscar nominations for Best Director and no wins, Robert Altman received the Academy Honor Award for Life Achievement. Altman died  at age 81 at Cedar Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.