David Weisman
Encyclopedia
David Weisman is a film producer
, author
, and graphic artist who is most noted for his films Ciao! Manhattan
and Kiss of the Spider Woman. He is the brother of film director Sam Weisman
.
's assistant and designed the graphics and title sequence
for his 1967 Paramount
Production, Hurry Sundown
.
In 1967, Weisman was part of a splinter group from Andy Warhol
’s Factory who collaborated to make the experimental film, Ciao! Manhattan
, which Weisman eventually wound up co-directing with John Palmer (Empire
) and starring Edie Sedgwick
, (Poor Little Rich Girl). The film was not released until 1972 (almost 5 years after production began) but received little attention until 1982 when Edie: An American Biography, by Jean Stein
and George Plimpton
, was released and quickly became a bestseller.
Weisman's gift for languages (with fluency in French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Dutch) made him an “incurable nomad”; by the early 1980s, while in Brazil, he met and befriended fellow expat Manuel Puig
. Although Puig had repeatedly resisted other filmmakers’ attempts to acquire screen rights to his fourth novel, Kiss of the Spider Woman
, Weisman assembled an impressive team of actors and filmmakers, (including Burt Lancaster
and Hector Babenco
) convincing Puig to sell Weisman the rights. Weisman developed the film over several years, engaging Leonard Schrader
to write the screenplay and William Hurt
(replacing Burt Lancaster in the role of "Molina") to star opposite Raul Julia
as "Valentine". For his role as the film's sole producer, Weisman was honored with an Academy Award Best Picture nomination at the 58th Academy Awards
on March 24, 1986, at which event William Hurt won the Oscar for Best Actor.
On May 13, 2010 the film was honored upon its 25th anniversary as Cannes Classics opening selection at the 63rd annual Cannes International Film Festival. On July 10, 2010 the New York Times wrote about Weisman's efforts to preserve the extensive Kiss of the Spider Woman archive as an historical artifact.
Weisman’s other films include Naked Tango
, directed & written by Leonard Schrader and starring Vincent D'Onofrio
, Mathilda May
, Esai Morales
, and Fernando Rey
, filmed in Argentina with 1925 period "look" overseen by Weisman's co-producer, the Oscar-winning designer, Milena Canonero
. Spike of Bensonhurst
, directed by Paul Morrissey
and starring Sasha Mitchell
and Ernest Borgnine
, and Shogun Assassin
, a compilation of Japanese Samurai
films (dubbed
in English), released by Roger Corman
's New World Pictures. Weisman is credited by Quentin Tarantino
in Kill Bill Vol. 2 for clips used from Shogun Assassin
.
In 2006, Weisman co-authored a book with Melissa Painter for Chronicle Books
about Edie Sedgwick called Edie: Girl on Fire. He is at work on a documentary with the same title.
Since 2008, Weisman has been working with Paul Schrader
and Indian writer Mushtaq Shiekh, author of two Shah Rukh Khan biographies and screenwriter of Khan's Om Shanti Om, to produce a bilingual action thriller, Xtrme City. Schrader describes the film as, “cross-cultural entertainment that merges the cinematic traditions of Bollywood
and Hollywood.” Martin Scorsese
will co-produce the picture with Shah Rukh Khan and Weisman.
Edie: Girl on Fire (2010) (director)
Tangled Web: Making Kiss of the Spider Woman (2008) (director)
Manuel Puig: The Submissive Woman's Role (2008) (director)
Kiss of the Spider Woman: Making the Musical (2008) (director)
Naked Tango
(1991) (producer)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) (producer)
Growing Pains (1984) (executive producer)
The Killing of America (1982) (producer)
Shogun Assassin
(1980) (producer)
Ciao! Manhattan
(1972) (producer/co-director)
Hurry Sundown
(1967) (title designer)
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and graphic artist who is most noted for his films Ciao! Manhattan
Ciao! Manhattan
Ciao! Manhattan is a 1972 American avant garde film starring Edie Sedgwick, one of Andy Warhol's Superstars. Although not a documentary, the film centers around a character very closely based on Sedgwick, and deals with the pain of addiction and the lure of fame.-Film overview:Written and directed...
and Kiss of the Spider Woman. He is the brother of film director Sam Weisman
Sam Weisman
Sam Weisman is an American film director. He has directed the films D2: The Mighty Ducks, Bye Bye Love, George of the Jungle, The Out-of-Towners, What's the Worst That Could Happen?, and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star....
