Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian-American television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By the late 1950s he began directing films, most often comedies. He also directed dramas and romantic subjects, such as ''Love Story'' (1970), which was nominated for seven Oscars. Hiller collaborated on films with screenwriters

Paddy Chayefsky Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky (January 29, 1923 – August 1, 1981) was an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted and original screenplays. He was ...

and

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

. Among his other films were ''

The Americanization of Emily ''The Americanization of Emily'' is a 1964 British-American black-and-white romantic black comedy war film written by Paddy Chayefsky, produced by Martin Ransohoff, directed by Arthur Hiller and starring James Garner, Julie Andrews, Melvyn Dougl ...

'' (1964), ''Tobruk'' (1967), ''

The Hospital ''The Hospital'' is a 1971 American satirical film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring George C. Scott as Dr. Herbert Bock. It was written by Paddy Chayefsky, who was awarded the 1972 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Chayefsky ...

'' (1971), ''The Out-of-Towners'' (1970), ''Plaza Suite'' (1971), ''

The Man in the Glass Booth ''The Man in the Glass Booth'' is a 1975 American drama film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription cinema series. The screenplay was a ...

'' (1975), ''Silver Streak'' (1976), ''The In-Laws'' (1979) and ''Outrageous Fortune'' (1987). Hiller served as president of the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...

from 1989 to 1993 and president of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

from 1993 to 1997. He was the recipient of the

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is awarded periodically by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) at the Governors Awards ceremonies for an individual's "outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes". Prior to 2009 and ...

in 2002. An annual film festival in Hiller's honor was held from 2006 until 2009 at his alma mater, Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts.

Early life and military service

Hiller was born in November 1923 in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, Alberta, the son of Rose (Garfin) and Harry Hiller. His family was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, and had emigrated from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

in 1912. He had two sisters, one thirteen years older and one eleven years older. His father operated a second-hand musical instruments store in Edmonton. Hiller recalled that when he occasionally traveled home while he was in college, the black people he met with "treated me like a king. Why? Because they loved my father. They told me that unlike other shopkeepers, he treated them like normal folks when they went to his store. He didn't look down on them". Although his parents were not professionals in theater or had much money, notes Hiller, they enjoyed putting on a Jewish play once or twice a year for the Jewish community of 450 people, mainly to keep in touch with their heritage. Hiller recalls they started up the Yiddish theater when he was seven or eight years old; he helped set carpenters build and decorate the sets. When he was eleven, he got a role acting as an old man, wearing a long beard and the

payot ''Pe'ot'', anglicized as payot ( he, פֵּאוֹת, pēʾōt, "corners") or payes (), is the Hebrew term for sidelocks or sideburns. Payot are worn by some men and boys in the Orthodox Jewish community based on an interpretation of the Tanakh's ...

. He says that "the love of theater and music and literature my parents instilled in me" contributed to his later choosing to direct TV and films. After he graduated from high school, he joined the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

in 1941 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. He served as a navigator on four-engine

Handley Page Halifax The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester. The Halifax has its orig ...

heavy bombers on night missions over Nazi-controlled territory in Europe.http://www.dominion.ca/Downloads/sor_ArthurHiller.pdf After he returned from serving in the military, Hiller enrolled in and later graduated from

University College, Toronto University College, popularly referred to as UC, is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university ...

with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1947. After Israel was declared a state in 1948, he and his wife unsuccessfully tried to join its army since it came under attack. He continued in college and received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

degree in psychology in 1950. One of his first jobs after graduating was with Canadian radio directing various public affairs programs.

Directing career

Hiller began his career as a television director with the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

, one of the main networks in the United States, seeing his work in Canada, offered him positions directing television dramas. Over the next few years, his work for the small screen included episodes of '' Thriller'', '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', ''The Rifleman, Gunsmoke'', ''Naked City'',

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

, and '' Playhouse 90''.

1950s–1960s

Hiller directed his first film, '' The Careless Years'' (1957), the story of young couple eloping. This was followed by '' This Rugged Land'' (1962), originally made for television but then released as a film, and then ''

Miracle of the White Stallions ''Miracle of the White Stallions'' is a 1963 American adventure war film released by Walt Disney starring Robert Taylor (playing Alois Podhajsky), Lilli Palmer, and Eddie Albert. It is the story of the evacuation of the Lipizzaner horses ...

