Arthur Hiller, the Oscar-nominated director of Love Story and a former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, died today in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 92. The Academy confirmed the news.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved friend Arthur Hiller,” said Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs today. “I was a member of the Board during his presidency and fortunate enough to witness firsthand his dedication to the Academy and his lifelong passion for visual storytelling. Our condolences go out to his loved ones.”
The Canada-born Hiller’s career spanned five decades, starting in TV in the mid-1950s with credits including Playhouse 90, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke and The Rifleman. Jumping into feature films in the early 1960s, his early credits include The Americanization Of Emily and the Ryan O’Neal-Ali MacGraw romancer Love Story, which earned him the Oscar nom.
“Arthur Hiller was an integral part of one of the most important experiences of my life,” MacGraw said today. “He was a remarkable, gifted, generous human being and I will miss him terribly. My heart and love go out to his family.”
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Love Story, which garnered seven Oscar noms overall, led to a streak of big movies for Hiller that spanned especially comedy (The Hospital, penned by Paddy Chayefsky; Silver Streak with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor; The Lonely Guy with Steve Martin; and Outrageous Fortune) but also Neil Simon adaptations (Out Of Towners and Plaza Suite) and biopics (The Babe). He also helmed the musical adaptation Man Of La Mancha and Author! Author! His final directing effort was 2006’s Pucked with Jon Bon Jovi.
The longtime Governors Branch member served as Academy president from 1993-1997, and received the organization’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2001 for his philanthropy. He also served as DGA president from 1989-1993.
