RIP, Arthur Penn, film and theater directing genius... Here's the Wall Street Journal's blog# ... and the New York Times' obit... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/movies/30penn.html ... http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/09/29/arts/20100930_Penn_slideshow.html?ref=movies ...
Amazingly, Penn died on Tuesday, September 28, the day after he turned 88...
Coincidentally, I just happened to be reading the chapter in Patricia Neal's book, As I Am, about her experience with Arthur Penn, last night about the time Penn died ...
"It was April in 1959," she opens, "when I heard from Arthur Penn, the director. He was casting William Gibson's The Miracle Worker, about the young Helen Keller. Everyone knew it was bound to be one of the biggest hits of the season and the vehicle of a lifetime for the actress who played Annie Sullivan, Helen's teacher... The only problem was, Arthur was not offering me that part... We were in rehearsal only a few days when Anne (Bancroft) and Arthur invited me for a drink. Arthur asked me quite candidly if I resented not playing the star role. I was equally candid. I admitted that I did, indeed, find it tough to step down, but I was trying my damnedest to do it graciously. They breathed sighs of relief. Both of them thanked me for being honest and assured me they knew how difficult it was. I can truthfully say that the fact that I adored Anne and Arthur helped..."
Patricia Neal, herself, died on August 8, 2010 at the age of 84... so, now they can continue the conversation!
See IMDbPro for complete list of his film & TV credits... http://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0671957/
"He directed 8 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Patty Duke, Anne Bancroft, Estelle Parsons, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard and Chief Dan George. Duke, Bancroft and Parsons won Oscars for their performances in one of Penn's movies. Won Broadway's 1960 Tony Award as Best Director (Dramatic) for The Miracle Worker. He was also Tony-nominated two other times: in 1958 as Best Director for Two for the Seesaw and in 1961 as Best Director (Dramatic) for All the Way Home." IMDb
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