'' (1963), a Disney film. With these first films, Hiller already showed competence in directing unrelated subjects successfully. He next directed a satirical anti-war comedy by screenwriter

, ''

'' (1964), starring

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy ...

and Julie Andrews. It was the first of two film collaborations with Chayefsky. The film, nominated for two Academy Awards, would establish Hiller as a notable Hollywood director and, according to critics, "earned him a reputation for flair with sophisticated comedy." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

wrote that Hiller's "brisk direction" of Chayefsky's script included some "remarkably good writing with some slashing irreverence." In 1964 Hiller also directed the first episode of the television series ''The Addams Family''. This was followed by the comedy ''

Promise Her Anything ''Promise Her Anything'' is a 1965 British-American romantic comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Warren Beatty and Leslie Caron. The screenplay by William Peter Blatty is based on a story by Arne Sultan and Marvin Worth. The sup ...

'' (1965), with

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

and

Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...

and ''Penelope'' (1966), starring

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

. In a move away from comedy, he directed the desert warfare drama, ''Tobruk'' (1967), starring

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

and

George Peppard George Peppard (; October 1, 1928 – May 8, 1994) was an American actor. He is best remembered for his role as struggling writer Paul Varjak in the 1961 film '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', and for playing commando leader Col. John "Hannibal ...

, about a North African Campaign during

. The film was nominated for one Academy Award and showed Hiller capable of handling action films as well as comedy. Around the same time, he returned to comedy with ''

The Tiger Makes Out ''The Tiger Makes Out'' is a 1967 American black comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller, and starring Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson. The plot concerns a kidnapper and his unintended victim. It marked Dustin Hoffman's film debut. Plot Loser Ben Har ...

'' (also 1967), starring

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...

and

Anne Jackson Anne Jackson (September 3, 1925 – April 12, 2016); retrieved April 16, 2016Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2016. was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was the wife of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often co-sta ...

, and featured

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is ...

's film debut. ''

Popi ''Popi'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Arthur Hiller, and starring Alan Arkin (in the title role) and Rita Moreno. The screenplay was written by Tina Pine and Lester Pine. The film focuses on a Puerto Rican widower struggling ...

'' (1969), recounts the tale of a Puerto Rican widower, starring

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...

, struggling to raise his two young sons in the New York City neighborhood known as

Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...

. Arkin was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

1970s

Hiller directed ''Love Story'' (1970), his best known work and most successful at the box-office. The film stars

Ryan O'Neal Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Pla ...

and

Ali MacGraw Elizabeth Alice MacGraw (born April 1, 1939) is an American actress and activist. She gained attention with her role in the film ''Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She gained an ...

in a romantic tragedy, and it was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Director. The American Film Institute ranks it No. 9 in their list of the greatest love stories. Critic Roger Ebert disagreed with some critics who felt the story was too contrived: "Why shouldn't we get a little misty during a story about young lovers separated by death? Hiller earns our emotional response because of the way he's directed the movie ..The movie is mostly about life, however, not death. And because Hiller makes the lovers into individuals, of course we're moved by the film's conclusion. Why not?"Ebert, Roger. ''Roger Ebert's Four Star Reviews—1967–2007'', Andrews McMeel Publishing (2007) p. 443 The following year Hiller again collaborated with screenwriter

Paddy Chayevsky Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky (January 29, 1923 – August 1, 1981) was an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted and original screenplays. He was ...

in directing ''

'' (1971), a satire starring

George C. Scott George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor, director, and producer who had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his port ...

which has been described as being his best film. It is a black comedy about disillusionment and chaos within a hospital setting. Chayevsky received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In directing the film, Hiller tried to create a sense of action and movement by keeping the camera mobile and using handheld cameras as much as possible. His goal was to have the camera reflect the chaos and confusion taking place in the hospital. "I've always liked that sort of realistic feel," he states. "I wanted the feeling that the audience was peeking around the corner." Hiller directed two comedy films in collaboration with playwright

. The first film was ''The Out-of-Towners'' (1970), starring Jack Lemmon and

Sandy Dennis Sandra Dale Dennis (April 27, 1937 – March 2, 1992) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the drama ''Splendor in the Grass'' (1961). For her performance in the comedy-drama film ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1966), she rec ...

, who were both nominated for Golden Globe awards for their roles. Their next collaboration was ''Plaza Suite'' (1971), starring Walter Matthau, which was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture. Both films were driven by intense comedy dialogue and were considered "crisply directed" by reviewers. Hiller returned to directing serious drama with ''

'' (1975), starring Maximilian Schell, in a screen adaptation of a stage play written by Robert Shaw. Schell played the role of a man trying to deal with questions of self-identity and guilt as a survivor of the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

during World War II. For his highly emotional role, Schell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award. Returning to comedy, Hiller directed ''Silver Streak'' (1976), starring

Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...

