Aram Avakian
Aram Avakian | |
---|---|
Born | April 23, 1926 Manhattan, New York City |
Died | January 17, 1987 New York City | (aged 60)
Nationality | Armenian-American |
Alma mater | Horace Mann SchoolYale University |
Occupation(s) | Film editor and director |
Partner(s) | Dorothy Tristan (1957-1972) Allegra Kent |
Children | 2 |
Aram A. Avakian (April 23, 1926 – January 17, 1987) was an American film editor and director. His work in the latter role includes
Life and work
Aram "Al" Avakian was born in Manhattan, New York, in 1926 to Armenian parents from Iran and Soviet Georgia. He graduated Horace Mann School and Yale University before serving as a Naval officer on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. On the G.I. Bill after the war he went to France where he attended the Sorbonne. There he was part of a tight group of young friends who defined the American literary movement of 1950's Paris, including Terry Southern, William Styron, John P. Marquand, and George Plimpton. In 1953, Avakian returned to the United States and apprenticed under Gjon Mili who got him started in documentary editing. In his spare time Avakian took still photographs of the legendary jazz sessions his brother the jazz producer George Avakian recorded.[1] From 1955 to 1958, Avakian was the editor of Edward R. Murrow's program See It Now.[1] In his book Vanity of Duluoz, Jack Kerouac based the character of Charlie on Aram Avakian.
He soon became a feature film editor and director.
Avakian directed the movie
End of the Road is an early indie picture which bucked Hollywood conventions and was before its time. Many of the cast and crew went on to distinguished film careers. The film is admired by the director Steven Soderbergh, who directed an accompanying documentary on the making of the film on the Warner Bros. DVD, titled "An Amazing Time: Conversations About End of the Road", released on Sept. 18, 2012, as part of a series of great rediscovered movies. Cineaste published this 1980's interview in advance of the 2012 DVD release: [1]
Having worked as Francis Ford Coppola's editor on You're a Big Boy Now (1966) Avakian was brought on as the original editor of The Godfather (1972). However, problems arose between the two, with reports that Avakian was intentionally sabotaging the dailies being sent to the studio[4] or at the very least bad-mouthing Coppola's abilities in order to hopefully replace him as director.[5] While Paramount executive Jack Ballard was in favor of the replacement, ultimately head of production Robert Evans continued to back Coppola and Avakian was fired.[6][4]
Avakian directed Cops and Robbers (1973), One Night Stands and 11 Harrowhouse (1974).[3] and a lost film made in Paris, in French, in the early 1970s.
From 1983 through 1986, Avakian was chairman of the film department at State University of New York at Purchase.[1] Arthur Penn spoke at Avakian's 1987 memorial. Francis Coppola and Terry Southern wrote letters about Avakian, which were read aloud, and Gerry Mulligan played his saxophone, as well as others. It was a packed house at the New York City Armenian cathedral.
For fifteen years, Avakian was married to actress and writer Dorothy Tristan until 1972. During the last two years of his life his companion was former ballerina Allegra Kent.[3] His children with Dorothy Tristan are photojournalist/author Alexandra Avakian and guitarist Tristan Avakian.
Selected filmography
As editor (partial list)
- Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)
- Girl of the Night(1960)
- The Miracle Worker (1962)
- Lilith (1964)
- Mickey One (1965)
- You're a Big Boy Now (1966)
- The Comedians (1967)
- The Next Man (1976)
- Honeysuckle Rose (1980)
As director (partial list)
- Jazz on a Summer's Day (with Bert Stern) (1959)
- Lad, A Dog (with Leslie H. Martinson) (1962)
- One Night Stands (1967) (Documentary)
- End of the Road (1970)
- Cops and Robbers (1973)
- 11 Harrowhouse (1974)
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Aram A. Avakian dies at 60, film editor and educator". Syracuse Herald Journal (AP article). 1987-01-23.
- ^ Locarno International Film Festival site Archived 2009-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c Jeremy Gerard (1987-01-22). "Aram Avakian, 60, Director and Editor of Films and TV". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "The making of The Godfather". theweek.com. 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ISBN 0813123046.
- ^ Sragow, Michael (16 March 1997). "The Making of "The Godfather"". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
External links
- Aram Avakian Website
- Aram Avakian at IMDb