Hal Ashby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hal Ashby
Ashby directing Bound for Glory (1976)
Born	William Hal Ashby (1929-09-02)September 2, 1929 Ogden, Utah, U.S.
Died	December 27, 1988(1988-12-27) (aged 59) Malibu, California, U.S.
Occupation	Film director editor
Years active	1956–1988
Spouse(s)	Lavon Compton ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1948)​ Maxine Marie Armstrong ​ ​ (m. 1949; div. 1950)​ Maloy "Mickey" Joan Bartron ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1963)​ Shirley Stockman ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1968)​ Joan Marshall ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1970)​

William Hal Ashby (born September 2, 1929 – died December 27, 1988) was a famous American film director and editor. He was part of the "New Hollywood" movement in filmmaking. This was a time when many talented new directors changed how movies were made.

Before he started directing, Hal Ashby was a very skilled film editor. He worked on movies for director Norman Jewison. One of these films was The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966). For this movie, Ashby was nominated for an Oscar for Best Editing.

He won his only Oscar for Best Editing for the film In the Heat of the Night (1967). Later, he was nominated for another Oscar, this time for Best Director, for his movie Coming Home (1978).

Some of his other well-known films include The Landlord (1970), Harold and Maude (1971), The Last Detail (1973), Shampoo (1975), Bound for Glory (1976), and Being There (1979).

Early Life and Education

Hal Ashby was born on September 2, 1929, in Ogden, Utah. He was the youngest of four children. His parents were Eileen Ireta and James Thomas Ashby, who owned a dairy farm.

When Hal was seven years old, his parents divorced. After this, he and his siblings lived with their mother. They moved to Portland, Oregon, for a short time. His mother, who loved cooking, opened a restaurant there.

Later, the family moved back to Ogden, Utah. Hal mostly lived with his father then. When Hal was 12, his father passed away. After this, Hal left high school. He moved to Los Angeles, California, to start his adult life.

Starting a Career in Hollywood

In Los Angeles, Hal Ashby began working in the film industry. He started as an assistant film editor. He learned a lot about making movies by working his way up.

His career really took off when he edited the movie The Loved One (1965). This film was based on a book and involved other famous filmmakers.

In 1967, he was nominated for an Oscar for editing The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming. The next year, he won an Oscar for editing In the Heat of the Night. Ashby often said that editing taught him the most about filmmaking. He used these skills when he became a director.

Becoming a Film Director

Hal Ashby's mentor, Norman Jewison, encouraged him to direct. His first movie as a director was The Landlord in 1970. This film explored social changes in a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.

Ashby was known for his unique style and long hair. He also became a vegetarian. He directed many popular and critically praised films over the next ten years. Many of his movies were about characters who were outsiders or on a journey through life.

Notable Films and Achievements

One of his most famous films is the unusual love story Harold and Maude (1971). He also directed The Last Detail (1973) and the comedy Being There (1979). Being There starred Peter Sellers and was very well-received.

His biggest commercial success was Shampoo (1975). He worked on this film with Warren Beatty. It was a comedy that looked at social trends in the late 1960s.

Bound for Glory (1976) was a movie about folk singer Woody Guthrie. It was the first film to use a special camera tool called the Steadicam. This tool helps make camera shots very smooth.

Ashby's other very successful film was the Vietnam War drama Coming Home (1978). This movie starred Jane Fonda and Jon Voight, who both won Oscars for their acting. Hal Ashby also received his only Oscar nomination for Best Director for this film. Coming Home was one of the last films of the "New Hollywood" era. It earned a lot of money compared to its budget.

Later Career Challenges

After the success of Coming Home, Hal Ashby formed his own production company called Northstar. However, his later films faced many challenges.

His movies Second-Hand Hearts (1981) and Lookin' to Get Out (1982) had problems during production. There were disagreements between Ashby and the film studio, Lorimar. Ashby was known for being a perfectionist, which sometimes caused delays.

For example, a scene in Lookin' to Get Out that used the song "Message in a Bottle" took six months to edit. But it couldn't be used because of a music rights issue.

Ashby was supposed to direct the hit movie Tootsie. However, the studio stopped him from working on it. This was because he was still finishing work on Lookin' to Get Out.

He did get to direct a documentary about The Rolling Stones' 1981 American tour, called Let's Spend the Night Together (1983). He was a big fan of the band. He also directed a Neil Young concert video, Solo Trans, in 1984.

His last two films, The Slugger's Wife (1985) and 8 Million Ways to Die (1986), were not successful. He was even fired from 8 Million Ways to Die on the last day of filming.

To try and improve his career, Ashby changed his appearance and attended Hollywood parties. But he mostly found work directing for television. He directed an episode for a TV show called Beverly Hills Buntz and a TV pilot called Jake's Journey.

Death

Hal Ashby's friend, Warren Beatty, encouraged him to see a doctor. Ashby had been feeling unwell. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which quickly spread. Hal Ashby passed away on December 27, 1988, at his home in Malibu, California.

Acclaim and Influence

Several of Hal Ashby's films were nominated for the Palme d'Or, a major award at the Cannes Film Festival. These include The Last Detail, Bound for Glory, Coming Home, and Being There.

Guthrie Thomas, a songwriter who worked on Bound for Glory, called Ashby "one of the finest motion picture directors of the 20th century."

In a 2012 poll, directors like Niki Caro and Wanuri Kahiu voted for Harold and Maude as one of their favorite films. Director Cyrus Frisch said the film was "an encouragement to think beyond the obvious!"

A documentary about Hal Ashby was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018.

Archives

The Academy Film Archive keeps a collection of Hal Ashby's moving images. More materials about him are also at the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library.

Filmography

Films

Other Film Work

TV Work

Images for kids

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  Ashby directing Bound for Glory (1976)

See also

In Spanish: Hal Ashby para niños