Paul Mazursky, five-time Oscar-nominee, has died of cardiac arrest at 84 years old. He was a performer-turned writer/director, with hit films, such as "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice", as well as "An Unmarried Woman". He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, which was where he had his last breath.
Although he was never nominated by the Academy for his skills as a director, he did have four screenplay nominations for "An Unmarried Woman", "Enemies", "Bob and Ted", and "Harry and Tonto." For the first film mentioned, he also got a nomination for Best Picture.
Despite being known as a director, he also gave TV acting a try, as he played the character of Norm for "Curb Your Enthusiasm". Aside from that, he also had TV appearances for "The Sopranos" and on ABC's "Once and Again", where he played the role of Sela Ward's father.
The films that Paul Mazursky made explored issues that were relatively heavy during his time, such as modern divorce, merits of psychological therapy, and marital fidelity. "Bob and Ted" featured Natalie Wood and Robert Culp as a relatively liberated married couple. In "Blume in Love", Susan Anspach and George Segal focused on the nature of a romantic type of commitment. "Harry and Tonto" featured Art Carney and focused on a modernized family showing how elderly family members live their lives. "Next Stop, Greenwich Village" had a more personal tone. And, lastly, "An Unmarried Woman" featured Alan Bates and Jill Clayburgh, as it focused on how a couple goes through a divorce during a feminist era.
Acclaimed critic, Richard Corliss, referring to Paul Mazursky's work during the 70s, said, "No screenwriter has probed so deep under the pampered skin of this fascinating, maligned decade." His work was primarily ragtag in nature, pairing unorthodox characters with the commercialization of the time. However, with his prowess in film-making, the audience was still able to identify with them.
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