Curtis Hanson

Biography

Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Reno, Nevada, Hanson grew up in Los Angeles. After dropping out of high school, Hanson worked as photographer and editor for Cinema magazine. In the 1970s, Hanson participated as a writer for the horror film The Dunwich Horror (1970) and made his directorial debut the B-Movie Sweet Kill (1973), where he lacked creative control to fulfill his vision. While Hanson continued directing, he rose to prominence screenwriting critically acclaimed films such as The Silent Partner (1978), White Dog (1982), and Never Cry Wolf (1983). After working on projects that kept him unsatisfied, he decided that he should write and direct thriller films based on the success of The Silent Partner. Hence, he followed up with The Bedroom Window (1987) where his writing and directing finally came to merge. By this point, his body of work made an impression on screenwriter David Koepp, who was convinced that he could handle the directorial duties for his script, which led to Bad Influence (1990). Finally he directed The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), which was both a critical and co…

Directed

1. 8 Mile (2002) — Director
2. L.A. Confidential (1997) — Director
3. In Her Shoes (2005) — Director
4. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) — Director
5. The River Wild (1994) — Director
6. Wonder Boys (2000) — Director
7. Chasing Mavericks (2012) — Director
8. Lucky You (2007) — Director
9. Too Big to Fail (2011) — Director
10. Bad Influence (1990) — Director
11. The Bedroom Window (1987) — Director
12. Losin' It (1983) — Director
13. Evil Town (1987) — Director
14. The Children of Times Square (1986) — Director
15. Greg the Bunny (2002) — Director
16. Sweet Kill (1972) — Director
17. The Little Dragons (1980) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Adaptation. (2002) — Orlean's Husband
2. American Masters (1986) — Self
3. Critic (2008) — Self
4. You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story (2008) — Self
5. 'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic (2001) — Self
6. Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows (2000) — Self
7. Hitchcock: Shadow of a Genius (1999) — Self
8. The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style (2009) — Self
9. Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde' (2008) — Self
10. The Making of '8 Mile' (2003) — Self
11. Making of a Cult Classic: The Unauthorized Story of 'The Goonies' (2010) — Self
12. North by Northwest: One for the Ages (2009) — Self
13. Sunlight and Shadow: The Visual Style of 'L.A. Confidential' (2008) — Self
14. Film Music Masters: Jerry Goldsmith (1995)
15. Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential' (2008) — Self
16. The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot' (2006) — Self
17. Männer im Trenchcoat, Frauen im Pelz (2004) — Self
18. Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs (1998) — Self
19. 'In a Lonely Place' Revisited (2003) — Host
20. The Searchers: An Appreciation (2006) — Self
21. The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft (1998) — himself