Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Mar 29, 2015 16:23:44 GMT -6
variety.com/2015/film/news/gene-saks-dead-neil-simon-director-1201462211/
Gene Saks, Director of Neil Simon on Stage and Screen, Dies at 93
Stage and screen director Gene Saks, who helmed many Neil Simon plays on Broadway and won Tonys for the Cy Coleman-Michael Stewart musical “I Love My Wife” plus Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Biloxi Blues,” died Saturday, according to the New York Times. He was 93.
His wife, Keren, told the New York Times that he died from pneumonia in his East Hampton, N.Y. home.
Saks did not direct many feature films, but those he did included Simon adaptations “The Odd Couple,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” He also helmed 1974’s “Mame,” which he had previously directed on Broadway to a best musical Tony and a directing nomination for him (both the stage and screen versions of “Mame” co-starred Saks’ then-wife Bea Arthur). In “Cactus Flower,” he directed Goldie Hawn to an Oscar for supporting actress.
Saks started as a stage and television actor and later did occasional roles in films and on TV.
During a long relationship with Simon, Saks also directed his plays “Jake’s Women,” “Rumors,” “Lost in Yonkers” (Saks picked up a Tony nom), “Broadway Bound,” “The Odd Couple” (in a 1986 revival) and “California Suite.”
Speaking of Simon to the New York Times in 1987, Saks said, “Aside from Neil’s wit, his brightness and his ability to characterize, he writes about things I know about and care about. We both come from middle-class, first-generation Jewish families, and our humor springs from the same roots.’’
Saks was lauded at the time for his work honing “Broadway Bound,” the last entry in Simon’s autobiographical trilogy and a Tony nominee for best play.
“Gene’s direction of comedy is grounded in human behavior rather than jokes,’’ Philip Sterling, who played the father in ‘’Broadway Bound,’’ told the Times. “Neil wants the more serious aspects of his work to emerge now, and Gene’s work and style is in tune with that because he has an organic sense of character and works with the development of the entire play. He doesn’t work just for the laughs.’’
Other plays Saks helmed on Broadway include “Enter Laughing” (Carl Reiner directed the bigscreen adaptation of his autobiographical novel and play), “Half a Sixpence” (Saks drew a Tony nom; George Sidney helmed the Brit film), “Same Time, Next Year” (another Tony nom for Saks; Robert Mulligan directed the film) and “Rags.”
Saks was born in New York City, attended Cornell U. and trained at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research.
He made his debut as an actor on Broadway in “South Pacific” in 1949. He also appeared on the Rialto in “A Shot in the Dark,” Paddy Chayefsky’s “The Tenth Man” and Herb Gardner’s “A Thousand Clowns.”
In his film bow as an actor, Saks re-created his “Thousand Clowns” role as kidshow host Chuckles the Chipmunk in the 1965 feature adaptation.
Saks had made his TV acting debut in 1951 on an episode of “Out There” and subsequently appeared on the likes of “Omnibus,” “Producer’s Showcase,” “Kraft Theatre” and “The United States Steel Hour.”
Later thesping credits include the bigscreen adaptation of Simon’s “The Prisoner of Second Avenue,” Reiner’s “The One and Only,” Marshall Brickman’s “Lovesick,” Gardner’s adaptation of his play “The Goodbye People,” Robert Benton’s “Nobody’s Fool” (1994) and Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry” in 1997.
He made his last screen appearance as a judge on a 1998 episode of “Law and Order.”
In 1995 Saks directed an ABC adaptation of “Bye Bye Birdie” that starred Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams.
Saks and Arthur divorced in 1978, and she died in 2009. He is survived by his second wife, Keren Saks; two sons by Arthur, TV set designer Daniel Saks and actor Matthew Saks; and a daughter.
Gene Saks, Director of Neil Simon on Stage and Screen, Dies at 93
Stage and screen director Gene Saks, who helmed many Neil Simon plays on Broadway and won Tonys for the Cy Coleman-Michael Stewart musical “I Love My Wife” plus Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Biloxi Blues,” died Saturday, according to the New York Times. He was 93.
His wife, Keren, told the New York Times that he died from pneumonia in his East Hampton, N.Y. home.
Saks did not direct many feature films, but those he did included Simon adaptations “The Odd Couple,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” He also helmed 1974’s “Mame,” which he had previously directed on Broadway to a best musical Tony and a directing nomination for him (both the stage and screen versions of “Mame” co-starred Saks’ then-wife Bea Arthur). In “Cactus Flower,” he directed Goldie Hawn to an Oscar for supporting actress.
Saks started as a stage and television actor and later did occasional roles in films and on TV.
During a long relationship with Simon, Saks also directed his plays “Jake’s Women,” “Rumors,” “Lost in Yonkers” (Saks picked up a Tony nom), “Broadway Bound,” “The Odd Couple” (in a 1986 revival) and “California Suite.”
Speaking of Simon to the New York Times in 1987, Saks said, “Aside from Neil’s wit, his brightness and his ability to characterize, he writes about things I know about and care about. We both come from middle-class, first-generation Jewish families, and our humor springs from the same roots.’’
Saks was lauded at the time for his work honing “Broadway Bound,” the last entry in Simon’s autobiographical trilogy and a Tony nominee for best play.
“Gene’s direction of comedy is grounded in human behavior rather than jokes,’’ Philip Sterling, who played the father in ‘’Broadway Bound,’’ told the Times. “Neil wants the more serious aspects of his work to emerge now, and Gene’s work and style is in tune with that because he has an organic sense of character and works with the development of the entire play. He doesn’t work just for the laughs.’’
Other plays Saks helmed on Broadway include “Enter Laughing” (Carl Reiner directed the bigscreen adaptation of his autobiographical novel and play), “Half a Sixpence” (Saks drew a Tony nom; George Sidney helmed the Brit film), “Same Time, Next Year” (another Tony nom for Saks; Robert Mulligan directed the film) and “Rags.”
Saks was born in New York City, attended Cornell U. and trained at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research.
He made his debut as an actor on Broadway in “South Pacific” in 1949. He also appeared on the Rialto in “A Shot in the Dark,” Paddy Chayefsky’s “The Tenth Man” and Herb Gardner’s “A Thousand Clowns.”
In his film bow as an actor, Saks re-created his “Thousand Clowns” role as kidshow host Chuckles the Chipmunk in the 1965 feature adaptation.
Saks had made his TV acting debut in 1951 on an episode of “Out There” and subsequently appeared on the likes of “Omnibus,” “Producer’s Showcase,” “Kraft Theatre” and “The United States Steel Hour.”
Later thesping credits include the bigscreen adaptation of Simon’s “The Prisoner of Second Avenue,” Reiner’s “The One and Only,” Marshall Brickman’s “Lovesick,” Gardner’s adaptation of his play “The Goodbye People,” Robert Benton’s “Nobody’s Fool” (1994) and Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry” in 1997.
He made his last screen appearance as a judge on a 1998 episode of “Law and Order.”
In 1995 Saks directed an ABC adaptation of “Bye Bye Birdie” that starred Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams.
Saks and Arthur divorced in 1978, and she died in 2009. He is survived by his second wife, Keren Saks; two sons by Arthur, TV set designer Daniel Saks and actor Matthew Saks; and a daughter.