Died Today (December 27th): Hal Ashby (1929–1988)

Hal Ashby (1929–1988)

Born: September 2, 1929 in Ogden, Utah, USA
Died: December 27, 1988 (age 59) in Malibu, California, USA

Hal Ashby was born the fourth and youngest child in a Mormon household in Ogden, Utah, on September 2, 1929. His father was a dairy farmer. After a rough childhood that included the divorce of his parents, his father’s suicide, his dropping out of high school, getting married and divorced all before he was 19, he decided to leave Utah for California. A Californian employment office found him a printing press job at Universal Studios. Within a few years, he was an assistant film editor at various other studios. One of his pals while at MGM was a young messenger named Jack Nicholson. He moved up to being a full fledged editor on The Loved One (1965) and started editing the films of director Norman Jewison.

“I basically have a very positive philosophy of life, because I don’t feel I have anything to lose. Most things are going to turn out okay.”

Harold and Maude 1971 dir. Ashby starring Bud Cort Ruth Gordon

COMING HOME 1978 dir. Hal Ashby Stars: Jane Fonda Jon Voight

The Last Detail 1973 dir. Ashby Starring Jack Nicholson Otis Young Randy Quaid

Shampoo 1975 dir. Ashby Starring Warren Beatty Goldie Hawn

THE SLUGGER’S WIFE 1985 dir. Hal Ashby Stars: Michael O’Keefe Rebecca De Mornay

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