Robert Altman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Altman
Altman at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Robert Bernard Altman (1925-02-20)February 20, 1925 Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Died	November 20, 2006(2006-11-20) (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Movie director and screenwriter
Years active	1947–2006
Spouse(s)	LaVonne Elmer (1946–1951) Lotus Corelli (1954–1957) Kathryn Reed (1959–2006)

Robert Bernard Altman (born February 20, 1925 – died November 20, 2006) was a famous American movie director and writer. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and passed away in Los Angeles, California.

Altman was known for his unique way of making movies. He often used many characters and overlapping conversations, making his films feel very real. In 2006, he received a special Academy Honorary Award for all his amazing work in movies.

Some of his most important movies include MASH (1970), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), and Nashville (1975). These films are so important that they have been chosen to be kept in the United States National Film Registry. This means they are considered very special and worth preserving.

Life and Career Highlights

Robert Altman lived in different places during his life, including Malibu. He was always focused on his filmmaking.

He was married to Kathryn Reed Altman and had six children: Christine Westphal, Michael Altman, Stephen Altman, Connie Corriere, Robert Reed Altman, and Matthew Altman. He also had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

His Passing

Robert Altman died on November 20, 2006, when he was 81 years old. He passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles due to health problems related to leukemia.

After his death, another well-known movie director, Paul Thomas Anderson, dedicated his 2007 movie There Will Be Blood to Robert Altman. This showed how much other filmmakers respected his work.

Major Movies Directed

Robert Altman directed many movies throughout his career. Here are some of his most famous ones:

Television Work

Robert Altman also directed several television movies and miniseries:

• Nightmare in Chicago (1964)
• Precious Blood (1982)
• Rattlesnake in a Cooler (1982)
• Secret Honor (1984)
• The Laundromat (1985)
• Basements (1987) – two plays by Harold Pinter
• Tanner '88 (1988) – a six-hour miniseries for HBO
• The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1988)
• Vincent & Theo (1990) – a British miniseries
• McTeague (1992) – an opera for PBS
• The Real McTeague (1993) – a behind-the-scenes look at McTeague
• Black and Blue (1993) – a filmed play
• Robert Altman's Jazz '34 (1996) – a special about the music from Kansas City
• Tanner on Tanner (2004) – a follow-up to Tanner '88

Awards and Recognitions

Robert Altman won many important awards for his movies:

Academy Awards:

• 2006: Honorary Oscar (won)
• He was nominated multiple times for Best Director for films like MASH, Nashville, The Player, Short Cuts, and Gosford Park.

BAFTA Awards:

• 1993: Best Direction (The Player, won)
• 2002: Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film (Gosford Park, won)
• He was also nominated for Best Direction for MASH and A Wedding.

Berlin International Film Festival:

• 1976: Golden Berlin Bear (Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson, won)
• 2002: Honorary Golden Berlin Bear (won)
• He won other prizes and was nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear several times.

Cannes Film Festival:

• 1970: Golden Palm (MASH, won)
• 1992: Best Director (The Player, won)
• He was nominated for the Golden Palm many times for films like Images, 3 Women, Fool for Love, Aria, and Kansas City.

Directors Guild of America Awards:

• 1994: Lifetime Achievement Award (won)
• He was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for MASH, Nashville, and The Player.

Emmy Awards:

• 1989: Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (Tanner '88, won)

Golden Globe Awards:

• 2002: Best Director (Gosford Park, won)
• He was nominated for Best Director for MASH, Nashville, and The Player.

Independent Spirit Awards:

• 1994: Best Director (Short Cuts, won)
• 1994: Best Screenplay (Short Cuts, won)

Venice Film Festival:

• 1993: Golden Lion (Short Cuts, won)
• 1996: Career Golden Lion (won)

Images for kids

• 

  Altman with Lillian Gish and Lily Tomlin at Nashville awards ceremony in 1976

• 

  Altman at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival

• 

  Altman's portrait, taken in 1983

• 

  Altman's handprints outside Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France

See also

In Spanish: Robert Altman para niños