.
Film career
In the mid-1960s Weisman worked as Otto PremingerOtto Preminger
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
's assistant and designed the graphics and title sequence
Title sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
for his 1967 Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
Production, Hurry Sundown
Hurry Sundown (film)
Hurry Sundown is a 1967 American drama film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Jane Fonda and Michael Caine. The screenplay by Horton Foote and Thomas C. Ryan is based on the 1965 novel of the same title by K.B...
.
In 1967, Weisman was part of a splinter group from Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
’s Factory who collaborated to make the experimental film, Ciao! Manhattan
Ciao! Manhattan
Ciao! Manhattan is a 1972 American avant garde film starring Edie Sedgwick, one of Andy Warhol's Superstars. Although not a documentary, the film centers around a character very closely based on Sedgwick, and deals with the pain of addiction and the lure of fame.-Film overview:Written and directed...
, which Weisman eventually wound up co-directing with John Palmer (Empire
Empire (1964 film)
Empire is a silent, black-and-white film made by Andy Warhol. It consists of eight hours and five minutes of continuous slow motion footage of the Empire State Building in New York City. Abridged showings of the film were never allowed, and supposedly the very unwatchability of the film was an...
) and starring Edie Sedgwick
Edie Sedgwick
Edith Minturn "Edie" Sedgwick was an American actress, socialite, model and heiress. She is best known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars. Sedgwick became known as "The Girl of the Year" in 1965 after starring in several of Warhol's short films in the 1960s...
, (Poor Little Rich Girl). The film was not released until 1972 (almost 5 years after production began) but received little attention until 1982 when Edie: An American Biography, by Jean Stein
Jean Stein
-Biography:Jean Stein grew up in Los Angeles, the daughter of Dr. Jules Stein and his wife, Doris. She authored of two books and a pioneer of the narrative form of oral history. She is presently at work on a cultural and political history of Los Angeles, to be published by Farrar, Straus and...
and George Plimpton
George Plimpton
George Ames Plimpton was an American journalist, writer, editor, and actor. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found The Paris Review.-Early life:...
, was released and quickly became a bestseller.
Weisman's gift for languages (with fluency in French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Dutch) made him an “incurable nomad”; by the early 1980s, while in Brazil, he met and befriended fellow expat Manuel Puig
Manuel Puig
Manuel Puig was an Argentine author...
. Although Puig had repeatedly resisted other filmmakers’ attempts to acquire screen rights to his fourth novel, Kiss of the Spider Woman
Kiss of the Spider Woman (novel)
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a novel by the Argentine writer Manuel Puig. It is considered his most successful....
, Weisman assembled an impressive team of actors and filmmakers, (including Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
and Hector Babenco
Hector Babenco
Héctor Eduardo Babenco is an Argentine-born Brazilian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor.He has worked in several countries including Argentina, Brazil and the United States....
) convincing Puig to sell Weisman the rights. Weisman developed the film over several years, engaging Leonard Schrader
Leonard Schrader
Leonard Schrader was an American screenwriter and director, most notable for his ability to write Japanese language films and for his many collaborations with his brother, Paul Schrader...
to write the screenplay and William Hurt
William Hurt
William McGill Hurt is an American stage and film actor. He received his acting training at the Juilliard School, and began acting on stage in the 1970s. Hurt made his film debut as a troubled scientist in the science-fiction feature Altered States , for which he received a Golden Globe nomination...
