Biography
Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988) was an American film director and editor associated with the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. Before his career as a director, Ashby edited films for Norman Jewison, notably The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Editing, and In the Heat of the Night (1967), which earned him an Oscar for the same category. Ashby received a third Oscar nomination, this time for Best Director, for Coming Home (1978). Other films directed by Ashby include The Landlord (1970), Harold and Maude (1971), The Last Detail (1973), Shampoo (1975), Bound for Glory (1976) and Being There (1979). Born William Hal Ashby in Ogden, Utah, he grew up in a Mormon household. His tumultuous childhood as part of a dysfunctional family included the divorce of his parents, his father's suicide, and dropping out of high school. Ashby was married and divorced by the time he was 19. As Ashby was entering adult life, he moved from Utah to California where he soon became an assistant film editor. After being nominated for the Academy Award for Film Editing in 1967 for The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Co…
Directed
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Harold and Maude (1971) — Director
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Being There (1979) — Director
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The Last Detail (1973) — Director
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Shampoo (1975) — Director
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Coming Home (1978) — Director
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8 Million Ways to Die (1986) — Director
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Bound for Glory (1976) — Director
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The Landlord (1970) — Director
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The Slugger's Wife (1985) — Director
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Lookin' to Get Out (1982) — Director
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Let's Spend the Night Together (1982) — Director
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Neil Young: Solo Trans (1984) — Director
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Jake's Journey (1988) — Director
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Beverly Hills Buntz (1987) — Director
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Second-Hand Hearts (1981) — Director
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The Rolling Stones: Satisfaction Interviews (2007) — Director
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The Rolling Stones: Hampton Coliseum (Live 1981) (1981) — Director
Also appeared in
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Harold and Maude (1971) — Bearded Man Watching Model Train (uncredited)
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Being There (1979) — Man at File Cabinet at the Washington Post (uncredited)
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The Oscars (1953) — Self
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The Landlord (1970) — Groom in Opening Shot (uncredited)
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Hal (2019) — Self (archive footage)
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Lookin' to Get Out (1982) — Man Speaking on TV (uncredited)
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The Mike Douglas Show (1961) — Self
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Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1975) — Self