Bert Schneider dies at 78

Film producer Bert Schneider, who had been behind key films from the late sixties and '70s including "Easy Driver," "Five Easy Pieces," "The Final Picture Show" and "Times of Paradise" with the kind of Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson and introduced "The Monkees" to TV, died Monday, 12 ,. 12, of natural causes in La. He was 78. Schneider also gained a best documentary Oscar in 1975 for "Hearts and Minds." In the book "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls," Peter Biskind known as Schneider "the eminence grise from the American New Wave." Elevated in New Rochelle, N.Y., Berton Schneider was the boy of Columbia Pictures leader Abraham Schneider but were built with a edgy streak that saw him eliminated from Cornell U. in early '50s. Bert Schneider began his entertainment career in early sixties at Screen Gems, Columbia's TV division. He and Rafelson teamed to create Raybert Prods. in 1965 and introduced "The Monkees" to NBC the following year the happy couple shared an Emmy for that sitcom in regards to a imaginary rock-band in 1967 after which introduced this guitar rock band towards the bigscreen the year after within the counterculture, stream-of-awareness film "Mind," composed by Rafelson and Nicholson, directed by Rafelson and professional created by Schneider. Although the anarchic film wasn't successful at that time with either conventional fans from the Monkees or arthouse audiences, it later acquired a popularity plus some critical appreciation the point is, money from the prosperity of the Monkees (related merchandise produced sales of $20 million approximately in 1966) enabled the group's further motion picture explorations. Schneider compensated $350,000 for that privileges towards the biker pic that will become "Easy Driver," a substantial box office hit in 1969 that assisted usher with what has become known as the brand new Hollywood. Schneider required the project in hands making sure it had been edited (by Henry Jaglom instead of director Dennis Hopper), making certain the film's completion and release. In "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls," Biskind quotes Brooke Hayward, Hopper's first wife, as saying, "Bert was the heroic messiah of this movie. Without him, there'd not have been an 'Easy Driver.'" Next came the groundbreaking Rafelson-directed "Five Easy Pieces," starring Nicholson, in 1970. With the help of partner Steve Blauner, Schneider and Rafelson's company grew to become BBS Prods. (for Bert, Bob and Steve). They switched out Peter Bogdanovich's seminal "The Final Picture Show" (1971) in addition to Nicholson's pointing debut, "Drive, He Stated" Henry Jaglom's first film, "A Secure Place" and also the Peter Davis-directed docu "Hearts and Minds," which investigated the difficulties within the attitudes of Vietnam War protesters. In the acceptance speech Schneider read a "message of peace" towards the United states citizens in the North Vietnamese delegation towards the peace talks then under means by Paris, angering many people from the Film Academy establishment. Schneider also created Richard Patterson's documentary on Charlie Chaplin "The Gentleman Tramp" like a person in the Academy's board of governors, he was instrumental within the Academy's decision to give an eternity achievement award on Chaplin and arranged his go back to the U.S. to get it. Younger crowd professional created Jaglom's "Tracks" and created "Times of Paradise" (1978), from Terrence Malick, who had earlier done Nicholson's "Drive, He Stated." Schneider's last creating credit came around the little-seen 1981 Michie Gleason film "Damaged British." Peter Fonda based his character in Steven Soderbergh's "The Limey," record producer Terry Valentine, partially on Schneider, based on Fonda's interview around the DVD for your film. This Year the Qualifying criterion Collection released the seven-film box set "America Lost and located: The BBS Story," including "Mind," "Easy Driver" and "Five Easy Pieces." Schneider was deeply involved with progressive causes such as the Civil Privileges and anti-Vietnam war actions and gave financial and public support to groups like the Black Panther Party. He would be a founding board person in Medical Help to El Salvador. Schneider continued to be near to Nicholson through the years, even remaining at his house for lengthy periods. Schneider's late siblings Stanley and Harold were also connected with Columbia Pictures, using the former becoming leader from the studio similar to their father. He was married first to Judith Feinberg and then to Greta Ronningen third wife Ariane died right after their marriage. Children include his two kids with Judy, Audrey Simon and Jeffrey Schneider, in addition to four grandchildren. Buddies may contact among the family directly at rulebook@youaretoo.internet or 424-234-6799. Donations may made be produced towards the Abbie Hoffman Activist Foundation, P.O. Box 908, NY, NY 10156. Contact Carmel Dagan at carmel.dagan@variety.com