Trivia

His son, Mike Altman, wrote the lyrics for "Suicide is Painless," the theme song for M*A*S*H (1970), when he was only 14 years old.

Paul Thomas Anderson was employed as a standby director for The Last Show (2006) for insurance purposes, and in the event that ailing 80-year-old Altman was unable to finish shooting.

He came up with a scheme to "Identi-Code" pets. He would tattoo a number on the cat or dog. Somehow, he managed to tattoo President Harry S. Truman's dog.

Directed 6 different actresses in Oscar-nominated performances: Sally Kellerman, Julie Christie, Ronee Blakley, Lily Tomlin, Helen Mirren and Maggie Smith.

While working on John McCabe (1971), he and Warren Beatty hated each other so much that Beatty later admitted that, had he produced the film himself, he would have killed Altman.

He designed a watch called "Time to Reflect" for Swatch in 1995 to commemorate the centenary of the birth of cinema.

Is the only American director to win the top prize at all the three major European film festivals: He won the Palme d'or at the Cannes International Film Festival for M*A*S*H (1970) in 1970, the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for Buffalo Bill et les Indiens (1976) in 1976 and the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival for Short Cuts - Les Américains (1993) in 1993. Apart from Altman, only the Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni and the French director Henri-Georges Clouzot have this distinction.

Upon receiving an honorary Oscar at the 2006 Academy Awards, Altman revealed that he had been the recipient of a heart transplant approximately 10 years prior, and hadn't gone public out of fear that it would hinder his ability to get work.

Recommended Ned Beatty for the role of Arthur Jensen in Director Sidney Lumet's Network.

When directing episodes of the TV show Bonanza (1959), Altman became close friends with actor Dan Blocker, who portrayed Hoss. Altman wanted Blocker to play the Roger Wade character in his version of Raymond Chandler's Le Privé (1973), but he died before the commencement of shooting. The movie was dedicated to Blocker.

Seven of Robert Altman's films are in the Criterion Collection: "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971), "Nashville" (1975), "3 Women" (1977), "Secret Honor" (1984), "Tanner '88" (1988), "The Player" (1992) and "Short Cuts" (1993).

Was a mentor to Tim Robbins, Tom Skerritt, and Alan Rudolph.

It is said that Altman, a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II, was radicalized by a trip to Vietnam to shoot footage of the war in the 1960s. He has never talked about this episode in his life and career.

Close friends with actress Julie Christie and Sally Kellerman.

Was voted the 17th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Has twice used a blonde woman in a white trench coat to symbolize death: Sally Kellerman in Brewster McCloud (1970) and Virginia Madsen in The Last Show (2006).

Like the late Richard Hooker, author of the book "MASH" (on which his film M*A*S*H (1970) was based), Altman greatly disliked the TV series that followed and said that it didn't make the same anti-war point that his film made.

14 other film directors passed on directing M*A*S*H before it was offered to Robert Altman and he accepted.

His episodes of Bonanza (1959) often starred the Hoss character played by Dan Blocker and frequently were humorous.

He is a member of the NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) Advisory Board.

Helped Shelley Duvall and Gary Chason begin their careers by giving them jobs on Brewster McCloud (1970).

Directed both Susannah York and Shelley Duvall to the Best Actress Award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. York winning for her role as Cathryn in Images (1972), and Duvall for her portrayal of Millie Lammoreaux in Trois femmes (1977).

Robert Altman was one of film critic Pauline Kael's favorite directors, and she was also a fan of many of his films.

He has directed four films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: M*A*S*H (1970), John McCabe (1971), Le Privé (1973) and Nashville (1975).

Was a Democrat.

Made his London theatrical debut in early 2006 directing Arthur Miller's play "Resurrection Blues" at the Old Vic under the aegis of Kevin Spacey, the Artistic Director of the venerable London company. Altman chose an eclectic cast for the Miller play featured, including Maximilian Schell, James Fox (who replaced John Wood before previews), and American movie actors Matthew Modine and Jane Adams. The English critics panned "Resurrection Blues", partly due to the clash in acting styles of the disparate cast. Adams walked out after a matinée on April 5, 2006, and was replaced by her understudy for subsequent performances. No explanation was given for her departure from the production. The play was scheduled to close a week early in mid-April due to poor ticket sales. Altman claimed after the poor debut of the play that he was not very familiar with the script, and didn't really understand the play. Critics said that his confusion obviously affected the cast, many of whom seemed not to understand the play, and some of whom seemed to have trouble remembering lines. While not an outright debacle, the play is another relative failure characterizing Spacey's troubled tenure as Old Vic chief.

He was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film culture.

Being a great admirer of German actress-singer Ute Lemper, he planned to cast her in a remake of Mata Hari (1931), but the movie never came about. He instead gave her a (memorable) part in Prêt-à-porter (1994).

Profiled in "Conversations with Directors: An Anthology of Interviews from Literature/Film Quarterly", E.M. Walker, D.T. Johnson, eds. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2008.

Son, Matthew R. Altman was adopted at birth in 1966.

Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Directors Branch).

In late 81 it was announced that he was going to direct Sigourney Weaver in Lone Star for United Artists but it was cancelled due to Heaven's Gate's costs.

In the recent past, the New York Film Critics Circle Awards (founded in 1935) were second in prestige only to the Academy Awards (and some actors and filmmakers such as double Oscar-winner Glenda Jackson considered it a superior honor) and were a major influence on subsequent Oscar nominations. The Golden Globe Awards, which were plagued by scandals related to its small, unrepresentative voting body and to self-dealing with subsequent awardees, had been forced off the air by the Federal Communications Commission and were regarded as something of a joke by more serious cinephiles. During the 1976 presidential election year, Robert Altman's masterpiece Nashville (1975) won Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Lily Tomlin), and Altman was named the top director by the NYFCC. All failed to repeat at the Academy Awards (though Keith Carradine won an Oscar for Best Song.) Altman -- discussing Nashville (1975)'s loss of the Best Picture Oscar to Vol au-dessus d'un nid de coucou (1975) earlier that year -- characterized the NYFCC Awards as the 'New York primary' leading up to the Oscar 'election'. Continuing with the metaphor in his August 1976 Interview with Bruce Williamson in "PLAYBOY Magazine" (Vol. 23, Iss. 8), Altman said that "Cuckoo's Nest" had had an inside advantage as it had won the 'California primary' (the Golden Globes). At the time, the Golden Globes, though a joke in terms of their integrity, were still a potent predictor of eventual Oscar success (and would come to be the second-most important bellwether of the Academy Awards by the 1980s and '90s).

Worked with (the late) Vic Morrow on the TV series Combat! (1962), with Vic's daughter, Jennifer Jason Leigh in several films including Short Cuts - Les Américains (1993), and with Vic's ex-wife (and Jennifer's mother) Barbara Turner on Company (2003).

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 29-39. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

Son, Robert Reed Altman, with Kathryn Reed, was born in 1960.

He has directed three films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: M*A*S*H (1970), Nashville (1975) and Gosford Park (2001).

At one point he was in talks with Johnny Depp about doing a film of the life of Artie Shaw,.

Son, Mike Altman, with Lotus Corelli, was born in 1955.

Daughter, Christine Altman, with LaVonne Elmer, was born in 1947.

Uncle of Richard Sarafian Jr., Tedi Sarafian, Damon B. Sarafian, Deran Sarafian and Katherine Sarafian.

Brother-in-law of Richard C. Sarafian, who married his sister, Joan Altman.

Son, Stephen Altman, with Lotus Corelli, was born in 1957.

Stepdaughter, Konni Corriere (with Reed), born 1946.