Biography
Stuart Rosenberg (August 11, 1927 – March 15, 2007) was an American director known for his work in film and television. His notable films include Cool Hand Luke (1967), Voyage of the Damned (1976), The Amityville Horror (1979), and The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984). He was especially recognized for his collaborations with actor Paul Newman.
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, Rosenberg was the son of Sara (née Kaminsky) and David Rosenberg. He studied Irish literature at New York University in Manhattan and began his career as an apprentice film editor while attending graduate school.
After progressing to film editor, Rosenberg transitioned to directing, starting with episodes of the syndicated TV series Decoy (1957–59), the first American police show centered on a female lead. Over the next two years, he directed 15 episodes of the ABC police-detective series Naked City, also filmed in New York City. He went on to direct 15 episodes of The Untouchables, eight episodes of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, five episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and three of The Twilight Zone. His credits also include episodes of Adventures in Paradise, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Ben Casey, Rawhide featuring Clint Eastwood, and The Trials of O'Brien, among others. Rosenberg earned a 1963 Emmy Award for directing "The Madman," one of 19 episodes he directed for the courtroom drama The Defenders.
After directing the Lutheran-backed U.S.-German co-production Question 7 (1961), filmed in West Berlin, Rosenberg directed the 1965 TV movie Memorandum for a Spy and the 1966 telefilm Fame Is the Name of the Game. He then made his major studio debut with Cool Hand Luke (1967), a hit starring Paul Newman. Rosenberg had discovered Donn Pearce's novel about a chain gang and developed the film with Jack Lemmon’s production company, Jalem. Later, he replaced Bob Rafelson as director of the prison film Brubaker (1980), starring Robert Redford.
Other films directed by Rosenberg include The April Fools (1969), marking French actress Catherine Deneuve's American debut opposite Jack Lemmon; the Paul Newman films WUSA (1970), Pocket Money (1972), and The Drowning Pool (1975); the Walter Matthau police thriller The Laughing Policeman (1973); the Charles Bronson action film Love and Bullets (1979); and the action movie Let's Get Harry (1986), for which Rosenberg used the Directors Guild of America pseudonym Alan Smithee. He was well-known for his straightforward dramas and crime films. Among his most acclaimed post-Cool Hand Luke works was The Pope of Greenwich Village, featuring Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke, and Daryl Hannah.
Rosenberg’s final film was the independent drama My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, released in 1991.
In 1993, he joined the American Film Institute as an instructor. His students included future notable filmmakers such as Todd Field, Darren Aronofsky, Mark Waters, Scott Silver, Doug Ellin, and Rob Schmidt.
Rosenberg passed away in 2007 from a heart attack at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was survived by his wife, Margot Pohoryles, whom he met at NYU; their son Benjamin Rosenberg, a first assistant director; and four grandchildren.
In 2008, several films by his former students—The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Alphabet Killer, and The Wrestler—were dedicated to his memory.
