Arthur Penn, best known as the director of Bonnie & Clyde, has passed away just a day after his 88th birthday. Born in Philadelphia, Penn first made a name for himself directing television dramas, but quickly moved into film, making a spash with his debut, the 1958 Paul Newman movie, The Left-Handed Gun.
He found further success with The Miracle Worker, and then in the mid-60s, tried to bring the influence of the French New Wave to Hollywood with Mickey One. After working with Warren Beatty on that film, the star chose him to direct a take on the legend of Bonnie & Clyde (after several French directors, such as Godard and Truffaut had turned him down).
While the movie intially bombed, it began to develop a following, and when Warner re-released, it became a huge success, scoring numerous Oscar nominations. Bonnie & Clyde has massively influential, and has been seen by many as the beginning of the New American Cinema, which allowed the likes of Scorsese and Copolla to emerge (you can read more about that here).
While Penn made several other movies after Bonnie & Clyde, none matched that film’s success. He died on September 28th in Manhattan of congestive heart failure.
Arthur Penn – September 27th, 1922-September 28th, 2010 – RIP