Robert Downey Sr.
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Robert John Downey Sr. (June 24, 1936 – July 7, 2021) was an American director and film person, father of Robert Downey Jr. He is known for having written and directed underground films such as Chafed Elbows (1966), almost entirely consisting of film stills; Putney Swope (1969), a satire on the New York Madison Avenue advertising world; and Greaser's Palace (1972), an acid Western based on the life of Jesus. The films are typical of 1960s counterculture.
Career
Robert Downey Sr. initially made his mark creating basement budget, independent films aligning with the Absurdist movement, coming of age in counterculture anti-establishment 1960s America. His work in the late 1960s and 1970s was quintessential anti-establishment, reflecting the nonconformity popularized by larger counterculture movements and given impetus by new freedoms in films, such as the breakdown of codes on censorship. In keeping with the underground tradition, his 1970s films were independently made on shoestring budgets and were relatively obscure in the Absurdist movement, finding culture notoriety.
In 1961, working with the film editor Fred von Bernewitz, he began writing and directing low-budget 16mm films that gained an underground following, beginning with Ball's Bluff (1961), a fantasy short about a Civil War soldier who awakens in Central Park in 1961. He moved into big-budget filmmaking with the surrealistic Greaser's Palace (1972). His last film was Rittenhouse Square (2005), a documentary capturing life in a Philadelphia park.
Downey's films were often family affairs. His first wife, Elsie, appears in four of his movies (Chafed Elbows, Pound, Greaser's Palace, Moment to Moment), as well as co-writing one (Moment to Moment). Daughter Allyson and son Robert Jr. each made their film debuts in the 1970 absurdist comedy Pound at the ages of 7 and 5, respectively; Allyson would appear in one more film by her father, Up the Academy. Robert Jr.'s lengthy acting résumé includes appearances in eight films directed by his father (Pound, Greaser's Palace, Moment to Moment, Up the Academy, America, Rented Lips, Too Much Sun, Hugo Pool), as well as two acting appearances in movies where his father was also an actor (Johnny Be Good, Hail Caesar).
Filmography
- Balls Bluff (1961) (short film)
- A Touch of Greatness (1964)
- Babo 73 (1964)
- Sweet Smell of Sex (1965)
- Chafed Elbows (1966)
- No More Excuses (1968)
- Putney Swope (1969)
- Pound (1970)
- Is There Sex After Death? (1971) (Actor, Credited as himself), Mockumentary and Mondo film
- Greaser's Palace (1972)
- Sticks and Bones (1973)
- Moment to Moment (retitled Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight) (1975)
- Up the Academy (1980)
- To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) (actor, credited as Robert Downey)
- America (1986)
- Rented Lips (1988)
- Johnny Be Good (1988) (actor)
- Too Much Sun (1991)
- Hail Caesar (1994) (actor)
- Hugo Pool (1997)
- Boogie Nights (1997) (actor)
- Magnolia (1999) (actor)
- The Family Man (2000) (actor)
- Rittenhouse Square (2005)
- Tower Heist (2011)
