John Avildsen, Director of Rocky and The Karate Kid, Dies at 81
John G. Avildsen, who as the director of “Rocky” and “The Karate Kid” created pop culture touchstones by telling stories of down-and-out characters finding triumph, died on Friday in Los Angeles. He was 81.
Anthony Avildsen, Mr. Avildsen’s son, said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer, according to The Associated Press.
Last year, Mr. Avildsen, who had steadily made films for nearly a half century, told The Baltimore Sun that he was initially hesitant about taking on “Rocky” — a story about the rise of Rocky Balboa, a working-class boxer with a big heart from South Philadelphia. But the director was eventually won over by its character study and love story, saying “I was charmed by it.”
“I guess what ‘Rocky’ did was give a lot of people hope, and there was never a better feeling than doing that,” Mr. Avildsen said after his film earned him the Academy Award for best director in 1977. “And I had a lot of people who gave me things. Sylvester Stallone gave me his guts and his heart and his best shot.” Mr. Stallone, who also wrote the film, became a star thanks to the role.
The Invention That Shot Rocky Up Those Steps DEC. 16, 2016
One of Mr. Avildsen’s earlier films, “Save the Tiger,” a 1973 drama, earned Jack Lemmon the Oscar for best actor. And Mr. Avildsen’s 1982 short documentary “Traveling Hopefully” was nominated for an Academy Award.
“The Karate Kid,” which had its premiere in 1984, is the story of a teenager who outwits bullies and becomes a karate champion with the help of his martial arts mentor. Like “Rocky,” it culminates in an all-out fight scene.
In fact, when Mr. Avildsen first read the script for “The Karate Kid,” he dubbed it “The KaRocky Kid,” according to The New York Times, because of its similarities to “Rocky.” Mr. Avildsen went on to direct the second and third “Karate Kid” movies.
The acclaimed 1989 film “Lean on Me” was Mr. Avildsen’s first film based on a real person. It was about Joe Clark, a New Jersey high school principal who worked to bring order and educational reform to his school.
“My thoughts were, whether they’re real or fictional, you’ve got to keep the people awake in the theater and try to make the characters as dramatic and effective as possible,” he told The New York Times in 1989.
But, he said, he wished that movie had been an even bigger hit.
“I wish more white people would go see it,” he said. “I think it’s as successful as it is because people find the character an admirable one, and they’re pulling for him. They know that his intentions are correct and what he wants, he wants with great passion.”
John Guilbert Avildsen was born on Dec. 21, 1935, in Oak Park, Ill. He started his ascent in the film industry working with directors like Arthur Penn, on “Mickey One” (1965), and Otto Preminger, on “Hurry Sundown” (1967).
Other films Mr. Avildsen directed included “Joe” (1970), “For Keeps” (1988) and “Rocky V” (1990).
The title of a new documentary about Mr. Avildsen tips its hat to his reputation for telling rags-to-riches tales. Highlighting interviews with Mr. Stallone, the director Martin Scorsese and the “Karate Kid” star Ralph Macchio, it’s called: “John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs.”
Source:- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/movies/john-avildsen-dead-director-rocky-karate-kid.html
