Robert Benton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Benton
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| Born |
Robert Douglas Benton
September 29, 1932 Dallas, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | May 11, 2025 (aged 92) New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1967–2007 |
| Spouse(s) |
Sallie Rendig
(m. 1964; died 2023) |
| Children | 1 |
Robert Douglas Benton (September 29, 1932 – May 11, 2025) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. He, along with his co-writer David Newman were nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. In 1979, he wrote and directed the film Kramer vs. Kramer, winning the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He won another Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the 1984 film Places in the Heart.
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Early life
Benton was born in Dallas, Texas and later moved Waxahachie, Texas, to Dorothy (née Spaulding) and Ellery Douglass Benton, a telephone company employee. He attended the University of Texas, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor of fine arts, and then moved to New York City to pursue a master's degree in art history at Columbia University. However, he dropped out after a semester was drafted into the army.
Career
In 1959, he co-wrote the book The IN and OUT Book with Harvey Schmidt, published by Viking Press. He was the art director at Esquire in the early 1960s.
Benton won the Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Best Original Screenplay for Places in the Heart (1984).
Benton garnered three additional Oscar nominations: two for Best Original Screenplay for Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and The Late Show (1977), and one for Best Adapted Screenplay for Nobody's Fool (1994).
He also directed Twilight (1998) and Feast of Love (2007), and co-wrote the screenplays for Superman (1978) and The Ice Harvest (2005).
In 2006, he appeared in the documentary film Wanderlust.
Personal life
Benton was married to artist Sallie Rendig, with whom he had a son, from 1964 until her death in 2023.
Benton died at his home in Manhattan on May 11, 2025, at the age of 92.
Films
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Bonnie and Clyde | No | Yes | No |
| 1970 | There Was a Crooked Man... | No | Yes | No |
| 1972 | What's Up, Doc? | No | Yes | No |
| Bad Company | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1977 | The Late Show | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1978 | Superman | No | Yes | No |
| 1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1982 | Still of the Night | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1984 | Places in the Heart | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1987 | Nadine | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1988 | The House on Carroll Street | No | No | Yes |
| 1991 | Billy Bathgate | Yes | No | No |
| 1994 | Nobody's Fool | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1998 | Twilight | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2003 | The Human Stain | Yes | No | No |
| 2005 | The Ice Harvest | No | Yes | Yes |
| 2007 | Feast of Love | Yes | No | No |
Producer
- A Texas Romance, 1909 (1964) (Short film)
Theatre
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman | Libretto; adaptation in television film (1975) |
| 1969 | Oh! Calcutta! | Contribution in libretto; adaptation in theatrical film (1972) |
Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Best Original Screenplay | Bonnie and Clyde | Nominated |
| 1978 | The Late Show | Nominated | |
| 1980 | Best Director | Kramer vs. Kramer | Won |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | ||
| 1985 | Best Director | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
| Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| 1995 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nobody's Fool | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Best Direction | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
Golden Globe Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Best Screenplay | Bonnie and Clyde | Nominated |
| 1980 | Best Director | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
| Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| 1985 | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
Directors Guild of America
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Outstanding Directing | Kramer vs. Kramer | Won |
| 1985 | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
Berlin International Film Festival
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Golden Bear | The Late Show | Nominated |
| 1985 | Silver Bear for Best Director | Places in the Heart | Won |
Other awards
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Edgar Awards | Best Motion Picture Screenplay | The Late Show | Won |
| 1981 | César Awards | Best Foreign Film | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
| 1984 | Toronto International Film Festival | People's Choice Award | Won | |
| 2007 | Writers Guild of America | Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement | Won | |
Accolades for Benton's directed features
| Year | Picture | Academy Awards | BAFTAs | Golden Globes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | ||
| 1977 | The Late Show | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer | 9 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1984 | Places in the Heart | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 1991 | Billy Bathgate | 1 | |||||
| 1994 | Nobody's Fool | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 5 | ||
Directed Oscar Performances
Under Benton's directions, these actors have received Oscar nominations (and wins) for their performances in their respective roles.
| Year | Performer | Feature | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actor | |||
| 1980 | Dustin Hoffman | Kramer vs. Kramer | Won |
| 1995 | Paul Newman | Nobody's Fool | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Actress | |||
| 1985 | Sally Field | Places in the Heart | Won |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |||
| 1980 | Justin Henry | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
| 1985 | John Malkovich | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||
| 1980 | Jane Alexander | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
| Meryl Streep | Won | ||
| 1985 | Lindsay Crouse | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
See also
In Spanish: Robert Benton para niños
