Marty Stouffer
Encyclopedia
Martin Luther Stouffer Jr. (born September 5, 1948), is the narrator and producer of the animal documentary show Wild America. He was raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas
.
on his own with an 8mm
movie camera. He became trapped by snowfall in a remote valley, but survived by hunting and trapping local wildlife. He returned home and with the warm reception of his unsophisticated movie of his adventure in the north, decided to pursue a career in wildlife documentary making. In 1970, Marty graduated from the University of Arkansas
with a degree in English
. From there he traveled to Africa
to film a new documentary. While in Africa, he was confronted with massive and wasteful killing of animals and returned to America with the intent to produce films that argued for nature conservation.
(PBS) about a half hour long wildlife show. PBS signed for the rights to broadcast Marty Stouffer's show Wild America in 1982. The show went on to become one of the most popular aired by PBS, renowned for its unflinching portrayal of nature, as well as its extensive use of film techniques such as slow motion
and close-up
s.
In 1993, Stouffer was accused of cruelty to animals as part of the production of Wild America. People who had worked on the show said he staged kill scenes, including the attack of a tethered rabbit by a raccoon, and a fight-to-the-death between a cougar and a bobcat. Stouffer denied cruelty to animals, but admitted that he sometimes took tame animals into the wild, and filmed them. A PBS investigation found fault with 15 out of 110 shows.
Stouffer earned $135,000 per show from PBS. The broadcaster dropped the show in 1996.
. Headlined by child actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas
, the movie related how the boys became intrigued with the production of wildlife documentaries. The adventure movie has a wilder flavor to it than the Wild America PBS program. Both Mark and Marshall are filmmakers as well.
, with his wife and family. His daughter Hannah Stouffer is a notable Commercial Illustrator and fine artist working out of San Francisco.
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
.
Life
At age 18, Marty traveled to AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
on his own with an 8mm
8 mm film
8 mm film is a motion picture film format in which the filmstrip is eight millimeters wide. It exists in two main versions: the original standard 8mm film, also known as regular 8 mm or Double 8 mm, and Super 8...
movie camera. He became trapped by snowfall in a remote valley, but survived by hunting and trapping local wildlife. He returned home and with the warm reception of his unsophisticated movie of his adventure in the north, decided to pursue a career in wildlife documentary making. In 1970, Marty graduated from the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
with a degree in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
. From there he traveled to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to film a new documentary. While in Africa, he was confronted with massive and wasteful killing of animals and returned to America with the intent to produce films that argued for nature conservation.
Wild America
By the mid-1970s, Marty had put together several full length documentaries, but had failed to hit upon a project that was an outstanding success. At this time, he approached the programming managers at Public Broadcasting ServicePublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) about a half hour long wildlife show. PBS signed for the rights to broadcast Marty Stouffer's show Wild America in 1982. The show went on to become one of the most popular aired by PBS, renowned for its unflinching portrayal of nature, as well as its extensive use of film techniques such as slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
and close-up
Close-up
In filmmaking, television production, still photography and the comic strip medium a close-up tightly frames a person or an object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long shots . Close-ups display the most detail, but they do not include the broader scene...
s.
In 1993, Stouffer was accused of cruelty to animals as part of the production of Wild America. People who had worked on the show said he staged kill scenes, including the attack of a tethered rabbit by a raccoon, and a fight-to-the-death between a cougar and a bobcat. Stouffer denied cruelty to animals, but admitted that he sometimes took tame animals into the wild, and filmed them. A PBS investigation found fault with 15 out of 110 shows.
Stouffer earned $135,000 per show from PBS. The broadcaster dropped the show in 1996.
The Movie
The lives of Marty Stouffer, and his brothers, Mark and Marshall, in the town of 50,000 people in Arkansas were captured in the 1997 movie, Wild AmericaWild America (film)
Wild America is a 1997 adventure comedy film directed by William Dear, written by David Michael Wieger, and starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Devon Sawa and Scott Bairstow.-Plot:...
. Headlined by child actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol...
, the movie related how the boys became intrigued with the production of wildlife documentaries. The adventure movie has a wilder flavor to it than the Wild America PBS program. Both Mark and Marshall are filmmakers as well.
Post-Wild America
Presently, Marty Stouffer lives near Aspen, ColoradoAspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
, with his wife and family. His daughter Hannah Stouffer is a notable Commercial Illustrator and fine artist working out of San Francisco.