The great Ruth Gordon standing beside the great Hal Ashby
director on the set of the film Harold and Maude
Ashby passed away at age 59 after a tumultuous career in Hollywood
releasing at least six classic films beginning with his first film The Landlord (1970),
followed by Harold and Maude (1971), The Last Detail (1973), Shampoo (1975),
Bound For Glory (1976), Coming Home (1978), Being There (1979) and his documentary of the Stones tour Let's Spend the Night Together (1983).
Every single independent film director today owes a debt to this ground breaker.
Some have, thankfully, said so.
I'm sure the late Philip Seymour Hoffman would have been one of them.
Go read more about Hal Ashby in Al Kooper's marauding music memoir Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards (the updated version from Backbeat Books, 2008). Kooper made his musical score debut with Ashby's cinematic debut The Landlord (shown, in full, below).
I'm sure the late Philip Seymour Hoffman would have been one of them.
Go read more about Hal Ashby in Al Kooper's marauding music memoir Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards (the updated version from Backbeat Books, 2008). Kooper made his musical score debut with Ashby's cinematic debut The Landlord (shown, in full, below).
