Robert Benton, Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Behind ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ and ‘Kramer vs. Kramer,’ Dies at 92

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Noted filmmaker Robert Benton, who earned acclaim as both screenwriter and director with credits like “Bonnie and Clyde” and the Academy Award-winning “Kramer vs. Kramer,” has passed away at the age of 92.

Marisa Forzano, Benton’s long-term assistant and manager, informed The New York Times that Benton passed away on Sunday at his residence in Manhattan.

Or, more concisely:

Benton died at his Manhattan home on Sunday, as confirmed by his longtime assistant and manager, Marisa Forzano, to The New York Times.

Benton won a third Oscar for his screenplay of the movie “Places in the Heart” (1984), which was loosely based on his grandmother’s struggles during the Great Depression in Texas. This work also earned him an additional Oscar nomination for directing this dramatic film. Moreover, he received nominations for his screenplays of “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967), a product of his collaboration with David Newman, as well as “The Late Show” (1977) and “Nobody’s Fool” (1994). He was also the director for the latter two productions.

Apart from their collaborations, Benton and Newman were also responsible for writing films such as “There Was a Crooked Man… “(1970), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the Peter Bogdanovich comedy “What’s Up, Doc?” (1972), and they jointly held screenwriting credits for “Superman” (1978) alongside Mario Puzo and Leslie Newman.

Lately, Benton has been at the helm of notable productions such as “The Human Stain” from 2003, an adaptation of Philip Roth’s work starring Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman, and “Feast of Love” from 2007, featuring Morgan Freeman and Radha Mitchell.

The poignant film, “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979), delved into the emotional complexities of divorce and garnered Oscars for its lead actors. Among them were Dustin Hoffman, who was experiencing a real-life divorce during filming, and Meryl Streep in a breakthrough performance that catapulted her to stardom. In a remarkable feat, the young actor portraying their son in the movie, Justin Henry, was even nominated for an Oscar at just 7 years old.

In Roger Ebert’s review, it was noted that Benton pays meticulous care to the intricacies of dialogue. This isn’t just characters conversing, but rather they are disclosing aspects of themselves and often uncovering their own motivations. It is this quality that makes “Kramer vs. Kramer” such a heartfelt film; we sense that personalities are evolving and choices are being made right before our eyes.

In the film “Billy Bathgate” (1991), which was based on a novel by E.L. Doctorow, Benton had control over Hoffman’s actions.

In the movies “Nobody’s Fool” and “Twilight” from 1998, Benton steered Paul Newman towards an Oscar nomination and led him again as director. These two films were co-written by Benton and Richard Russo; they collaborated on a total of four films together.

Under Benton’s direction, Paul Newman earned an Oscar nod for “Nobody’s Fool” and was directed by him again in “Twilight” (1998). Both movies were co-written by Benton and Richard Russo; they worked together on four films in total.

Benton was considered an “actor’s director,” one who consistently attracted top talent to his productions. “Before I directed for the first time, I remember walking down the street and thinking, ‘How can I direct people to just speak normally?’” he said in a 2013 interview with THR‘s Scott Feinberg. “And later I learned, you just hire good actors.”

Eight acting nominations were received, with three wins among them, and one of those victors was Sally Field, recognized for her role in Places of the Heart. In a moment of reflection, this humble director noted a consistent theme that ran throughout his creations – the significance of family.

Robert Benton hailed from Dallas, born on the 29th of September, 1932, and spent his early years in the neighboring town of Waxahachie. Tragically, both of his uncles were victims of murder. Growing up, he battled dyslexia, which made school a challenge for him.

Back then, dyslexia wasn’t recognized or understood,” he explained to Feinberg. “Reading for around 10 minutes would make me feel overstimulated, and I couldn’t read any further. However, I was able to create art, which engages a different part of the brain. So I spent a significant amount of time drawing, and that helped me separate my identity from reading difficulties.

Another occurrence was that, upon returning from work, my dad wouldn’t inquire about homework but rather propose, “Fancy going to the cinema?” This is where I picked up storytelling – not from books, but from films.

As a dedicated alum, I myself had the privilege to study at the University of Texas at Austin. During my time there, I shared halls with none other than Rip Torn, who I would later direct in the 1950s-set film “Nadine” (1987). And let’s not forget Jayne Mansfield, another esteemed classmate of mine. Despite struggling and eventually failing my only creative writing course, I was still able to graduate with a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1953.

Following his military service in the U.S. Army from 1954-56, Benton attended Columbia University for a semester. Subsequently, he began working as an assistant to the art director at Esquire magazine. During this time, he crossed paths with David Newman, who was an editor there. Benton worked there for approximately five years before being let go.

In 1959, he collaborated with Newman on “Extremism: A Non-Book,” a satire that explored right- and left-wing extremism within American politics. Later, he penned the script for the 1966 Broadway musical titled “It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman.”

He teamed up with Newman in 1959 to create “Extremism: A Non-Book,” a satire delving into the extremes of right- and left-wing politics in the United States. Subsequently, he wrote the script for the 1966 Broadway musical named “It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman.

For over a decade, I’ve been honing my craft, penning spec scripts left and right. And then, finally, the big break came – it was ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ that made us strike gold in the world of screenwriting.

Coincidentally, we stumbled upon a book from 1963 penned by John Toland regarding John Dillinger. In this work, there’s a footnote where it mentions, ‘They were not just lawbreakers, they were outcasts.’ This sentiment resonated with us,” Benton commented. “It brought back memories of the tales about Bonnie and Clyde I heard growing up.” Interestingly, his father had attended their funerals in Dallas during the same weekend in 1934.

We opted to create a film that carries an essence of the French New Wave genre, but transposed in America. The story revolves around Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. We immersed ourselves in research, discovering tales from detective magazines, and also crafted many elements based on our imagination.

François Truffaut assisted in revising their screenplay, but he was too occupied to direct it himself. Instead, he handed it over to Jean-Luc Godard, who chose not to bring the project to life. The script lay dormant for nearly five years until Warren Beatty purchased it for $10,000. He then joined the production as a producer and actor, taking on the role of Clyde opposite Faye Dunaway as Bonnie. Additionally, he selected Arthur Penn to serve as the director.

Under the motivation from Paramount Pictures president Stanley Jaffe, Benton stepped into directing for the first time with the movie “Bad Company” (1972), a quirky reinterpretation of “Oliver Twist” set during the Civil War, featuring Jeff Bridges and Barry Brown in leading roles.

I had the privilege of penning and directing the timeless film noir masterpiece, The Late Show. In this production, the talented Art Carney portrayed a seasoned detective, while the remarkable Lily Tomlin brought to life a character known for her marijuana-infused charm as the one who enlisted his services.

In addition, Benton not only took charge but also collaborated with Newman on the script for the intelligent suspense film titled “Still of the Night“, which was released in 1982. The cast included Roy Scheider, Meryl Streep, and Jessica Tandy.

Among those who carry on are his son, John. Regrettably, his wife of six decades, Sallie – a once-acclaimed fashion illustrator who later became a painter – passed away in 2023 at the venerable age of 88.

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2025-05-13 21:26