by Conan Simmons – July 9, 2021 – 4:42 am
The influential underground filmmaker who made his mark from the 1960’s into the 1990’s, Robert Downey Sr., passed away July 7 in New York City.
The father of Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr., Robert Downey Sr. was born June 24, 1936 in New York City. He made his film debut writing, directing, producing and acting in the short film ‘Balls Bluff’ in 1961. A few years later, in 1964, he moved into independently made underground features with the film ‘Babo 73’.
At the time of the early 1960’s the Hollywood studio system was nearing its end as the New Hollywood, a less studio branded more filmmaker focused industry, was about to emerge in the last half of the decade. This was also a time when the true independent films tended to be more avant-garde and experimental eschewing the commercialism of exploitation fair turned out by independent studios such as American International Pictures.
Two of Downey Sr.’s best known films coincided with the hugely influential counter culture youth movement of the late 1960’s early 1970’s. ‘Putney Swope’ in 1969 and ‘Greaser’s Palace’ in 1972, featuring Toni Basil, Don Calfa and Herve Villechaize, were both influential satires on race and religion.
In 1980 Robert Downey Sr. took his satirical wit to a somewhat more mainstream audience with the aided benefit of bigger budgets compared to the films he started out with. Though the budgets were still very low compared to major Hollywood films, he directed the Mad Magazine produced military school comedy ‘Up the Academy’ starring Ralph Macchio.
Directing a few episodes of the rebooted tv series ‘The Twilight Zone’ in the mid 1980’s, Robert Downey Sr. started focusing more on low budget comedies. Directing ‘Rented Lips’ in 1988 starring Jennifer Tilly, Martin Mull, Dick Shawn and featuring his son Robert Downey Jr., before directing ‘Too Much Sun’ in 1990 starring comedians Eric Idle and Andrea Martin along with James Hong, Ralph Macchio and Robert Downey Jr.
In 1997 Robert Downey Sr. worked with a slew of noteworthy stars in his feature comedy ‘Hugo Pool’. The cast included not only Robert Downey Jr. but Alyssa Milano, Cathy Moriarty, Sean Penn, Malcolm McDowell, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Dempsey, Ann Magnuson, Richard Lewis and Chuck Barris. This was years after Chuck Barris had hosted the popular tv game show ‘The Gong Show’ which Robert Downey Sr. was a writer for 1980’s ‘The Gong Show Movie’.
Robert Downey Sr. also acted occasionally in movies and tv shows appearing in an episode of ‘Matlock’ and the film ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ in 1985, the Paul Thomas Anderson directed pictures ‘Boogie Nights’ and ‘Magnolia’ in 1997 and 1999, and the Eddie Murphy comedy ‘Tower Heist’ in 2011.
Robert Downey Sr.’s final directorial credit was the 2005 documentary, ‘Rittenhouse Square’.