Paul Mazursky

Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky (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 five Academy Awards: three times for Best Original Screenplay, once for Best Adapted Screenplay, and once for Best Picture for An Unmarried Woman (1978). His other films include Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), Blume in Love (1973), Harry and Tonto (1974), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), and Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986).
== Personal life ==
He was born in to a Jewish family[1] in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Jean (néeGerson), a piano player for dance classes, and David Mazursky, a laborer.[2][3]Mazursky's grandfather was an immigrant from Ukraine.[4] Mazursky graduated from Brooklyn College in 1951. He was an atheist.[5]
Mazursky was married to Betsy (Purdy) Mazursky from 1953 until his death.[6][7]
== Career ==
=== Acting ===
Mazursky began his film career as an actor in Stanley Kubrick's first feature, Fear and Desire (1953). Kubrick asked for verification of his name for the credits and at that point he decided on a first-name change to Paul. Two years later he appeared in a featured position as one of a classroom of teenagers with issues towards authority in The Blackboard Jungle (1955). His acting career continued for several decades, starting with parts in episodes of television series such as The Twilight Zone and The Rifleman.
Mazursky appeared in supporting roles or cameos in most of his own films. In Moon over Parador (1988), with the Rio Opera House available for only three days of shooting, Mazursky cast himself as a dictator's mother when Judith Malina was unavailable, playing the character in drag.
Mazursky also played supporting roles in The Other Side of the Wind (1972; finished 2015), A Star Is Born (1976), History of the World Part I (1981), Into the Night (1985), Punchline (1988), Man Trouble (1992), Carlito's Way (1993), Love Affair (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), Miami Rhapsody (1995), Crazy in Alabama (1999), and I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006). He also performed the voice of the Psychologist in Antz (1998).
In later years, Mazursky had a small part as "Sunshine" the poker dealer in The Sopranos. He also appeared in five episodes of season 4 of Curb Your Enthusiasm as Mel Brooks' associate Norm, a role that he later reprised in a season 7 episode.
=== Writing and directing ===
Soon after starting his acting career, Mazursky became a writer and worked on The Danny Kaye Show in 1963. In 1965, he collaborated with Larry Tucker in crafting the script of the original pilot of The Monkees television series, in which they both also appeared in cameos.
Mazursky's debut as a film screenplay writer was the Peter Sellers comedy I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968). The following year he directed his first film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (produced and written by Mazursky and Larry 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 the next 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 and include the Academy Award-winning Harry and Tonto (1974), the Best Picture-nominated An Unmarried Woman (1978), and popular hits such as Moscow on the Hudson(1984) and Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986). In light of his comedies that tackled a number of modern social subjects, The Hollywood Reporter has stated that "from the late '60s through the '80s, [he] seemed to channel the zeitgeist..."[8] and Variety has stated that "his oeuvre smacks of cultural significance."[9]
Other films made by Mazursky during this time include the Hollywood satire Alex in Wonderland (1970), the cutting Los Angeles relationship comedy Blume in Love (1973), the semi-autobiographical coming of age story Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), the New York City-based Jules and Jim homage Willie & Phil (1980), the contemporary Shakespeare comedy Tempest (1982), the Caribbean-set political farce Moon over Parador (1988), and the acclaimed Isaac Bashevis Singer adaptation Enemies, a Love Story (1989).
Film critic Roger Ebert was a particular fan of Mazursky's work, giving six of his films the optimal four stars in his reviews.[10] 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."[11]
Mazursky experienced less success in the 1990s, beginning with Scenes from a Mall (1991), starring Woody Allen and Bette Midler. Following his filmmaking satire The Pickle (1993), which was his last writing credit, Mazursky worked only sporadically as a director on such films as Faithful (1996), Winchell (1998), and Coast to Coast (2003). His final film was the independent documentary Yippee(2006).
Every film written and directed by Mazursky used New York City or Los Angeles as one of its settings.
His films received a total of twelve Academy Award nominations, with one win, and nineteen Golden Globe nominations, with two wins.
=== Other work ===
In his autobiography Show Me the Magic (1999), Mazursky recounts his experiences in filmmaking and with several well-known screen personalities including Peter Sellers.
Mazursky appeared as himself in a number of documentaries on film, including A Decade Under the Influence, New York at the Movies and Screenwriters: Words Into Image.
Late in his life, Mazursky was developing a Broadway musical adaptation of his 1988 film Moon Over Parador.[12]
From 2011 until his death in 2014, Mazursky served as a film critic for Vanity Fair.[13]
=== Accolades ===
Mazursky received five Academy Award nominations, four for his screenplay writing on Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), Harry and Tonto (1974), An Unmarried Woman (1978) and Enemies, a Love Story (1989), and once as producer of An Unmarried Woman (nominated for Best Picture). He was also twice nominated for a Golden Globe and twice for the Cannes Film Festival's Palm d'Or, among many other awards.
In 2000, he was the recipient of the Austin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award.
In 2010, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association honored him with an award for Career Achievement.
