RIP: Peter Bogdanovich

Peter Bogdanovich died today at the age of 82 from natural causes.  Mr. Bogdanovich immersed his life in the world of cinema where he excelled as a writer, director, actor, producer and more.  

Like so many others, Peter Bogdanovich’s career began working for Roger Corman.  A few years later Corman produced Targets, written/directed by Peter Bogdanovich with Boris Karloff in the starring role.  While Targets gave some attention to Mr. Bogdanovich’s talents, it was The Last Picture Show that made him a household name.

The Last Picture Show featured an all-star cast (many before they became well known actors/actresses) directed by Peter Bogdanovich in a story that he co-wrote with Larry McMurtry.   The film was a hit with critics, the public and earned multiple nominations and awards from The Academy Awards, The Golden Globes, The Directors’ Guild and more.

After The Last Picture Show, Peter Bogdanovich would go on to write, act, and direct projects that interested him.  Some of the films he directed include: What’s Up, Doc?, Paper Moon, and Mask.  He also wrote and directed a well-received documentary The Great Buster about silent film star Buster Keaton.  Last year Peter Bogdanovich along with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, began a documentary podcast about Bogdanovich’s life in Hollywood. Mr. Bogdanovich was a hit on talk shows because of his extensive knowledge of film history and his friendships with top Hollywood celebrities.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Peter Bogdanovich’s family, friends and fans.