Robert Mulligan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Mulligan
Mulligan on set of The Man in the Moon
Born	Robert Patrick Mulligan (1925-08-23)August 23, 1925 New York City, U.S.
Died	December 20, 2008(2008-12-20) (aged 83) Lyme, Connecticut, U.S.
Alma mater	Fordham University
Occupation	Director producer
Years active	1948–1992
Spouse(s)	Jane Lee Sutherland ​ ​ (m. 1951; div. 1968)​ Sandy Mulligan ​ ​ (m. 1971)​
Children	3
Relatives	Richard Mulligan (brother)

Robert Patrick Mulligan (born August 23, 1925 – died December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He was famous for making movies that often showed deep feelings and human stories. Some of his most well-known films include To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Summer of '42 (1971), and The Man in the Moon (1991). In the 1960s, he worked a lot with producer Alan J. Pakula.

Early Life and Education

Robert Mulligan served in the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He worked as a radio operator. After the war, he went to Fordham University. He then got a job at The New York Times newspaper. However, he soon left to start a career in television.

Robert Mulligan's Career

Starting in Television

Mulligan began his career at CBS television as a messenger. He worked very hard. By 1948, he was directing big drama shows on TV.

In the early 1950s, he directed many episodes of popular TV shows. These included Suspense, The Philco Television Playhouse, and Studio One in Hollywood. In 1959, he won an Emmy Award for directing The Moon and Sixpence. This TV show was the first American TV appearance for the famous actor Laurence Olivier.

Movies in the 1950s and 1960s

In 1957, Mulligan directed his first movie, Fear Strikes Out. It starred Anthony Perkins as a baseball player. This film was the first time he worked with producer Alan J. Pakula. They would work together many times.

After some TV work, Mulligan directed two movies with actor Tony Curtis. These were The Rat Race and The Great Impostor. He also made two films with Rock Hudson: Come September and The Spiral Road.

Working with Alan J. Pakula

In the early 1960s, Alan J. Pakula asked Mulligan to direct To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). This movie was based on a famous book by Harper Lee. Mulligan took the job even though other studios didn't think it would be popular. The film became a huge success. Mulligan was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director.

Mulligan and Pakula made five more movies together. These included Love With the Proper Stranger (1963) with Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen. They also made Inside Daisy Clover (1965) and Up the Down Staircase (1967). Their last film together was The Stalking Moon (1968), which again starred Gregory Peck. After this, Pakula started directing his own films.

Films in the 1970s

Mulligan started the 1970s with The Pursuit of Happiness (1971). It was about a college student whose life gets complicated.

In 1971, he also released Summer of '42. This movie was about a teenager's summer vacation in 1942. It was a big hit at the box office. Mulligan was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director.

Next, he directed The Other (1972), a thriller about two young boys. This film has gained many fans over time.

Mulligan also directed The Nickel Ride (1974) and Bloodbrothers (1978). He ended the decade with Same Time Next Year (1978). This movie starred Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn.

Directing in the 1980s

In the 1980s, it became harder for Mulligan to find directing jobs. He only directed two films during this time.

One film was Kiss Me Goodbye (1982). It starred Sally Field, James Caan, and Jeff Bridges. This movie was a comedy remake of a Brazilian film.

His next film was Clara's Heart (1988). It starred Whoopi Goldberg and a young Neil Patrick Harris. This movie did not do well at the box office or with critics. However, some film experts have praised it more recently.

Final Film in the 1990s

In 1991, at 66 years old, Mulligan released his last film, The Man in the Moon. This movie was the first film for a 14-year-old Reese Witherspoon. Film critic Roger Ebert loved the movie. He said it was one of the best films of 1991.

In 1992, Mulligan removed his name from airline versions of The Man in the Moon. He was upset because the airlines cut too much from the film. He said they demanded "excessive and unreasonable cuts."

Before he passed away, Mulligan had planned to make another film. He had bought the rights to a novel called A Long and Happy Life. However, the film was never made.

Personal Life

Robert Mulligan's first wife was Jane Lee Sutherland. They were married from 1951 to 1968 and had three children. His second wife was Sandy Mulligan. They were married from 1971 until his death. Robert was the older brother of actor Richard Mulligan. He even cast Richard in his film Love with the Proper Stranger.

Death

Robert Mulligan passed away from heart disease at his home in Lyme, Connecticut. He was 83 years old when he died on December 20, 2008. He was survived by his second wife, Sandy, his three children, and two grandchildren. One of his grandchildren, Quentin Mulligan, is a music producer.

Directing Style

Mulligan once explained his role as a director. He said, "Things have to sift through me. That's me up there on the screen." He believed that the way a film is shot, edited, and uses music shows the director's feelings about the story.

Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum praised Mulligan's style. He called him a "master of carving out dramatic space with liquid camera movements and precise angles." Rosenbaum also noted Mulligan's special skill in directing young actors.

Another famous filmmaker, François Truffaut, admired Mulligan's work. Truffaut was very impressed with Fear Strikes Out, especially since it was Mulligan's first movie. He said it was "rare to see a first film so free of faults." Even Stanley Kubrick, another famous director, included a clip from Summer of '42 in his movie The Shining.

Mulligan also had some critics. Actor James Caan said that Mulligan was not a good filmmaker after they worked on Kiss Me Goodbye. Caan said this experience made him stop making movies for five years.

Mulligan was a big fan of the novels by Charles Dickens. He read them many times when he was young. He believed that if Dickens were alive today, he would be the best movie producer-director-writer. Mulligan felt that reading Dickens could teach anyone how to tell a story using images.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Robert Mulligan para niños