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Lee Hanson Biography & Facts

Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Reno, Nevada, Hanson grew up in Los Angeles. After dropping out of high school, Hanson worked as photographer and editor for Cinema magazine. In the 1970s, Hanson got involved in filmmaking starting with participating in the writing of the horror film The Dunwich Horror (1970) and his directorial debut Sweet Kill (1973), where he lacked creative control to fulfill his vision. While Hanson continued directing, he rose to prominence by being involved in the writing of several critically-acclaimed films. This included Daryl Duke's The Silent Partner (1978), Samuel Fuller's White Dog (1982), and Carroll Ballard's Never Cry Wolf (1983). Moving forward, Hanson's directorial efforts started to get some attention with The Bedroom Window (1987), and Bad Influence (1990). Eventually, he had a breakthrough with The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), which made $140 million at the box-office. Afterwards Hanson had a streak of generally well reviewed and commercially successful films The River Wild (1994), L.A. Confidential (1997), Wonder Boys (2000), 8 Mile (2002), and In Her Shoes (2005). For his work of L.A. Confidential, Hanson won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1998, for co-writing with Brian Helgeland, along with additional nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and for competing for the Palme d'Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. Up until 2014, Hanson continued to produce and direct. During this time, he fell ill and it led him to retire. Hanson died of natural causes in 2016. Early life Hanson was born in Reno, Nevada, and grew up in Los Angeles. He was the son of Beverly June Curtis, a real estate agent, and Wilbur Hale "Bill" Hanson, a teacher. Hanson dropped out of high school, finding work as a freelance photographer and editor for Cinema magazine. Film career 1970 to 1982: early writing and directing efforts In 1970, Hanson is listed among the writers of Daniel Haller's The Dunwich Horror, a film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's short story. In 1973, Hanson wrote and directed his first feature, Sweet Kill starring Tab Hunter. The film came about when Hanson approached the executive producer Roger Corman about the possibility of writing and directing a film for him. Corman replied he might also be interested in a modern horror film along the lines of Psycho (1960). Hanson wrote the script originally with the killer as a female. Corman liked it but felt it was "a little too different" for the killer to be female so asked she be turned male. According to Hanson, the film cost $130,000 and Corman was supposed to put up two-thirds of the money. After Corman decided to only put up a third, Hanson said "I went to my parents and persuaded them to put a mortgage on their home in order to finance this film." After creative interference from Corman, Hanson later described the experience as a "very unhappy" one. That same year, Hanson, with the pseudonym Edward Collins, shot a film called And God Bless Grandma and Grandpa. Producer Peter S. Traynor wanted to shoot new scenes. Which he did with actor Dean Jagger, in 1974, who played a character named "Dr. Shagetz." It was renamed God Bless Dr. Shagetz. In 1975, a litigation started between Traynor and the film's financial investors. It is rumored that with the name God Bless Dr. Shagetz, it had limited released in 1977. In 1983, a producer named Mardi Rustam, bought the films rights and shot new footage. In 1985, Rusham's version was released as a direct to video title name Evil Town. In 1978, Hanson wrote and was an associate producer for Daryl Duke's Canadian film The Silent Partner. The Silent Partner did well in Canada both critically and financially, winning several Canadian Film Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. The film was a sleeper upon its US release, with Brendon Hanley of the film database Allmovie noting that the film"...stands out as one of the best sleepers of the late '70s". In 1980, Hanson directed The Little Dragons starring Chris and Pat Petersen. In 1982, Hanson was among the screenwriters of Samuel Fuller's White Dog. The film depicts the struggle of a dog trainer named, who is black, trying to retrain a stray dog trained to make vicious attacks upon, and to kill, any black person. White Dog was a 1970 novel, whose story was purchased for use by Paramount in 1975, with Hanson selected to write the screenplay and Roman Polanski hired to direct. Before shooting commenced, Polanski had legal problems, leaving the production in limbo. Over a span of six years, the project was given to various writers and producers. By 1981, Hanson, back on board as the film's screenwriter, suggested that Samuel Fuller be named the film's director as he felt Fuller was the only one available with the experience needed to complete the film on short notice, while still doing so responsibly with regard to the sensitive material. The film was praised by critics, particularly for its treatment of racism and Fuller's directorial talents. 1983 to 1994: rise to prominence and breakthrough In 1983, Hanson directed Losin' It, a comedy starring Tom Cruise, about teenagers going to Tijuana to visit a brothel. The film received negative reviews from critics. It has an 18% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews. It opened in 180 theaters in New York and Los Angeles, opening with $437,257 for the weekend; it grossed $1,246,141 domestically. That same year he was credited among the writers of Carroll Ballard's Never Cry Wolf. The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 100% based on reviews from eighteen critics, with an average rating of 7.7 out of 10. The film grossed in the US $27,668,764. In 1986, Hanson directed the made-for-television crime drama film The Children of Times Square. In 1987, Hanson directed The Bedroom Window starring Steve Guttenberg, Isabelle Huppert, and Elizabeth McGovern. The film came about, when he read the novel The Witness by Anne Holden and tried to get the film rights. Already bought by Paramount, Hanson made a deal with them. Hanson says McGovern was his "only choice" for the part of Denise. Hanson decided to cast French actress Huppert for a part of an American character, who felt she added sophistication to the role. Hanson says Guttenberg was not his first choice for the lead but rather a suggestion by producer Dino De Laurentiis, due to his popularity in comedies. Hanson agreed to cast Guttenberg, when he saw the actor's enthusiasm, and his eagerness to escape typecast. Upon its original release, the film received mixed reviews from other film critics.As of April 2021, the film holds a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus: "A likable cast and mostly solid story..." In 1990, Hanson directed Bad Influence, starring Rob Lowe and James Spader. Hanson stated that the film bears similaritie.... Discover the Lee Hanson popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Lee Hanson books.