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Arthur Hiller

Highest Rated: 100% Lunch (2012)

Lowest Rated: 8% An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn (1997)

Birthday: Nov 22, 1923

Birthplace: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Canadian-born director Arthur Hiller began in radio and, after a brief stint helming TV episodes in his homeland, moved to the USA where he quickly established himself directing both live and film series like "Playhouse 90" (CBS 1956-1960) "Gunsmoke" (CBS 1955-1975) and "Naked City" (ABC 1958-1963), for which he received a 1962 Emmy nomination. He made an auspicious feature debut at the helm of the teen flick "The Careless Years" (1957), starring Dean Stockwell, but did not return to the big screen until 1963 with "Miracle of the White Stallions" and "The Wheeler Dealers." Although he worked in a variety of genres, from the dramatic "The Man in the Glass Booth" (1974) to the romantic "Love Story" (1970), Hiller showed his greatest facility with light comedy, working well with writers like Neil Simon ("The Out-of-Towners" 1970, "Plaza Suite" 1971), Andrew Bergman ("The In-Laws" 1979), Israel Horowitz ("Author! Author!" 1982) and Leslie Dixon ("Outrageous Fortune" 1987). However, two of his most acclaimed movies, "The Americanization of Emily" (1964) and the bleak satire "The Hospital" (1971), both scripted by Paddy Chayefsky, were notably dark films. No Hiller film did better at the box office than "Love Story," which was disparaged by many critics as sentimental and cloying, much as Erich Segal's best-selling novel had been. Hiller's late career was hampered by box-office duds like the gay-themed romantic drama "Making Love" (1982) and the Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor comedy "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" (1989). In an unfortunate case of life imitating art, Hiller and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas clashed during the filming of their film industry satire "An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn" (1997), leading the director to demand his name be taken off the final film, which was released to critical derision and commercial failure under the directorial pseudonym Alan Smithee. Hiller only directed one more film, the quickly forgotten comedy "National Lampoon's Pucked" (2006), starring rock icon Jon Bon Jovi. In addition to his work as a director, Hiller served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1993 to 1997. Arthur Hiller died of undisclosed natural causes in Los Angeles on August 17, 2016 at the age of 92.

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Highest rated movies

100% 58% Lunch
Watchlist
100% 73% The Hospital
Watchlist
93% 82% The Americanization of Emily
Watchlist
89% 83% The In-Laws
Watchlist
80% 73% The Man in the Glass Booth
Watchlist
76% 71% Silver Streak
Watchlist
67% 62% W.C. Fields and Me
Watchlist
67% 56% Plaza Suite
Watchlist
63% 70% The Out-of-Towners
Watchlist
63% 75% Love Story Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
100% 58% Lunch Unknown (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet 30% National Lampoon's Pucked Director - 2006
No Score Yet 57% Speakeasy Mr. Prappas (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet 20% Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel Evangelist (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Merchants of Venus Reverend Phillips (Character) - 1998
8% 15% An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn Director $43.9K 1997
14% 40% Carpool Director $3.3M 1996
47% 37% The Babe Director $17.0M 1992
30% 43% Married to It Director $1.8M 1991
33% 52% Taking Care of Business Director $20.0M 1990
27% 72% See No Evil, Hear No Evil Director $45.4M 1989
58% 60% Outrageous Fortune Director $52.8M 1987
61% 45% Teachers Director - 1984
50% 47% The Lonely Guy Director - 1984
29% 48% Romantic Comedy Director - 1983
50% 49% Author! Author! Director - 1982
56% 58% Making Love Director - 1981
89% 83% The In-Laws Director - 1979
33% 24% Nightwing Director - 1979
67% 62% W.C. Fields and Me Director - 1976
76% 71% Silver Streak Director - 1976
80% 73% The Man in the Glass Booth Director - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder Director,
Producer
- 1974
53% 71% Man of La Mancha Director,
Producer
- 1972
67% 56% Plaza Suite Director - 1971
100% 73% The Hospital Director - 1971
63% 70% The Out-of-Towners Director - 1970
63% 75% Love Story Director - 1970
No Score Yet 66% Popi Director - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Tiger Makes Out Director - 1967
No Score Yet 50% Tobruk Director - 1967
No Score Yet 63% Penelope Director - 1966
No Score Yet 26% Promise Her Anything Director - 1966
93% 82% The Americanization of Emily Director - 1964
No Score Yet 73% Miracle of the White Stallions Director - 1963
No Score Yet 56% The Wheeler Dealers Director - 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Careless Years Director - 1957

TV

Credit
100% 91% The Addams Family Director 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ben Casey Director 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Route 66 Director 1960-1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Detectives Director 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bus Stop Director 1961
No Score Yet 87% Alfred Hitchcock Presents Unknown (Character),
Director
1958-1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rifleman Director 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Thriller Director 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason Director 1958-1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wagon Train Director 1959
No Score Yet No Score Yet Telephone Time Director 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet Climax! Director 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet Zane Grey Theatre Director 1957