John Guilbert Avildsen (born December 21, 1935) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
.
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John Guilbert Avildsen (born December 21, 1935) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
.
His films include
Guess What We Learned in School (1968),
Cry Uncle!Cry Uncle! is a 1971 film in the Troma library. It is directed by John G. Avildsen and stars Allen Garfield. The story, based on the Michael Brett novel Lie A Little, Die A Little, follows the misadventures of a slobbish private detective who is hired by a millionaire to investigate a murder...
(1970),
JoeJoe is a 1970 drama film starring Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, and Susan Sarandon in her film debut. The film was directed by John G. Avildsen.-Plot:...
(1970),
Save the TigerSave the Tiger is a 1973 film which tells a story of moral conflict in modern America. It stars Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Laurie Heineman, Thayer David, Lara Parker and Liv Lindeland....
(1973),
RockyRocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Balboa is also a club fighter who gets a shot at the...
(1976),
The Karate KidThe Karate Kid is a drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen, starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue. It is a martial arts film and an underdog story in the mold of a previous Avildsen success, the 1976 boxing film Rocky. It was a commercial success...
(1984),
Lean on MeLean on Me is a 1989 biographical-drama film written by Michael Schiffer, directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Morgan Freeman. Lean on Me is loosely based on the story of Joe Clark, a real life inner city high school principal in Paterson, New Jersey, whose school is at risk of being taken...
(1989),
Rocky VRocky V is the fifth film in the Rocky series. It was released on November 16, 1990. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Stallone's real life son Sage Stallone and real life boxer Tommy Morrison as boxer Tommy Gunn, a talented yet raw boxer, who only uses Rocky for his connections and...
(1990),
The Power of OneThe Power of one is a novel by Bryce Courtenay, first published in 1989. Set in South Africa during the 1930s and 1940s, it tells the story of an Anglo-African boy who, through the course of the story, acquires the nickname of Peekay. The Power of one is a novel by Bryce Courtenay, first published...
(1992) and
8 Seconds8 Seconds is a 1994 biopic about American rodeo legend and world bull riding champion Lane Frost. The film details his life from his youth learning how to ride bulls, until his death in 1989. 8 Seconds was directed by John G...
(1994).
Rocky won Avildsen an Academy Award for Best Director. He directed seven actors to Oscar nominations:
Jack LemmonJohn Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts, Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger, The Out-of-Towners, The China Syndrome, Missing, Glengarry Glen...
,
Jack GilfordJack Gilford was an American actor on Broadway, films and television.-Early life:Gilford was born Jacob Aaron Gellman on the lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, and grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn...
,
Burgess MeredithOliver Burgess Meredith , known professionally as Burgess Meredith, was an American actor. He was best-known for portraying Rocky Balboa's trainer Mickey Goldmill in the Rocky films and The Penguin in the television series Batman...
,
Sylvester StalloneSylvester Gardenzio Stallone , nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. One of the biggest box office draws in the world from the 1970s to the 1990s, Stallone is an icon of machismo and Hollywood action heroism...
,
Talia Shire-Personal life:Shire was born in Lake Success, New York, the daughter of Italia and arranger/composer Carmine Coppola. Her name is in honor of her ancestral country . Shire is the sister of director and producer Francis Ford Coppola, the aunt of actor Nicolas Cage and director Sofia Coppola, and...
,
Burt YoungBurt Young is an American Academy Award-nominated actor, painter, and author. He is best-known for his role as Sylvester Stallone's brother-in-law and friend Paulie in the Rocky film series.-Personal life:...
, and
Pat MoritaNoriyuki "Pat" Morita was an American actor who was well-known for playing the roles of Arnold on the TV show Happy Days and Mr...
.
His most recent directorial work was
Dancing into the Future (2007).
Filmography
- Joe
Joe is a 1970 drama film starring Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, and Susan Sarandon in her film debut. The film was directed by John G. Avildsen.-Plot:...
(1970)
- Cry Uncle!
Cry Uncle! is a 1971 film in the Troma library. It is directed by John G. Avildsen and stars Allen Garfield. The story, based on the Michael Brett novel Lie A Little, Die A Little, follows the misadventures of a slobbish private detective who is hired by a millionaire to investigate a murder...
(1971)
- Okay Bill (1972)
- Save the Tiger
Save the Tiger is a 1973 film which tells a story of moral conflict in modern America. It stars Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Laurie Heineman, Thayer David, Lara Parker and Liv Lindeland....
(1973)
- The Stoolie (1974)
- Fore Play
Fore Play is a 1975 comedy film co-directed by future Academy Award-winner John G. Avildsen. It is currently being distributed by Troma Entertainment....
(1975)
- W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings is a 1975 directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Thomas Rickman. The 20th Century Fox film took place in 1957 and featured the first acting appearance of Jerry Reed.-Tagline:...
(1975)
- Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Balboa is also a club fighter who gets a shot at the...
(1976)
- Slow Dancing in the Big City (1978)
- The Formula (1980)
- Neighbors
Neighbors is a 1981 film based on the book by Thomas Berger. It was released through Columbia Pictures, directed by John G. Avildsen and stars John Belushi as Earl, Dan Aykroyd as Vic , Cathy Moriarty as Ramona, Kathryn Walker as Enid, and Lauren-Marie Taylor as Elaine...
(1981)
- Traveling Hopefully
Traveling Hopefully is a 1982 short documentary film directed by John G. Avildsen. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short....
(1982)
- A Night in Heaven
A Night in Heaven is a 1983 romance film directed by John G. Avildsen, starring Christopher Atkins as a college student and Lesley Ann Warren as his professor. The screenplay is written by Joan Tewkesbury; film critics widely panned the movie. The original music score is composed by Jan Hammer, and...
(1983)
- The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid is a drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen, starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue. It is a martial arts film and an underdog story in the mold of a previous Avildsen success, the 1976 boxing film Rocky. It was a commercial success...
(1984)
- The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
- For Keeps (1988)
- Lean on Me
Lean on Me is a 1989 biographical-drama film written by Michael Schiffer, directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Morgan Freeman. Lean on Me is loosely based on the story of Joe Clark, a real life inner city high school principal in Paterson, New Jersey, whose school is at risk of being taken...
(1989)
- The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
- Rocky V
Rocky V is the fifth film in the Rocky series. It was released on November 16, 1990. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Stallone's real life son Sage Stallone and real life boxer Tommy Morrison as boxer Tommy Gunn, a talented yet raw boxer, who only uses Rocky for his connections and...
(1990)
- The Power of One
The Power of one is a novel by Bryce Courtenay, first published in 1989. Set in South Africa during the 1930s and 1940s, it tells the story of an Anglo-African boy who, through the course of the story, acquires the nickname of Peekay. The Power of one is a novel by Bryce Courtenay, first published...
(1992)
- 8 Seconds
8 Seconds is a 1994 biopic about American rodeo legend and world bull riding champion Lane Frost. The film details his life from his youth learning how to ride bulls, until his death in 1989. 8 Seconds was directed by John G...
(1994)
- Desert Heat (1999)
External links