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IMDbPro

Bob Rafelson(1933-2022)

  • Producer
  • Director
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Bob Rafelson in Aux sources du Nil (1990)
NO SUBTITLES NECESSARY: LASZLO AND VILMOS. The lifelong friendship of the great cinematographers Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond and their impact on American cinema. As film students in Hungary, Laszlo and Vilmos took to the war-torn streets of Budapest to shoot footage of the Russian invasion, and subsequently volunteered to smuggle it out of the country. Barely escaping with their lives, the two friends fled to America and settled in Hollywood, eventually saving enough money to buy their own 16mm camera. 

After working on a string of low-budget horror and biker movies, both men soon rose to prominence in the late 60's and 70's, shooting the films that defined what came to be known as the American New Wave: Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Deliverance, Paper Moon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and more. Working with directors including Robert Altman, Bob Rafelson, Peter Bogdanovich, and Martin Scorsese, they helped create a new American film aesthetic, and pioneered innovative, fearless ways to tell stories.

“When it comes to Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond, it's clear that the American New Wave of the late 1960's and early '70s wouldn't have flowered as it did without them." 	  – Leonard  Maltin

Told through interviews with Laszlo (who died in 2007) and Vilmos, as well as directors including Rafelson, Bogdanovich, John Boorman, Graeme Clifford, Richard Donner, William Richert, Mark Rydell, composer John Williams and actors such as Jon Voight, Peter Fonda, Sandra Bullock, Karen Black, Dennis Hopper and Sharon Stone, NO SUBTITLES NECESSARY is an intimate portrait of two giants of modern imagemaking and their deep bond of brotherhood that transcended every imaginable boundary. Two heroes. One road.
Play clip1:58
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
1 Video
34 Photos
Bob Rafelson was an American film director, writer and producer. He is regarded as one of the founders of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s. Among his best-known films are Cinq pièces faciles (1970), The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), and Le facteur sonne toujours deux fois (1981). He was also one of the creators of the pop group and TV series The Monkees (1965).

Rafelson's debut as a director was Head, a feature film starring the Monkees. Co-written with friend Jack Nicholson, and featuring appearances by Nicholson, Victor Mature, Teri Garr, Carol Doda, Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Sonny Liston, Timothy Carey, Ray Nitschke, and Dennis Hopper. Rafelson did six films with Jack Nicholson, Head (1968), Cinq pièces faciles (1970), The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), Le facteur sonne toujours deux fois (1981), Man Trouble (1992), and Blood & Wine (1996).
BornFebruary 21, 1933
DiedJuly 23, 2022(89)
BornFebruary 21, 1933
DiedJuly 23, 2022(89)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Nominated for 2 Oscars
    • 3 wins & 11 nominations total

Photos34

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+ 29
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Known for

Jack Nicholson in Cinq pièces faciles (1970)
Cinq pièces faciles
7.4
  • Producer
  • 1970
Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and The Monkees in The Monkees (1965)
The Monkees
7.5
TV Series
  • Producer(as Robert Rafelson)
Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange in Le facteur sonne toujours deux fois (1981)
Le facteur sonne toujours deux fois
6.6
  • Producer(produced by)
  • 1981
Jeff Bridges and Sally Field in Stay Hungry (1976)
Stay Hungry
5.6
  • Producer
  • 1976

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Producer



  • Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange in Le facteur sonne toujours deux fois (1981)
    Le facteur sonne toujours deux fois
    6.6
    • producer (produced by)
    • 1981
  • Jeff Bridges and Sally Field in Stay Hungry (1976)
    Stay Hungry
    5.6
    • producer
    • 1976
  • Le coeur et l'esprit (1974)
    Le coeur et l'esprit
    8.2
    • producer (uncredited)
    • 1974
  • La maman et la putain (1973)
    La maman et la putain
    7.7
    • producer (uncredited)
    • 1973
  • Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    The King of Marvin Gardens
    6.5
    • producer
    • 1972
  • Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman, Cybill Shepherd, and Ben Johnson in La dernière séance (1971)
    La dernière séance
    8.0
    • producer (uncredited)
    • 1971
  • Jack Nicholson in Cinq pièces faciles (1970)
    Cinq pièces faciles
    7.4
    • producer
    • 1970
  • Peter Fonda in Easy Rider (1969)
    Easy Rider
    7.2
    • producer (uncredited)
    • 1969
  • Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork in Head (1968)
    Head
    6.4
    • producer
    • 1968
  • Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and The Monkees in The Monkees (1965)
    The Monkees
    7.5
    TV Series
    • executive producer
    • producer (as Robert Rafelson)
    • 1966–1968
  • Three's a Crowd
    5.9
    TV Movie
    • producer
    • 1967
  • Channing (1963)
    Channing
    7.1
    TV Series
    • associate producer (as Robert Rafelson)
    • 1963–1964
  • Jack Palance, Tuesday Weld, and Russ Tamblyn in Le plus grand chapiteau du monde (1963)
    Le plus grand chapiteau du monde
    7.6
    TV Series
    • producer
    • associate producer
    • 1963–1964

