Robert Benton

Robert Douglas Benton (September 29, 1932 – May 11, 2025) was an American film director and screenwriter. He, along with his co-writer David Newman, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. In 1979, he wrote and directed the film Kramer vs. Kramer, winning the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. He won another Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 1984 film Places in the Heart.

Born

Robert Douglas Benton

September 29, 1932

Dallas, Texas, U.S.

DiedMay 11, 2025 (aged 92)

New York City, U.S.

Occupations

Film director
screenwriter
producer

Yearsactive1967–2007

Quick facts Born, Died ...

Robert Benton

Born	Robert Douglas Benton (1932-09-29)September 29, 1932 Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Died	May 11, 2025(2025-05-11) (aged 92) New York City, U.S.
Occupations	Film director screenwriter producer
Years active	1967–2007
Spouse	Sallie Rendig (m. 1964; died 2023)
Children	1

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Early life

Benton was born in Dallas, Texas, to Dorothy (née Spaulding) and Ellery Douglass Benton, a telephone company employee. He grew up in Waxahachie, Texas,^[1] and attended the University of Texas, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor of fine arts. Benton served two years in the army and then moved to New York City to pursue a master's degree in art history at Columbia University.^[2] However, he dropped out after a semester and joined the staff at Esquire magazine.^[2]

Career

In 1959, he co-wrote the book The IN and OUT Book with Harvey Schmidt, published by Viking Press. He was the art director at Esquire in the early 1960s.^[3]

Benton won the Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Best Original Screenplay for Places in the Heart (1984).

Benton garnered three additional Oscar nominations: two for Best Original Screenplay for Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and The Late Show (1977), and one for Best Adapted Screenplay for Nobody's Fool (1994).

He also directed Twilight (1998) and Feast of Love (2007), and co-wrote the screenplays for Superman (1978) and The Ice Harvest (2005).

In 2006, he appeared in the documentary film Wanderlust.

Personal life and death

Benton was married to artist Sallie Rendig, with whom he had a son, from 1964 until her death in 2023.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Benton died at his home in Manhattan on May 11, 2025, at the age of 92.^[7]

Films

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Executive Producer
1967	Bonnie and Clyde	No	Yes	No
1970	There Was a Crooked Man...	No	Yes	No
1972	What's Up, Doc?	No	Yes	No
1972	Bad Company	Yes	Yes	No
1977	The Late Show	Yes	Yes	No
1978	Superman	No	Yes	No
1979	Kramer vs. Kramer	Yes	Yes	No
1982	Still of the Night	Yes	Yes	No
1984	Places in the Heart	Yes	Yes	No
1987	Nadine	Yes	Yes	No
1988	The House on Carroll Street	No	No	Yes
1991	Billy Bathgate	Yes	No	No
1994	Nobody's Fool	Yes	Yes	No
1998	Twilight	Yes	Yes	No
2003	The Human Stain	Yes	No	No
2005	The Ice Harvest	No	Yes	Yes
2007	Feast of Love	Yes	No	No

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Producer

A Texas Romance, 1909^[8] (1964) (Short film)

Theatre

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Notes
1966	It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman	Libretto; adaptation in television film (1975)
1969	Oh! Calcutta!	Contribution in libretto; adaptation in theatrical film (1972)

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