One of the “New Hollywood” directors, Peter Bogdanovich has died at the age of 82.
He died of natural causes early Thursday morning at his home in Los Angeles, according to his daughter, Antonia Bogdanovich.
Bogdanovich was the ascot-wearing cinephile and director of 1970s black-and-white classics such as “The Last Picture Show” and “Paper Moon,” according to AP News.
He started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on Roger Corman’s “The Wild Angels.” Following that film’s success, Bogdanovich directed his own film “Targets.” a critical success. He later gained immense popularity for “The Last Picture Show,” which earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Bogdanovich’s turbulent personal life was often in the spotlight for his well-known affair with Cybill Shepherd that began during the making of “The Last Picture Show” while he was married to his close collaborator, Polly Platt, per the news outlet.
Singer Barbra Streisand wrote on Twitter, “Peter always made me laugh! He’ll keep making them laugh up there, too.”
Director Francis Ford Coppola wrote in an email, “I’ll never forgot attending a premiere for The Last Picture Show. I remember at its end, the audience leaped up all around me bursting into applause lasting easily 15 minutes.”
“I’ll never forget although I felt I had never myself experienced a reaction like that, that Peter and his film deserved it. May he sleep in bliss for eternity, enjoying the thrill of our applause forever,” he added.
Actress Tatum O’Neal posted a photo of herself with him on Instagram, captioning, “Peter was my heaven & earth. A father figure. A friend. From ‘Paper Moon’ to ‘Nickelodeon’ he always made me feel safe. I love you, Peter.”
Born on July 30, 1939, in Kingston, New York, Bogdanovich started out as an actor, a film journalist, and a critic, working as a film programmer at the Museum of Modern Art.
An accomplished film historian, Bogdanovich directed documentaries such as “Directed by John Ford” and “The Great Buster: A Celebration.” He also published over ten books, some of which include in-depth interviews with friends Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock. His works have been cited as important influences by many famous directors.
