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Robert Altman: A Retrospective

M*A*S*H (1970)
April 4, 2014 -
June 29, 2014


Susan King spotlights the series in the Los Angeles Times.

Mark Olsen celebrates Robert Altman in the Los Angeles Times.

Among the directors whose work is discussed under the rubric of the New Hollywood, that radical re-flowering of the American film establishment in the late 1960s and early 1970s, none stands out more distinctively than Kansas City native Robert Altman. Already a veteran of industrial films and television with one studio feature and a handful of independent productions under his belt, Altman was older than the recent film-school graduates making their mark in the shifting industry. The astounding, serendipitous success of M*A*S*H in 1970, however, rendered Altman a figure of international renown, praised as an innovator and a trailblazer. Studio executives would have been happy to bottle this lightning and share in the praise, but the newly vindicated auteur routinely chose unlikely projects, bucked studio authority and developed a working method (famously involving improvisation and experimentation) that delighted some collaborators (particularly actors) and alarmed others (including many writers, and some executives). Consigned at times to seeming exile as an independent, Altman nonetheless powered through the decades, amassing an astoundingly diverse, innovative, personal and fruitful cinematic legacy. This retrospective celebrates the major achievements of that career, offering screenings of prints from Altman’s private collection---now held by UCLA Film & Television Archive; feature restorations performed by the Archive; examples of his work in television, industrial filmmaking and independent production; glimpses of Altman in the films of others; and a special screening of the new biographical documentary Altman (2014), exploring his life and work.

Special thanks to: Kathryn Altman; Matthew Seig—Sandcastle 5 Productions; Ron Mann; Jill Burkhart, Lisa Ellenbogen, Kirk Iwankowski, Justin Rebelo—Epix. 

Thanks to: Ron Magliozzi—Museum of Modern Art, New York; Jesse Wente—TIFF Bell Lightbox; Mary Huelsbeck—Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research; Wisconsin Historical Society; Rick Prelinger—Prelinger Archives; Kyle Westphal—Northwest Chicago Film Society; Gary Huggins.

Past Programs & Events

Title Date and Time Location
The Company (2003)

The Company (2003)  /  A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

Sunday, June 29, 2014 - 7:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Gosford Park (2001)

Gosford Park (2001)

Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)  /  Quintet (1979)

Friday, June 27, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Vincent & Theo (1990)

Vincent & Theo (1990)  /  Zinc Ointment (1971)

Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Robert Altman behind-the-scenes

Altman (2014)

Friday, June 20, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Images (1972)

Images (1972)  /  That Cold Day in the Park (1969)  /  Damages (2001)

Sunday, June 15, 2014 - 7:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Thieves Like Us (1974)

Thieves Like Us (1974)  /  Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976)

Monday, June 9, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Popeye (1980)

Popeye (1980)

Sunday, June 8, 2014 - 11:00 am Billy Wilder Theater
Short Cuts (1993)

Short Cuts (1993) /  Color-Sonics CS-2007

Saturday, June 7, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Kansas City (1996)

Kansas City (1996)  /  Robert Altman's Jazz '34 (1997)

Sunday, June 1, 2014 - 7:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "Together"

"Altman and Television"

Sunday, June 1, 2014 - 3:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
The Player (1992)

The Player (1992)

Saturday, May 31, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
California Split (1974)

California Split (1974)  /  The Long Goodbye (1973)

Thursday, May 29, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Secret Honor (1984)

Secret Honor (1984)  /  Precious Blood (1982)

Saturday, May 17, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
A Wedding (1978)

A Wedding (1978)  /  Dinah!: "Dinah Goes to A Wedding"

Sunday, May 11, 2014 - 7:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Corn's-A-Poppin' (1956)

Selected Industrial Films from The Calvin Company  /  Corn's-A-Poppin' (1956)

Sunday, May 4, 2014 - 7:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Ready to Wear (Prêt-à-porter) (1994)

Ready to Wear (Prêt-à-porter) (1994)  /  Go to Health (1980)  /  Color-Sonics CS-2000: "Girl Talk"

Saturday, May 3, 2014 - 3:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
M*A*S*H (1970)

M*A*S*H (1970)  /  Pot Au Feu (1965)

Saturday, April 26, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Countdown (1968

Countdown (1968)  /  Modern Football (1951)

Saturday, April 19, 2014 - 3:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
3 Women (1977)

3 Women (1977)  /  Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)

Sunday, April 13, 2014 - 7:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Brewster McCloud (1970)

Brewster McCloud (1970)  /  Behind the Scenes of Brewster McCloud (excerpt) (1970)

Friday, April 11, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
A Perfect Couple (1979)

A Perfect Couple (1979)  /  The Kathryn Reed Story (1965)

Monday, April 7, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
The James Dean Story (1957)

The James Dean Story (1957)  /  Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "The Young One"  /  The Delinquents (1957)

Saturday, April 5, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater
Nashville (1975)

Nashville (1975)  /  Color-Sonics CS-2010: "The Party"

Friday, April 4, 2014 - 7:30 pm Billy Wilder Theater