Robert Altman was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era. His films are known for having satirical themes, unexpected quirks, with overlapping and improvised dialogue. He has deconstructed classic film genres like Westerns, crime dramas, musicals and classic whodunits. He has worked with frequent collaborators such as actors Shelley Duvall, Elliott Gould, René Auberjonois, Henry Gibson and Lily Tomlin. Over his career he received five Oscar nominations winning the Honorary Academy Award in 2005.
Altman made his directorial film debut with The Delinquents (1957) and gained his career breakthrough with war comedy M*A*S*H (1970) for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. Robert then earned critical acclaim for western drama McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), the musical film Nashville (1975), and the psychological thriller 3 Women (1977). During this time he also directed a string of counter cultural genre films such as the black comedy Brewster McCloud (1970), the neo-noir The Long Goodbye (1973), the comedy-drama California Split (1974), the crime film Thieves Like Us (1974), the revisionist western Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976), and the satirical comedy-drama A Wedding (1978).
He then directed the musical comedy Popeye (1980) which was a financial success but received a mixed reception. The films which followed become more sporadic with a career fluctuations. Roger Ebert stated of Altman's career that he "insisted on expressing a distinct personal vision that made him the hottest director of the 1970s but not the 1980s". During this time he directed the comedy-drama Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982), the play adaptation Streamers (1983), and the historical drama Secret Honor (1984). He received a career resurgence earning Academy Award for Best Director nominations for the Hollywood mystery The Player (1992), the dark comedy Short Cuts (1993), and the murder mystery Gosford Park (2001). He also directed Vincent & Theo (1990), Prêt-à-Porter (1994), The Company (2003), and A Prairie Home Companion (2006).
Film Features YearTitleDirectorWriterProducer 1948 Bodyguard 1957 The James Dean Story The Delinquents 1967 Countdown 1969 That Cold Day in the Park 1970 M*A*S*H Brewster McCloud 1971 McCabe & Mrs. Miller 1972 Images 1973 The Long Goodbye 1974 Thieves Like Us California Split 1975 Nashville 1976 Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson 1977 3 Women 1978 A Wedding 1979 Quintet A Perfect Couple 1980 HealtH Popeye 1982 Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean 1983 Streamers 1984 Secret Honor 1985 Fool for Love 1987 Beyond Therapy O.C. and Stiggs 1990 Vincent & Theo 1992 The Player 1993 Short Cuts 1994 Prêt-à-Porter 1996 Kansas City 1998 The Gingerbread Man 1999 Cookie's Fortune 2000 Dr. T & the Women 2001 Gosford Park 2003 The Company 2006 A Prairie Home Companion
Producer only Welcome to L.A. (1976) The Late Show (1977) Remember My Name (1978) Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) Afterglow (1997) Trixie (2000)
Executive producer Rich Kids (1979) Roads and Bridges (2001)
Acting roles YearTitleRoleNotes 1947 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Man Drinking Uncredited 1948 Bodyguard 1970 Events Bob 1973 The Long Goodbye Ambulance Driver Uncredited 1981 Endless Love Hotel Manager
Short film YearTitleDirectorWriterEditor Notes 1950 Honeymoon for Harriet 1952 The Sound of Bells King Basketball 1954 The Dirty Look 1955 The Perfect Crime Corn's-A-Poppin 1956 The Magic Bond 1964 The Party 1965 The Katherine Reed Story 1967 Pot au feu Acting role: Player 1987 Les Boréades Segment of Aria
Producer Liv (1993)
Documentary short YearTitleDirectorWriterEditor 1951 Modern Football 1953 The Last Mile How To Run a Filling Station Modern Baseball 1954 Better Football The Builders
Television Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 1953 Pulse of the City Episode "The Case of Capt. Denning" 1957–58 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Episodes "The Young One" and "Together" 1958 M Squad Episode "Lover's Lane Killing" 1959 Hawaiian Eye Episode "Three Tickets to Lani"1958–59 The Millionaire 13 episodes Whirlybirds 20 episodes 1959–60 Sugarfoot 2 episodes1959–60 Troubleshooters 14 episodes U.S. Marshal 15 episodes1960 The Gale Storm Show Episode "It's Magic" Bronco Episode "The Mustangers" Maverick Episode "Bolt from the Blue"1960–61 The Roaring 20's 9 episodes Bonanza 8 episodes1961 Lawman Episode "The Robbery" Surfside 6 Episode "Thieves Among Honor" Peter Gunn Episode "The Murder Bond" Route 66 Episode "Some of the People, Some of the Time" 1961–62 Bus Stop 8 episodes1962 Cain's Hundred Episode "The Left Side of Canada" Kraft Television Theatre 3 episodes The Gallant Men Episode "Pilot" 1962–63 Combat! 10 episodes 1963–64 Kraft Suspense Theatre 3 episodes 1965 The Long, Hot Summer Episode "The Long, Hot Summer" 1968 Premiere Episode "Walk in the Sky" 1977 Saturday Night Live Episode "Sissy Spacek/Richard Baskin" (Segment "Sissy's Role") 1988 Tanner '88 Miniseries 1993, 1997 Great Performances Episodes "Black and Blue", "The Real McTeague: A Synthesis of Form", and "Jazz '34" 1993 Gun Episode "All the President's Women"1998 Killer App Unaired pilot 2004 Tanner on Tanner Miniseries