Jill Clayburgh Jill Clayburgh (April 30, 1944 – November 5, 2010) was an American actress known for her work in theater, television, and cinema. She received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Ac ...

and

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...

. The film was well received by critics and is rated No. 95 on the

AFI AFI may refer to: * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...

's best comedy films. He directed another comedy, ''The In-Laws'' (1979), with Peter Falk and

, which was also a critical and commercial success.

1980s

Hiller directed the film ''

Making Love ''Making Love'' is a 1982 American drama film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. The film tells the story of a married man coming to terms with his homosexuality and the love triangle that dev ...

'', which was released in February 1982, a story of a married man coming to terms with his homosexuality. ''Author! Author!'' (also 1982), starred Al Pacino. The following year Hiller directed ''Romantic Comedy'' (1983), starring

Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...

and Mary Steenburgen. His next comedy, ''

The Lonely Guy ''The Lonely Guy'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Steve Martin. The screenplay is credited to Ed. Weinberger and Stan Daniels (of ''Taxi'') as well as Neil Simon (for "adaptation"), and is based on ...

'' (1984), starred

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...

as a greeting card writer and was followed by ''

Teachers A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. wh ...

'' (1984), a comedy-drama film starring

Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an American actor. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1991 film ''The Prince of Tides''. He received ...

. ''Outrageous Fortune'' (1987) stars

Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom '' Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Se ...

and Bette Midler. The film was successful at the box office, with Midler being nominated or winning various awards. The film was followed by '' See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' (1989), another comedy again starring

and

. Pryor plays a blind man and Wilder a deaf man who work together to thwart a trio of murderous thieves.

1990s

The 1990s saw Hiller directing a number of films, most of which received negative or mixed reviews: '' Taking Care of Business'' (1990); ''

The Babe ''The Babe'' is a 1992 American biographical sports drama film about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who is portrayed by John Goodman. Directed by Arthur Hiller, written by John Fusco, it was released in the United States on April 1 ...

'' (1992), a biographical film about

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

, portrayed by

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy series ''Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he rec ...

; '' Married to It'' (1993) and ''Carpool'' (1996). In 1997, Hiller helmed the infamous flop '' An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn'', which wound up living up to its title when Hiller requested his name be removed from the picture – thus truly making it an Alan Smithee film. Nine years later, when he was in his eighties, Hiller directed his last film, ''

National Lampoon's Pucked ''National Lampoon's Pucked'' (also known as ''Pucked'', and ''National Lampoon's The Trouble with Frank'') is a 2006 comedy movie starring Jon Bon Jovi in the main role. This is the last film directed by Arthur Hiller before his death in 2016. ...

'' (2006), starring rock star Jon Bon Jovi.

Influences

In an interview with journalist

Robert K. Elder Robert K. Elder (born January 20, 1976) is an American journalist, author, and film columnist. He is currently the President and CEO othe Outrider Foundation He has written more than a dozen books on topics ranging from the death penalty and m ...

for ''

The Film That Changed My Life ''The Film That Changed My Life'' (also known as ''The Film That Changed My Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark'') is a non-fiction collection of interviews compiled by American journalist, author and film columnist Robert K. Elde ...

'', Hiller states that the film ''

Rome, Open City ''Rome, Open City'' ( it, Roma città aperta, also released as ''Open City'') is a 1945 Italian neorealist war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and co-written by Sergio Amidei, Celeste Negarville and Federico Fellini. Set in Rome in ...

'' (1945) had had a strong influence on his career because he saw it right after leaving the military where he was a bomber navigator in the Canadian Air Force. The film is set during the Nazi occupation of Italy and shows the priesthood and the Communists teaming up against the enemy forces. Hiller commented, "You just get the strongest emotional feelings about what happened to people in Italy."Hiller, Arthur. Interview with Robert K. Elder. ''The Film That Changed My Life'', Chicago Review Press, 2011. p. 162 Hiller preferred his scripts to contain "good moral values," a preference which he says came from his upbringing. He wanted high quality screenplays whenever possible, which partly explains why he collaborated on multiple films with both

and

. Hiller explains his rationale:

Awards and honors

Hiller served as President of the

(DGA) from 1989 to 1993"In Memoriam: Arthur Hiller 1923–2016"
Directors Guild of America, August 17, 2016 DGA presented Hiller with the Robert B. Aldrich Award in 1999 and the DGA Honorary Life Member Award in 1993. In 1970 he received a DGA Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for ''Love Story''. He was also a member of the

National Film Preservation Board The United States National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) is the board selecting films for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. It was established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988. The National Film Regis ...

of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

from 1989 to 2005 and President of the

from 1993 to 1997. He also served on the board of the

National Student Film Institute The National Student Film Institute (NSFI), formerly the Los Angeles Student Film Institute (LASFI), was founded in 1978 by Brenda Norman, Dave Master, Jutti Marsh and Ralph Rogers as a festival for films made by children from kindergarten through n ...

