John G. Avildsen

John Guilbert Avildsen (December 21, 1935 – June 16, 2017) was an American film director. He is best known for directing Rocky (1976), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Director. He is also known for directing the first three films in The Karate Kid franchise (1984–1989). Other films he directed include Joe (1970), Save the Tiger (1973), The Formula (1980), Neighbors (1981), Lean on Me (1989), Rocky V (1990), 8 Seconds (1994), and Inferno (1999).

Early life

John G. Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Ivy (née Guilbert) and Clarence John Avildsen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was educated at Indian Mountain School, the Hotchkiss School and at New York University.<ref name="ci">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Career

After starting out as an assistant director on films by Arthur Penn and Otto Preminger and acting as director of photography on the 1969 film, Out of It, Avildsen's early low-budget feature Joe (1970) received good notices for star Peter Boyle and was a big box-office hit grossing nearly $20 million on a $100,000 budget.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Avildsen followed this early success with the low-budget 1971 cult classic comedy film Cry Uncle! (released in the UK as Superdick and on video as American Oddballs), a 1971 American film in the Troma Entertainment library that stars Allen Garfield.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This was followed by Save the Tiger (1973), a film nominated for three Academy Awards, winning Best Actor for star Jack Lemmon at the 55th Academy Awards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Avildsen's greatest success came with Rocky (1976), which he directed working in conjunction with writer and star Sylvester Stallone.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The film was a major critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1976 and garnering ten Academy Award nominations and winning three, including Best Picture and Best Director for Avildsen at the 49th Academy Awards.Template:Sfn He later returned to direct what was then expected to be the series' final installment, Rocky V (1990).Template:Sfn

Avildsen directed the mystery-drama The Formula (1980), starring Marlon Brando and George C. Scott,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> for which he was nominated for Razzie Award for Worst Director at the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards. Avildsen's other films include Neighbors (1981), For Keeps (1988), Lean on Me (1989), The Power of One (1992), 8 Seconds (1994),Template:Sfn and the first three The Karate Kid films.Template:Sfn

Avildsen was the original director for both Serpico (1973) and Saturday Night Fever (1977), but was fired over disputes with, respectively, producers Martin Bregman and Robert Stigwood.Template:Sfn Although his job directing Serpico was terminated, Avildsen became long time friends with the film's real life subject Frank Serpico, even sharing a property with him on Long Island, New York during the early 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> His last film was Inferno (1999), starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.Template:Sfn

A documentary on the life, career and films of Avildsen was released in August 2017, approximately two months after his death. John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017), directed and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> features interviews with Sylvester Stallone, Ralph Macchio, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Martin Scorsese, Jerry Weintraub, and Burt Reynolds, among others.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The documentary is a companion to the book The Films of John G. Avildsen: Rocky, The Karate Kid, and other Underdogs, written by Larry Powell and Tom Garrett.Template:Sfn

Personal life

Avildsen's first wife was Marie Olga Maturevich (Melissa McCall). After they divorced, he married actress Tracy Brooks Swope in 1987; they separated in 2006.<ref name="ci" /> He had four children. His estranged son, Ash (born November 5, 1981), founded Sumerian Records and has a son, Izzy Avildsen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another son, Jonathan Avildsen, appeared in the films The Karate Kid Part III, Inferno and Rocky V. His eldest son was named Anthony, and he had a daughter, Penelope Avildsen. John also had a daughter with Tracy Swope, named Bridget.<ref name="Fleishman latimes" />

Death

Avildsen died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on June 16, 2017. He was 81.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Fleishman latimes">Template:Cite news</ref> The cause of his death was pancreatic cancer, according to his son Anthony Avildsen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Filmography

Year	Film	Notes
1969	Turn On to Love
1970	Guess What We Learned in School Today?
	Joe	Also cinematographer
1971	Cry Uncle!
1971	Okay Bill
1972	The Stoolie
1973	Save the Tiger
1975	Fore Play
	W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
1976	Rocky	Academy Award for Best Director Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Director Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Direction
1978	Slow Dancing in the Big City
1980	The Formula	Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Director
1981	Neighbors
1982	Traveling Hopefully	Nominated—Academy Award for Best Documentary, Short Subject
1983	A Night in Heaven
1984	The Karate Kid
1986	The Karate Kid Part II
1987	Happy New Year
1988	For Keeps
1989	Lean on Me
	The Karate Kid Part III	Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Director
1990	Rocky V
1992	The Power of One
1994	8 Seconds
1999	Inferno	Final film

Awards and nominations received by Avildsen's films

Year	Title	Academy Awards		BAFTAs		Golden Globes
		Nominations	Wins	Nominations	Wins	Nominations	Wins
1970	Joe	1
1973	Save the Tiger	3	1			3
1976	Rocky	10	3	5		6	1
1978	Slow Dancing in the Big City					1
1980	The Formula	1
1984	The Karate Kid	1				1
1986	The Karate Kid Part II	1				1
1987	Happy New Year	1
Total		18	4	5		12	1

Directed Academy Award Performances

Under Avildsen's direction, these actors have receive Oscar nominations and win for their performances in these respective roles.

Year	Performer	Film	Result
Oscar for Best Actor
1974	Jack Lemmon	Save the Tiger	Template:Won
1977	Sylvester Stallone	Rocky	Template:Nom
Oscar for Best Actress
1977	Talia Shire	Rocky	Template:Nom
Oscar for Best Supporting Actor
1974	Jack Gilford	Save the Tiger	Template:Nom
1977	Burt Young	Rocky	Template:Nom
	Burgess Meredith		Template:Nom
1985	Pat Morita	The Karate Kid	Template:Nom

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• John G. Avildsen at the British Film InstituteTemplate:Better source needed