Trivia

One of 115 people invited to join AMPAS in 2007.

He was the son of Gertrude (Edelstein) and Fred Himmelbaum. His parents were both born in Missouri, both of them to Russian Jewish immigrants.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 418-422. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1989.

Was very angry with good friend and frequent collaborator Warren Oates at the time of the latter's death. Oates had refused to see a doctor for chest pains for weeks before his death and he died at the young age of 53 in 1982. Hellman said he was angry because had Oates seen a doctor he could have gone on to do more great movies.

Appears as himself in the documentary film Love and Other Stunts (2018).