Television films Year Title Director Producer 1964 Nightmare in Chicago 1982 Rattlesnake in a Cooler Precious Blood 1985 The Laundromat 1987 Basements: The Room / The Dumb Waiter 1988 The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Theatre Year Title Author Venue Ref. 1952 Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Richard Harrity Resident Theatre, Kansas City 1981 2 By South: Rattlesnake in a Cooler and Precious Blood Frank South Los Angeles Actors' Theater St. Clement's Theater, New York City 1982 Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Ed Graczyk Martin Beck Theater, Broadway 1983 The Rake's Progress Igor Stravinsky University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 1987 Opéra de Lille, Lille 1992 McTeagueWilliam Bolcom Lyric Opera of Chicago, World premiere 2004 A Wedding 2006 Resurrection Blues Arthur Miller Old Vic Theatre, London
Music video Year Title Artist 1966 "Girl Talk" Bobby Troup "The Party" Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass "Speak Low"Lili St. Cyr "Ebb Tide"
Unrealized projects Year Title and description 1960sDeath, Where is Thy Sting-a-ling-ling?, retitled from The Chicken and the Hawk 1970sThe Extra, a film about Hollywood bit players starring Lily Tomlin92 in the ShadeNorth Dallas FortyA film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel Breakfast of Champions written by Alan Rudolph starring Burt LancasterRagtimeThe Y.I.G. Epoxy, a film adaptation of Robert Grossbach's novel Easy and Hard Ways Out written by Alan Rudolph starring Peter Falk, Sterling Hayden and Henry Gibson 1980sWhite Mansons, retitled from Vicksburg, a drama set during the American Civil WarA film adaptation of James McLure's one-act play Lone Star starring Sigourney Weaver and Powers BootheThe Smith County Widow, a "serious" comedy-mystery-farce starring Malcolm McDowell and Mary SteenburgenA film adaptation of Marsha Norman's play The HoldupA film adaptation of Jim Leonard, Jr.'s two-act play The Diviners starring William HurtA film adaptation of Thomas Berger's novel The Feud written by Jim Leonard, Jr.Biarritz, a film set in a European hotel for wealthy vacationers written by Robert Harders starring Jon VoightA film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel Across the River and Into the Trees written by Robert Harders starring Roy Scheider and Julie ChristieHeatNashville 12, a sequel to Nashville written by Robert Harders set twelve years laterRossini! Rossini! 1990sAn untitled biopic on the life of actress Jean SebergMata Hari, a biopic written by David Williamson based on the life of Danish entertainer Mata Hari starring Cate BlanchettA film adaptation of Peter Everett's novel A Death In Ireland written by Tom BerengerA film adaptation of Tony Kushner's two-part play Angels in AmericaCork, a film written by Harry Belafonte about subject of blackface and minstrel shows set in the era of Amos 'n' AndyThe Singing Detective starring Dustin HoffmanStamp and Deliver, a "modern-day postal Western" written by Dan Mirvish starring Peter Fonda, Mark Hamill, Dom DeLuise and Ed AsnerMore Short Cuts, a sequel to Short Cuts written by Anne RappA film adaptation of Dominick Dunne's novel Another City, Not My Own 2000sA film adaptation of Artie Shaw's unpublished autobiography The Education of Albie Snow starring Johnny DeppVoltage, a film adaptation of Robert Grossbach's novel A Shortage of Engineers starring Liv Tyler, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, Joaquin Phoenix, William H. Macy, Tony Shalhoub, Harry Belafonte, Elliott Gould and Taye DiggsGambitThe Widow Claire, a "period romance" set during World War II starring Winona Rider, Jake Gyllenhaal and Matthew McConaugheyPaint, retitled from Ultraviolent, a film set in the New York art gallery scene starring Salma Hayek, James Franco and Glenn CloseAn Unfinished LifeA film adaptation of Aesop's fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" written by Andrew DaviesIt's Always Now, a film adaptation of Raymond Chandler's short story "The Curtain" starring Elliott Gould as Philip MarloweA fictionalized film version based on S. R. Bindler's 1997 documentary Hands on a Hardbody written by Stephen Harrigan starring Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep, Billy Bob Thornton, Jack Black, Jack White, Chris Rock, Dwayne Johnson, Lily Tomlin and Tommy Lee Jones
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