In Remembrance: George Roy Hill

     George Roy Hill, best known for directing Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting died Friday, December 20, 2002 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 81.

     Hill got his start in the 50s, television’s Golden Age, working on Kraft Television Theatre writing and directing such live versions of “A Night To Remember” and “Judgment at Nuremberg”. He would be nominated twice for Emmy Awards for his direction of the seminal series Playhouse 90 for the episodes “Helen Morgan Story” (1958) and “Child Of Our Time” (1959).

     In 1957 he began working in live theatre, directing acclaimed productions of Look Homeward, Angel and Tennessee William’s Period of Adjustment.

     He went to Hollywood to helm productions of two plays that he had directed in New York- Period of Adjustment (1962, which would feature Jane Fonda in her first major role) and Lillian Hellman’s Toys in the Attic (1963).

     His next film was the Peter Sellers comedy The World of Henry Orient in 1964. From there he moved onto the bigger budget epics like Hawaii (1966) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967).

     Hill’s 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid would pair him with Paul Newman and Robert Redford and invent the buddy action picture genre. Hill would reunite with the duo for 1973’s The Sting, his most successful film.

     Not afraid to take on difficult material he directed the adaptations of Slaughterhouse Five in 1972 and The World According To Garp in 1982.

     He would return to comedy with the pictures The Great Waldo Pepper (reuniting him with Redford), Slap Shot (working again with Newman) and A Little Romance with Laurence Olivier and Diane Lane. As an avid history buff who owned and flew a 1930 built biplane The Great Waldo Pepper was a film close to Hill’s heart and he was devastated when it did not perform well at the box office.

     His directorial career wound down with 1984’s The Little Drummer Girl and 1988’s Funny Farm. He then went to teach at his alma mater Yale University.

     Although Hill’s filmography may not be as extensive as other directors, it is certainly impressive. Slaughterhouse Five would be nominated for the 1972 Cannes Film Festival Golden Palm and win the Jury Prize. Hill would also be nominated for the Director’s Guild of America’s Outstanding Achievement in Directing award for the film.

     The Sting would be nominated for 10 Oscars, finally winning the Best Director trophy for Hill. The film would also win statuettes for Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Editing, Original Song Score, Art Direction and Costume Design. Hill would also win the Director’s Guild award.

     Butch Cassidy received seven Oscar nominations including Best Director and Picture, winning Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Original Score and Original Song (“Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”). It was also named to the American Film Institute’s 100 Best American Films list.