Director



  • The Lionel Richie Collection (2003)
    The Lionel Richie Collection
    3.7
    Video
    • Director (video "All Night Long")
    • 2003
  • Samuel L. Jackson, Milla Jovovich, and Stellan Skarsgård in Sans motif apparent (2002)
    Sans motif apparent
    5.4
    • Director
    • 2002
  • Porn.com (2002)
    Porn.com
    5.4
    Short
    • Director
    • 2002
  • Afterthoughts
    6.5
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 2002
  • Dina Meyer and James Caan in Embrouille à Poodle Springs (1998)
    Embrouille à Poodle Springs
    6.0
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 1998
  • Mira Sorvino in Tales of Erotica (1996)
    Tales of Erotica
    4.5
    • Director (segment "Wet")
    • 1996
  • Jennifer Lopez, Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, and Stephen Dorff in Blood & Wine (1996)
    Blood & Wine
    6.0
    • Director
    • 1996
  • Alan Arkin and George Segal in Picture Windows (1994)
    Picture Windows
    6.9
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1995
  • Wet (1994)
    Wet
    5.9
    Short
    • Director
    • 1994
  • Man Trouble (1992)
    Man Trouble
    4.7
    • Director
    • 1992
  • Patrick Bergin and Iain Glen in Aux sources du Nil (1990)
    Aux sources du Nil
    7.1
    • Director
    • 1990
  • Theresa Russell and Debra Winger in La veuve noire (1987)
    La veuve noire
    6.4
    • Director
    • 1987
  • Lionel Richie in Lionel Richie: All Night Long (All Night) (1983)
    Lionel Richie: All Night Long (All Night)
    6.6
    Music Video
    • Director
    • 1983
  • Camille de Casabianca and Bob Rafelson in Modesty (1981)
    Modesty
    7.6
    Short
    • Director
    • 1981
  • Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange in Le facteur sonne toujours deux fois (1981)
    Le facteur sonne toujours deux fois
    6.6
    • Director
    • 1981

Writer



  • Porn.com (2002)
    Porn.com
    5.4
    Short
    • written by
    • 2002
  • Mira Sorvino in Tales of Erotica (1996)
    Tales of Erotica
    4.5
    • Writer (segment "Wet (1995)")
    • 1996
  • Jennifer Lopez, Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, and Stephen Dorff in Blood & Wine (1996)
    Blood & Wine
    6.0
    • story
    • 1996
  • Wet (1994)
    Wet
    5.9
    Short
    • written by
    • 1994
  • Patrick Bergin and Iain Glen in Aux sources du Nil (1990)
    Aux sources du Nil
    7.1
    • screenplay
    • 1990
  • Camille de Casabianca and Bob Rafelson in Modesty (1981)
    Modesty
    7.6
    Short
    • Writer
    • 1981
  • Robert Redford in Brubaker (1980)
    Brubaker
    7.1
    • story (uncredited)
    • 1980
  • Jeff Bridges and Sally Field in Stay Hungry (1976)
    Stay Hungry
    5.6
    • screenplay
    • 1976
  • Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    The King of Marvin Gardens
    6.5
    • story
    • 1972
  • Jack Nicholson in Cinq pièces faciles (1970)
    Cinq pièces faciles
    7.4
    • story
    • 1970
  • Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork in Head (1968)
    Head
    6.4
    • written by
    • 1968
  • Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and The Monkees in The Monkees (1965)
    The Monkees
    7.5
    TV Series
    • written by (as Robert Rafelson)
    • 1967–1968
  • Jack Palance, Tuesday Weld, and Russ Tamblyn in Le plus grand chapiteau du monde (1963)
    Le plus grand chapiteau du monde
    7.6
    TV Series
    • writer
    • 1963
  • The Witness
    6.6
    TV Series
    • story editor (as Robert Rafelson)
    • 1961
  • Walter Matthau in Play of the Week (1959)
    Play of the Week
    7.2
    TV Series
    • adaptation
    • 1960

Videos1

No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
Clip 1:58
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Robert Rafelson
  • Born
    • February 21, 1933
    • New York City, New York, USA
  • Died
    • July 23, 2022
    • Aspen, Colorado, USA(lung cancer)
  • Spouses
      Gabrielle Taurek1999 - July 23, 2022 (his death, 2 children)
  • Parents
      Sydney Rafelson
  • Other works
    TV commercial: DIM underwear.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 3 Interviews
    • 5 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Co-created The Monkees, along with Bert Schneider.
  • Quotes
    [In a 1981 interview] In '7, I said I'll be lucky if I direct ten pictures in my life. It looks like I'm on schedule.
  • Trademark
      Often cast Jack Nicholson

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