Today’s New York Times reported the death of director Stuart Rosenberg on March 15th at his home in Beverly Hills, California. Rosenberg was widely known for his direction of Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman and Strother Martin. He also worked with Newman on other films including Pocket Money (1972) and The Drowning Pool (1975).
If you weren’t aware that Rosenberg cut his directing teeth in the early days of television on such shows as The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, you might be surprised to learn his most commercially successful film was the original 1979 version of Amityville Horror. 1980 found him directing another prison film, Brubaker with Robert Redford.
By the way, the library will shortly order two other Rosenberg films that we are remiss in owning. Please check our catalog next week to place a hold on The Laughing Policeman with Walter Matthau and The Pope of Greenwich Village with Eric Roberts as well as the original Amityville Horror.