(L-R) Director Michael Apted, DGA President Paris Barclay and director Arthur Hiller speak onstage at the 68th Annual Directors Guild Of America Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on February 6, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo : Getty Images / Alberto E. Rodriguez)
The director who was Oscar-nominated and earned a Golden Globe award for his highly popular romantic tragedy "Love Story" died of natural causes on Aug. 17, Wednesday. He was 92. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which he served as president from 1993 to 1997 announced his death.
The versatile director brought out the best in actors and writers he worked with, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was a sympathetic colleague to many performers, a legacy he left Hollywood, and to the world, an unforgettable "Love Story."
Based on the popular novel of the same title by Erich Segal, Hiller's hit was among the most popular movies of 1970. Starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal as star-crossed lovers, it spanned many TV shows and popular films. Though considered by some as overly syrupy, the film brought tears to its viewers and created the phrase that "Love means never having to say you're sorry."
Hiller who started directing in the 1950s with "Gunsmoke," "The Rifleman" and "Perry Mason," got busy with two decades of work, thanks to the success of "Love Story." He directed several feature films from 1970 to 1990, as well as drama and comedy.
Hiller worked on notable dramas with several actors and actresses, including Julie Andrews, James Garner, George Peppard, Rock Hudson and Maximilian Schell. His later films include "Taking Care of Business" (1990), "The Babe" (1992) and "Carpool" (1996).
The Canadian director had been versatile and even willing to take on projects not worthy of his talent, which may have hindered his recognition. His better films were reviewed well but critics killed his lesser ones. He served as president of the Directors Guild of America while the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him Jean Hersholt award for humanitarian service in 2002.
The director was born in Edmonton, Alberta, where his parents operated a theatre and a Yiddish school. He married Gwen Pechet in 1948, and they were blessed with a son and a daughter, Henryk and Erica Hiller Carpenter.
Hiller and his wife were together for 68 years until she died in June. He is survived by his son and daughter, as well as five grandchildren, according to the academy.
Here is one of Hiller's unforgettable legacies.
