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Renowned film director, writer and producer Bob Rafelson recently passed away at the age of 89. The news was confirmed by his wife Gabrielle Taurek Rafelson, revealing that he died on July 23 with his family beside him.
Rafelson succumbed to his battle against lung cancer. With that being said, details on his funeral are yet to be disclosed.
Bob Rafelson’s journey in the entertainment industry
Bob Rafelson initially worked as a story editor on the TV series Play of the Week. He then wrote an episode of the TV show The Witness in 1960 followed by The Greatest Show on Earth in 1963.
Rafelson and his family shifted to Hollywood in 1962 where he started working as an associate producer on various television shows and films. After meeting producer Bert Schneider in 1965, the two created Raybert Productions, with their first project being a TV show based on a rock ‘n’ roll group.
The show was inspired by Rafelson's misadventures as a member of a band in Mexico. Titled The Monkees, the series ran on NBC for two seasons. The duo also won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series as producers in 1967.
Rafelson and Schneider then formed the record company Colgems and made a feature film, Head. The script was co-written by Jack Nicholson, with their later collaboration spawning a few more films like Five Easy Pieces, The King of Marvin Gardens, and more.
Raybert Productions’ next film was Easy Rider, released in 1969. Its success gave the company an opportunity to continue with more projects. Schneider’s childhood friend Stephen Blauner joined the ensemble, followed by the company being renamed BBS Productions. Their successful filmography includes Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, Hearts and Minds, with the foremost being nominated for four Academy Awards.
Rafelson then directed The King of Marvin Gardens, released in 1972. It was the last film made by BBS Productions, but couldn't mirror the success incurred by Five Easy Pieces. Rafelson’s next project was the 1976 comedy-drama film, Stay Hungry, based on a novel by Charles Gaines. He started production on another film, Brubaker, in 1978 but was fired after ten days of shooting.
Rafelson continued his collaboration with Jack Nicholson in 1981 and they worked together in films including The Postman Always Rings Twice, Black Widow, Mountains of the Moon, Blood and Wine, and more. He also wrote essays for the Los Angeles Times Magazine and John Brockman’s collection The Greatest Inventions of the Past 2,000 Years.
Netizens pay tribute on Twitter
Bob Rafelson garnered recognition in all these years for his flawless work as a film director. Twitter was flooded with tributes following his demise:
Rafelson is survived by his wife Gabrielle Taurek and his three sons – E.O., Harper and Peter Rafelson.