On December 13, 2013, Mazursky was awarded the 2,515th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in front of Musso & Frank Grill.[14] Friends and collaborators Mel Brooks, Richard Dreyfuss, and Jeff Garlin were all present.
On February 1, 2014, at the WGA Awards, Mazursky received the Screen Laurel Award, which is the lifetime achievement award of the Writers Guild of America. Comedian, filmmaker and close friend Mel 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.[15]
In 2015, Joe Swanberg's film Digging for Fire was dedicated in memory to Mazursky.[16]
== Death ==
Paul Mazursky went into cardiopulmonary arrest and died on June 30, 2014, aged 84, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.[17][6]
== Filmography ==
=== As writer and director ===
Year	Film 	Notes
1969	Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice 	Feature film 
Co-written with Larry Tucker 
Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay 
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay 
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay 
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay 
Nominated- BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay
1970	Alex in Wonderland 	Feature film 
Co-written with Larry Tucker 
Nominated - New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
1973	Blume in Love 	Feature film 
Written by Mazursky 
Nominated - Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay
1974	Harry and Tonto 	Feature film 
Co-written with Josh Greenfeld 
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay 
Nominated - Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay
1976	Next Stop, Greenwich Village 	Feature film 
Written by Mazursky 
Nominated - Palme d'Or 
Nominated - Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay
1978	An Unmarried Woman 	Feature film 
Written by Mazursky 
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay 
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay 
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay 
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Picture 
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay 
Nominated - Palme d'Or 
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Director 
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay 
Nominated - Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film 
Nominated - Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay
1980	Willie & Phil 	Feature film 
Written by Mazursky
1982	Tempest 	Feature film 
Co-written with Leon Capetanos 
Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award 
Nominated - Golden Lion
1984	Moscow on the Hudson 	Feature film 
Co-written with Leon Capetanos
1986	Down and Out in Beverly Hills	Feature film 
Co-written with Leon Capetanos 
Nominated - Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
1988	Moon over Parador 	Feature film 
Co-written with Leon Capetanos
1989	Enemies, A Love Story 	Feature film 
Co-written with Roger L. Simon 
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director 
Nominated- Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
1991	Scenes from a Mall 	Feature film 
Co-written with Roger L. Simon
1993	The Pickle 	Feature film 
Written by Mazursky
=== As writer only ===
Year	Film 	Notes
1966	The Monkees 	TV pilot 
Co-written with Larry Tucker
1968	I Love You, Alice B. Toklas	Feature film 
Co-written with Larry Tucker 
Nominated - Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay
=== As director only ===
Year	Film 	Notes
1996	Faithful 	Feature film 
Written by Chazz Palminteri 
Nominated- Golden Bear
1998	Winchell 	Television film 
Written by Scott Abbott
2003	Coast to Coast	Television film 
Written by Frederic Raphael
2006	Yippee 	Documentary
=== Selected acting credits ===
Year 	Film 	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 	Unfinished film
1973 	Blume in Love 	Hellman 	
1974 	Harry and Tonto 	Prostitute 	Uncredited
1976 	Next Stop, Greenwich Village 	Casting Director 	Uncredited
1976 	A Star Is Born 	Brian Wexler 	
1978 	An Unmarried Woman 	Hal 	
1979 	A Man, a Woman, and a Bank 	Norman Barrie 	
1981 	History of the World: Part I 	Roman Officer - The Roman Empire 	
1982 	Tempest 	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
1988 	Punchline 	Arnold 	
1989 	Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills	Sidney 	
1989 	Enemies, a Love Story 	Leon Tortshiner 	
1991 	Scenes from a Mall 	Dr. Hans Clava 	
1992 	Man Trouble 	Lee MacGreevy 	
1993 	The Pickle 	Butch Levine 	
1993 	Carlito's Way 	Judge Feinstein 	
1994 	Love Affair 	Herb Stillman 	
1995 	Miami Rhapsody 	Vic Marcus 	
1996 	Faithful 	Mr. Susskind 	
1996 	2 Days in the Valley 	Teddy Peppers 	
1996 	Frasier 	Vinnie, calling in to show looking for pinky ring	
1997 	Touch 	Artie 	
1998 	Bulworth 	Paul Mazursky 	Uncredited
1998 	Why Do Fools Fall in Love 	Morris Levy 	
1998 	Antz 	Psychologist 	Voice role
1999 	Crazy in Alabama 	Walter Schwegmann 	
2000–2001	The Sopranos 	Sunshine 	Television series 
Two episodes
2001 	The Majestic 	Studio Executive 	Voice role
2001 	Big Shot's Funeral 	Studio Boss 	
1999–2002	Once and Again 	Phil Brooks 	Television series 
Six episodes
2003 	Coast to Coast 	Stanley Tarto 	Television film
2006 	I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With 	Charlie Perlman 	
2006 	Cattle Call 	Judge Mandel 	
2004–2009	Curb Your Enthusiasm 	Norm 	Television series 
Five episodes
2011 	Kung Fu Panda 2 	Musician Bunny 	Voice role