Jonathan Kaufer

Jonathan David Kaufer (March 14, 1955 – October 2, 2013) was an American film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor. Kaufer received his first job while in his late teens as a writer for the sitcom Mork & Mindy. Filmmaker Howard Zieff later hired Kaufer to do rewrites for his films, and his work on the 1979 film The Main Event led to a development deal enabling him to direct his first film, the romantic comedy Soup for One. At the time, he was the youngest director hired by a major studio.

Kaufer did not make another film for seventeen years, however, he had acting roles in two films and wrote and directed an episode of the television series Dream On. In 1997, his second and final film, Bad Manners, was released. The film, based on a play by David Gilman, received positive reviews, holding an 84% approval rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.

Kaufer dated model and actress Myra Jean Hall. When he learned that she had been in a relationship with another man, he attacked her and was jailed for attempted murder. He was married to actress Pia Zadora from August 1995 to November 2001, and the two had one son together. In 2010, Kaufer sued Zadora, due to claims that Zadora had made which Kaufer alleged were defamation; however, the case was thrown out. Kaufer died on October 2, 2013, when he was ejected from a vehicle while driving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

Early life and career Jonathan David Kaufer was born on March 14, 1955, in Los Angeles. His father was Mac and his mother was Jimi. His brother Scott is a television writer and producer, and he also had a sister, Susan. Kaufer first attended Sarah Lawrence College. While there, Kaufer received his first job as a writer when he was hired to write for the sitcom Mork & Mindy.

Filmmaker Howard Zieff discovered Kaufer, which led to Kaufer doing rewrites on the script for Zieff's films The Main Event and Unfaithfully Yours. Kaufer's work on The Main Event gave him a development deal with Warner Bros., which led to his directing the comedy Soup for One. Kaufer, who also wrote the film's screenplay, was compared to Woody Allen for his work. TV Guide wrote that Kaufer "lacks distance or objectivity" but that he "brings a rare type of energy to the film," and Vincent Canby wrote that "it's energetic, sort of gawky, sometimes obnoxious, occasionally very funny and frequently endearing" and described Kaufer and the cast as "up-and-coming new talents." Kaufer did not direct another film for sixteen years, with The Sacramento Bee noting he had "disappeared".

Kaufer had brief acting roles in the years between making his two films, It originally aired on August 26, 1990, the eighth episode of the first season. Kaufer also wrote several romantic comedies that he was willing to direct, however, he recalled that "the studios kept folding when I turned in my scripts!" Reviews for the film were generally positive. Rotten Tomatoes reported that, based on 13 reviews, 85% of critics gave the film a favorable review.

Personal life Kaufer was married to American actress Pia Zadora from August 1995 to November 2001; they had one son. The complaint wrote that Zadora alleged Kaufer had downloaded child pornography onto his computer and that he had molested his son. Zadora won dismissal of the lawsuit, with its being ruled that her statements fell under protected speech.

Death Kaufer fell asleep at the wheel and died in a road accident on October 2, 2013. He had been on his way from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Always... But Not Forever Actor: Maxwell

Bad Manners Director

Quark Story editor

Dream On DirectorWriter "Martin Gets Lucky"