David Weisman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Weisman
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David Weisman in 2009
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| Born | March 11, 1942 Binghamton, New York, U.S.
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| Died | October 9, 2019 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Film producer, film director, author, graphic artist |
| Years active | 1967–2019 |
| Relatives | Sam Weisman (brother) |
David Weisman (born March 11, 1942, died October 9, 2019) was an American film producer, writer, and graphic artist. He was best known for producing the movies Ciao! Manhattan and Kiss of the Spider Woman. He was the brother of film director Sam Weisman.
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Early Career in Film
David Weisman loved movies from a young age. After watching the film La Dolce Vita in 1960, he decided to leave college. He moved to Rome, Italy, to design movie posters.
While in Rome, he learned to speak Italian very well. This helped him meet famous director Federico Fellini. He even created a poster for Fellini's movie 8 1/2. Later, in the mid-1960s, Weisman worked as an assistant for director Otto Preminger. He also designed the opening graphics for Preminger's 1967 film, Hurry Sundown.
Working on Ciao! Manhattan
In 1967, David Weisman joined a group of artists who had worked with Andy Warhol. They decided to make an experimental film called Ciao! Manhattan. Weisman ended up co-directing this movie with John Palmer. The film starred Edie Sedgwick, a well-known figure from Andy Warhol's art studio, The Factory.
The movie was finished in 1972, several years after they started filming. It didn't get much attention at first. However, in 1982, a popular book about Edie Sedgwick called Edie: An American Biography was released. This book helped bring more attention to Ciao! Manhattan.
Producing Kiss of the Spider Woman
David Weisman was very good at learning languages. He could speak French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Dutch. This allowed him to travel a lot. In the early 1980s, he was in Brazil, where he met writer Manuel Puig.
Puig had written a novel called Kiss of the Spider Woman. Many filmmakers wanted to turn it into a movie, but Puig had always said no. Weisman managed to convince Puig to sell him the rights. He put together a great team, including actors Burt Lancaster and Hector Babenco.
Weisman worked on the film for several years. He hired Leonard Schrader to write the script. William Hurt took on the role of "Molina," and Raul Julia played "Valentine." As the only producer of the film, Weisman was nominated for Best Picture at the 58th Academy Awards in 1986. At the same event, William Hurt won an Oscar for Best Actor.
In 2010, the movie was celebrated at the Cannes International Film Festival for its 25th anniversary.
Other Film Projects
David Weisman produced several other films. These include Naked Tango, which was filmed in Argentina. He also produced Spike of Bensonhurst, directed by Paul Morrissey.
Another film he produced was Shogun Assassin. This movie was made by combining parts of Japanese Samurai films and dubbing them into English. Director Quentin Tarantino later used clips from Shogun Assassin in his movie Kill Bill: Volume 2.
Writing and Future Projects
In 2006, David Weisman co-wrote a book about Edie Sedgwick called Edie: Girl on Fire. He was also working on a documentary film with the same title.
Later, Weisman began working on a movie project called Xtrme City. This was planned as a bilingual action thriller that would mix the styles of Bollywood (Indian cinema) and Hollywood. Famous directors Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese were also involved in this project.
In 2012, Weisman hired Paul Schrader to write a script for a film called Little K. This movie was about a famous ballerina named Mathilde Kschessinska, who was known for her connections to the Russian royal family.
Selected Filmography
- 1967 Hurry Sundown (title designer)
- 1972 Ciao! Manhattan (producer/co-director)
- 1980 Shogun Assassin (producer)
- 1982 The Killing of America (producer)
- 1984 Growing Pains (executive producer)
- 1985 Kiss of the Spider Woman (producer)
- 1991 Naked Tango (producer)
- 2008 Kiss of the Spider Woman: Making the Musical (director)
- 2008 Manuel Puig: The Submissive Woman's Role (director)
- 2008 Tangled Web: Making Kiss of the Spider Woman (director)
- 2010 Edie: Girl on Fire (director)
- 2011 Xtrme City (producer)
- 2013 Little K (American producer)
