Mark Rydell

Mortimer H. "Mark" Rydell (March 23, 1929 – August 13, 2026) was an American film director, producer and actor. He directed several Academy Award-nominated films including The Fox, The Reivers (1969), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Rose (1979), and The River (1984). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for On Golden Pond (1981).

Early life Mortimer H. Rydell was born in New York City on March 23, 1929, to a Jewish family. As a youth, he wanted to be a conductor. He said he left music because of the proliferation of drugs among the musicians: "Heroin was the drug of choice. "Knowing that I have an addict's personality in that a little is good but a lot is better, I knew I was in danger... I went back to college and went to the Neighborhood Playhouse."

In 1962, Rydell declined to sign another long-term contract at ATWT, and producers had his character die in a car crash. He later won plaudits for his role of violent Jewish mob kingpin Marty Augustine in Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973). His last significant film role was in Woody Allen's Hollywood Ending (2002).

Feature films Rydell's first feature as director was The Fox (1967) which was a box-office hit, in part due to its then-rare lesbian content. He signed a multi-picture contract with the film's producer Raymond Stross, but disliked working with him. Rydell said he ended up paying out four times his fee for the picture to get out of the contract. Nonetheless, he credited Stross for starting his film career. He directed Steve McQueen in The Reivers (1969). Rydell and friend Sydney Pollack, who had known each other since they were both actors, formed a company, Sanford Productions, and signed a six picture contract with the Mirisch Brothers. They planned to make Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff, which was eventually made in 1979 by other filmmakers.

Rydell directed John Wayne in The Cowboys (1972). He made a romantic comedy, Cinderella Liberty (1973), with James Caan and Marsha Mason. Around that time he said he did not want to make genre movies: "I want to create my own genre." He was reunited with Caan on Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) which starred Elliott Gould and was a box-office flop. Rydell also directed the pilot episode of Family (1976).

Rydell directed The Rose (1979), starring Bette Midler, which was a huge hit. So too was On Golden Pond (1981), starring Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, for which Rydell received an Oscar nomination as Best Director. "I'm this week's heat", he joked at the time. He was going to make a film based on the play Nuts but instead directed The River (1984), with Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek. It was not a commercial success. Neither was Rydell's next film, For the Boys (1991), with Caan and Midler.

He made the television movie McBride and Groom (1993) and the feature Intersection (1994). He directed the television movies Crime of the Century (1996), which starred Isabella Rossellini and Stephen Rea, and James Dean (2001), which earned actor James Franco a Golden Globe award. Rydell also acted in the movie, playing Jack L. Warner (head of Warner Bros). He was credited as executive producer on An Unfinished Life (2005).

In 2006, Rydell directed the movie Even Money. One of his last credits is an episode of Masters of Science Fiction, "A Clean Escape". Working with actor Martin Landau and screenwriter/playwright Lyle Kessler in 2009, Rydell produced an education seminar, The Total Picture Seminar. The two-day event covers the disciplines of acting, directing, and writing for film. The three have worked together as a team for many decades at The Actors Studio teaching and coaching professional actors, writers, and directors. In 2010, Rydell joined the Advisory Board of Openfilm, which was an online video sharing site created to help aspiring independent filmmakers. Rydell executive produced the documentary A Coup in Camelot (2015).

Personal life and death Rydell and actress Joanne Linville married in 1962. They had two children, Amy and Christopher, both actors. They divorced in 1973. Rydell had another son, Alexander, from a second marriage to documentary producer Esther Rydell. The union ended in divorce in 2007.

Filmography

As director

Film The Fox (1967) The Reivers (1969) The Cowboys (1972) Cinderella Liberty (1973) Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) The Rose (1979) On Golden Pond (1981) The River (1984) For the Boys (1991) Intersection (1994) Even Money (2006)

Television The Phil Silvers Show (episode of TV series) (1955) Mr. Novak (episode of TV series) (1964) Ben Casey (episodes of TV series) (1963–64) The Reporter (episode on TV series) (1964) Slattery's People (episode of TV series) (1965) I Spy (episodes of TV series) (1965) The Wild Wild West (episode of TV series) (1966) The Long, Hot Summer (episodes of TV series) (1965–66) The Fugitive (episode of TV series) (1966) Gunsmoke (episodes of TV series) (1964–66) Family (episode of TV series) (1976) McBride and Groom (failed pilot) (1993) Crime of the Century (TV movie) (1996) James Dean (TV movie) (2001) (plus actor, playing Jack L. Warner) Masters of Science Fiction (episode "A Clean Escape" of TV series) (2007)

Unrealized The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter I Never Promised You a Rose Garden The Thing of It Is... The Exorcist A Star Is Born The White Hotel Something Wicked This Way Comes Cutter and Bone No Small Affair Nuts Starman Children of a Lesser God The Mrs. Manhattan Ghost Story Fertig Abbie Hoffmann biopic Survivors Wild Horses An Unfinished Life The Locked Room Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story Jumpshot

As actor Crime in the Streets (1956) as Lou Macklin The Long Goodbye (1973) as Marty Augustine Punchline (1988) as Romeo Havana (1990) as Meyer Lansky A Man Is Mostly Water (2000) as Distributor Hollywood Ending (2002) as Al Senior Entourage (2020) as Mark

Accolades

Directed Academy Award Performances

Under Rydell's direction, these actors have received Oscar nominations and wins for their performances of these respective roles. Year Performer Film Result Best Actor Oscar 1982 Henry Fonda On Golden Pond Best Actress Oscar 1974 Marsha Mason Cinderella Liberty 1980 Bette Midler The Rose 1982 Katharine Hepburn On Golden Pond 1985 Sissy Spacek The River 1992 Bette Midler For the Boys Best Supporting Actor Oscar 1970 Rupert Crosse The Reivers 1980 Frederic Forrest The Rose Best Supporting Actress Oscar 1982 Jane Fonda On Golden Pond