. He received the

at the 2002 Academy Awards ceremony in recognition of his humanitarian, charitable and philanthropic efforts.Froug, William. ''How I Escaped from Gilligan's Island'', Univ. of Wisconsin Press (2005) p. 78 In 2002, he was honoured with a star on

Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame (french: link=no, Allée des célébrités canadiennes) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a ...

in Toronto. In 2006, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

. Writer and producer

William Froug William Froug (May 26, 1922 – August 25, 2013) was an American television writer and producer. His producing credits included the series ''The Twilight Zone'', ''Gilligan's Island'', and ''Bewitched''. He was a writer for, among other shows, '' ...

said that "Hiller is that rare and hugely successful gentleman who has remained humble all his life." He received the

Honorary Degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

Doctor of Fine Arts Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.) is a doctoral degree in fine arts, may be given as an honorary degree (a degree ''honoris causa'') or an earned professional degree (in the UK). Description Doctoral programmes leading to DFAs are of equivalent leve ...

(DFA) from the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...

in June 1995. He received the

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...

(LL.D) from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

in November 1995.

Personal life and death

In 1948, he married Gwen Pechet, who was also

; they had two children and two grandchildren. His wife died on June 24, 2016."Gwen Hiller, Wife of 'Love Story' Director Arthur Hiller, Dies at 92"
''The Hollywood Reporter'', 26 June 2016 They were married for 68 years. Hiller died almost two months later in Los Angeles on August 17, 2016, at the age of 92 from natural causes.

Filmography

*'' The Careless Years'' (1957) *''

'' (1963) *''

The Wheeler Dealers ''The Wheeler Dealers'' (a.k.a. ''Separate Beds'' in the UK) is a 1963 American romantic comedy film produced by Martin Ransohoff, directed by Arthur Hiller and starring James Garner and Lee Remick. The script was written by George Goodman and ...

'' (1963) *''

'' (1964) *''

'' (1965) *''

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or el, Πηνελόπη, ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Pe ...

'' (1966) *''

Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...

'' (1967) *''

'' (1969) *'' The Out-of-Towners'' (1970) *'' Love Story'' (1970), Best Director

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

nomination *''

'' (1971) *''

Plaza Suite ''Plaza Suite'' is a comedy play by Neil Simon. Plot The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel. The first act, ''Visitor From Mamaroneck'', introduces the au ...

'' (1971) *'' Man of La Mancha'' (1972) *''

The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder ''The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder'' is a 1974 film from Playboy Enterprises directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Hugh Hefner. This was the final film for actor George Marshall. Plot A Vietnam veteran who pretends to be insane ends up bei ...

'' (1974) *''

'' (1975) *'' Silver Streak'' (1976) *'' W. C. Fields and Me'' (1976) *'' Nightwing'' (1979) *'' The In-Laws'' (1979) *''

'' (1982) *'' Author! Author!'' (1982) *''

Romantic Comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

'' (1983) *''

'' (1984) *''

'' (1984) *'' Outrageous Fortune'' (1987) *'' See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' (1989) *'' Taking Care of Business'' (1990) *'' Married to It'' (1991) *''

'' (1992) *''

Carpool Carpooling (also car-sharing, ride-sharing and lift-sharing) is the sharing of Automobile, car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car, and prevents the need for others to have to drive to a location themselves. By having more ...

'' (1996) *'' An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn'' (1997) (credited as Alan Smithee) *'' Pitch'' (1997) (as himself) *''

'' (2006)

Notes

References

External links

* *
Imagecollect.com
* *
Arthur Hiller
(Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hiller, Arthur 1923 births 2016 deaths American film directors American people of Polish-Jewish descent American television directors Best Director Golden Globe winners Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery Canadian Broadcasting Corporation people Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian people of Polish-Jewish descent Canadian television directors Film directors from Edmonton Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award winners National Broadcasting Company Officers of the Order of Canada Presidents of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II University of Toronto alumni Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts alumni Jewish Canadian filmmakers Comedy film directors