George Hickenlooper | |
|---|---|
 Hickenlooper in 2010 | |
| Born | George Loening Hickenlooper III May 25, 1963 |
| Died | October 29, 2010 (aged 47) |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, Film director, Writer |
| Spouse | Suzanne Hickenlooper |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives |
Andrew Hickenlooper (great-grandfather) Smith Hickenlooper (paternal grandfather) Bourke B. Hickenlooper (great-uncle) John Hickenlooper (cousin) |
George Loening Hickenlooper III [1] [2] (May 25, 1963 – October 29, 2010) was an American narrative and documentary filmmaker.
Early life
Hickenlooper was born in St. Louis, the son of Barbara Jo Wenger, a social worker and stage actress, and George Loening Hickenlooper, Jr., a teacher and playwright. [3] [4] [5] He was also the grand nephew of British-born conductor Leopold Stokowski through marriage to his great aunt, pianist Olga Samaroff (whose birth name was Lucy Mary Agnes Hickenlooper). [6] [7]
He attended high school at St. Louis University High, where he was part of a group of teenage filmmakers he informally called the "Splicers," whose members included James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy). After graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in History and Film Studies in 1986, Hickenlooper interned for the producer Roger Corman, and launched his directing career with Art, Acting, and the Suicide Chair: Dennis Hopper in 1988. [8]
Career
His first feature-length documentary, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, explored the making of Apocalypse Now. It won several awards, including the National Board of Review award for "Best Documentary", an American Cinema Editors award for "Best Edited Documentary", two Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards for "Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming – Directing" and "Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming – Picture Editing", and the International Documentary Association award. Hickenlooper himself won an Emmy for direction.[ citation needed]
A short film written by Billy Bob Thornton Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade (1994), "attracted considerable critical acclaim" for Hickenlooper and was "[a] hit on the festival circuit." Thornton parlayed the success into a full-length picture -- Sling Blade, which won an Oscar for its screenplay for Thornton, who also directed the film. [8]
His final film, Casino Jack, was released two months after his death.
In addition to his films, Hickenlooper authored a book in 1991, Reel Conversations.
Death
Hickenlooper died in his sleep on October 29, 2010, at the age of 47. [9] [10] Despite initial reports that Hickenlooper had suffered a heart attack, the coroner ruled that his death was the result of accidental painkiller overdose, combining oxymorphone with alcohol. Sleep apnea and a "moderately enlarged heart" were contributing factors. [11]
Filmography
Documentaries
- Art, Acting, and the Suicide Chair: Dennis Hopper, 1988
- Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, 1991
- Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas, 1991
- The Big Brass Ring, 1997 (short)
- Monte Hellman: American Auteur, 1997 (short)
- Mayor of the Sunset Strip, 2003
- Speechless, 2008
- Out in the City, 2009 (short)
- "Hick" Town, 2009
Narrative films
- Ghost Brigade, 1993
- Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, 1994 (short)
- The Low Life, 1995
- Crosstown Traffic, 1995 (failed pilot)
- Persons Unknown, 1996
- Dogtown, 1997
- The Big Brass Ring, 1999
- The Man from Elysian Fields, 2001
- Bizarre Love Triangle, 2005
- Factory Girl, 2006
- Casino Jack, 2010
References
- ^ Hinman, Kristen (November 11, 2010). "The 2010 St. Louis International Film Festival was to have been a triumphant homecoming for George Hickenlooper. Instead, it'll be a wake". St. Louis News and Events. Riverfront Times. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ Brown, Emma (November 1, 2010). "George Hickenlooper dies: Emmy-winning director was 47". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ Feeney, F. X. (December 4, 2011). "Between the Georges". The Dial. Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013.
- ^ Rice, Patricia (August 16, 1991). "'Making Movies'. That's George Hickenlooper's show-stopping answer when old pals ask what he's been doing". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via NewsBank.
- ^ Hughes, Rob (November 1, 2010). "George Hickenlooper obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ Biography for George Hickenlooper at IMDb
- ^ Biography for Leopold Stokowski at IMDb
- ^ a b George Hickenlooper at the TCM Movie Database
- ^ Kumar, Kavita (October 31, 2010). "Moviemaker George Hickenlooper dies at 47". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on November 2, 2010.
- ^ "Filmmaker Hickenlooper Dies in Denver at 47". ABC News. Reuters. October 30, 2010. Archived from the original on November 2, 2010.
- ^ Child, Ben (November 23, 2010). "George Hickenlooper died from accidental painkiller overdose". The Guardian.
External links
- George Hickenlooper at IMDb
- George Hickenlooper at AllMovie
- Hickenlooper, George (1991). Reel Conversations: Candid Interviews With Film's Foremost Directors and Critics. New York: Carol Publishing. ISBN 0-8065-1237-7.
- Film Freak Central interview (archived)
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