BOB RAFELSON (1933 - 2022)

Bob Rafelson, one of the filmmakers who helped create a cultural shift in American cinema in the 1970's, taking films from a sanitized, artificial world to a more gritty, reality-based vision, has passed away at the age of eighty-nine on July 23rd.

The New York born and raised Rafelson began his professional career in television, first working as a story editor on the series, "Play of the Week" in 1959. He soon began writing for other television programs before he decided to head West to try his luck in Hollywood. He began as an associate producer at Universal Studios for the film and television units.

Later with fellow producer, Bert Scheider, they formed a company, Raybert Productions and their first project was inspired by the incredible success of the British rock group, The Beatles and Rafelson's own experiences while playing with a band. "The Monkees" was a tv show about the wacky adventures of an American rock band, casting actors who actually had a pop music background; Micky Dolenz, Davey Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork. This comedy series became an immediate hit, featuring a non-traditional format, using fast-cut editing, interviews and documentary-styled footage which helped the show win an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1967. And this fictional band became a real musical group who had several songs reach the pop charts and went out on tour. "The Monkees" ran from 1966 to 1968 and after the show ended, Rafelson made his directorial feature film debut with "Head", a trippy, musical-comedy that featured the Monkees, expanding far beyond the television show. The movie was not much of a success but it did succeed in beginning the long friendship and working collaboration between Rafelson and Jack Nicholson who co-wrote the script with him and appeared in the film.

Raybert Productions (later known as BBS productions after adding Rafelson's childhood friend, Stephen Blauner to the company) were responsible with producing some of the more notable films of the New Hollywood era, beginning with Dennis Hopper's "Easy Rider" in 1969, followed by "The Last Picture Show" from Peter Bogdanovich and Rafelson's second film as a director, "Five Easy Pieces" in 1970 which helped cement Nicholson, who earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role, as a major movie star. Rafelson followed that up with "The King of Marvin Gardens" featuring Nicholson, Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn; and "Stay Hungry", a 1976 comedy starring Jeff Bridges and Sally Field that is really only notable today for the film acting debut of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nicholson would go on to appear in three other films with Rafelson; a 1981 remake of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" which gave Jessica Lange a star-making turn; "Man Trouble", a black comedy with Ellen Barkin and the 1996 crime-thriller, "Blood and Wine" that featured Jennifer Lopez. Rafelson's last feature film he directed was "No Good Deed" another crime drama with Samuel L. Jackson in 2002.