George Hickenlooper

George Loening Hickenlooper III[1][2] (May 25, 1963 – October 29, 2010) was an American narrative and documentary filmmaker.

George Hickenlooper
Hickenlooper in 2010
Born
George Loening Hickenlooper III

(1963-05-25)May 25, 1963
DiedOctober 29, 2010(2010-10-29) (aged 47)
OccupationProducer, Film director, Writer
Spouse(s)Suzanne Hickenlooper (1 child)

Early life

Hickenlooper was born in St. Louis, the son of Barbara Jo Wenger, a social worker and stage actress, and George Loening Hickenlooper, Jr., a teacher and playwright.[3][4][5] He was also the grand nephew of British-born conductor Leopold Stokowski through marriage to his great aunt, pianist Olga Samaroff (whose birth name was Lucy Mary Agnes Hickenlooper).[6][7]

He attended high school at St. Louis University High, where he was part of a group of teenage filmmakers he informally called the "Splicers".

After graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in History and Film Studies in 1986, Hickenlooper interned for the producer Roger Corman, and launched his directing career with Art, Acting, and the Suicide Chair: Dennis Hopper in 1988.

Career

His first feature-length documentary, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, explored the making of Apocalypse Now. It won several awards, including the National Board of Review award for "Best Documentary", an American Cinema Editors award for "Best Edited Documentary", two Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards for "Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming – Directing" and "Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming – Picture Editing", and the International Documentary Association award. Hickenlooper himself won an Emmy for direction.

George Hickenlooper's cousin, John Hickenlooper, made a cameo appearance as a fictional senator in George's 2010 film Casino Jack.[8] John was the mayor of Denver at the time, and later served as the Governor of Colorado.

In addition to his films, Hickenlooper authored a book in 1991, Reel Conversations.

Death

Hickenlooper died in his sleep on October 29, 2010 at the age of 47.[9][10] Despite initial reports that Hickenlooper had suffered a heart attack, the coroner ruled that his death was the result of accidental painkiller overdose, combining oxymorphone with alcohol. Sleep apnea and a "moderately enlarged heart" were contributing factors.[11] He is survived by his wife Suzanne, son Charles, a younger brother and his mother and father.[9]

Filmography

Documentaries

  • Art, Acting, and the Suicide Chair: Dennis Hopper, 1988
  • Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, 1991
  • Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas, 1991
  • The Big Brass Ring, 1997 (short)
  • Monte Hellman: American Auteur, 1997 (short)
  • Mayor of the Sunset Strip, 2003
  • Speechless, 2008
  • Out in the City, 2009 (short)
  • 'Hick' Town, 2009

Narrative films

References

  1. Hinman, Kristen. "Riverfronttimes.com". Riverfronttimes.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  2. "Washingtonpost.com". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  3. LA Review of Books Archived July 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Newsbank.com". Nl.newsbank.com. 1991-08-16. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  5. Rob Hughes. "The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  6. Biography at IMDB
  7. Leopold Stokowski biography at IMDB
  8. "Sneak Peek at Abramoff Flick Starring Spacey". Politico.com.
  9. "Moviemaker George Hickenlooper dies at 47". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  10. "Filmmaker Hickenlooper Dies in Denver at 47". ABC News.
  11. Child, Ben (November 23, 2010). "George Hickenlooper died from accidental painkiller overdose". London: Guardian News and Media Limited 2010.
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