(replacing Burt Lancaster in the role of "Molina") to star opposite Raul Julia
Raúl Juliá
Raúl Rafael Juliá y Arcelay was a Puerto Rican actor.Born in San Juan, he gained interest in acting while still in school. Upon completing his studies, Juliá decided to pursue a career in acting. After performing in the local scene for some time, he was convinced by entertainment personality Orson...
as "Valentine". For his role as the film's sole producer, Weisman was honored with an Academy Award Best Picture nomination at the 58th Academy Awards
58th Academy Awards
The 58th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1985, were held on March 24, 1986 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by Alan Alda, Jane Fonda and Robin Williams. The ceremony was watched by 38.93 million viewers, tying the 78th Academy Awards as...
on March 24, 1986, at which event William Hurt won the Oscar for Best Actor.
On May 13, 2010 the film was honored upon its 25th anniversary as Cannes Classics opening selection at the 63rd annual Cannes International Film Festival. On July 10, 2010 the New York Times wrote about Weisman's efforts to preserve the extensive Kiss of the Spider Woman archive as an historical artifact.
Weisman’s other films include Naked Tango
Naked Tango
Naked Tango is a 1991 film written and directed by Leonard Schrader. It starred Vincent D'Onofrio, Mathilda May, Esai Morales and Fernando Rey.-Plot summary:...
, directed & written by Leonard Schrader and starring Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, film producer, writer, and singer. Often referred to as an actor's actor, his work as a character actor has earned him the nickname of "Human Chameleon"...
, Mathilda May
Mathilda May
Mathilda May is a French film actress.-Early life:May was born in Paris. Her father is playwright Victor Haïm, who is of Greek and Turkish descent. Her mother is Swedish ballet teacher and choreographer Margareta Hanson...
, Esai Morales
Esai Morales
Esai Manuel Morales is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Bob Morales in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. He also appeared in the PBS drama American Family and in the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. However, he is best known for his roles as Lt...
, and Fernando Rey
Fernando Rey
Fernando Casado Arambillet , best known as Fernando Rey, was a Spanish film, theatre, and TV actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States...
, filmed in Argentina with 1925 period "look" overseen by Weisman's co-producer, the Oscar-winning designer, Milena Canonero
Milena Canonero
Milena Canonero is an Italian costume designer, working both for films and stage productions. She has won three Academy Awards for Best Costume design, and been nominated for it eight times.-Career:...
. Spike of Bensonhurst
Spike of Bensonhurst
Spike of Bensonhurst is a 1988 comedy-drama and mafia film directed by Paul Morrissey and starring Sasha Mitchell. The film also features Ernest Borgnine, Maria Pitillo, Dave Bettge, and Talisa Soto.-Plot:...
, directed by Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey is an American film director, best-known for his association with Andy Warhol.Morrissey attended Ampleforth College, a private Roman Catholic boarding school and Fordham University, both Roman Catholic schools, and later served in the United States Army...
and starring Sasha Mitchell
Sasha Mitchell
Sasha Mitchell is an American actor best known for his television roles as James Richard Beaumont on Dallas and Cody Lambert on Step by Step. Mitchell also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.-Personal life:...
and Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty...
, and Shogun Assassin
Shogun Assassin
Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. In 2006 it was restored and re-released on DVD in North America by AnimEigo....
, a compilation of Japanese Samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
films (dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
in English), released by Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
's New World Pictures. Weisman is credited by Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
in Kill Bill Vol. 2 for clips used from Shogun Assassin
Shogun Assassin
Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. In 2006 it was restored and re-released on DVD in North America by AnimEigo....
.
In 2006, Weisman co-authored a book with Melissa Painter for Chronicle Books
Chronicle Books
Chronicle Books is a San Francisco-based American publisher of books for adults and children.The company was established in 1968 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, then-publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1999 it was bought by Nion McEvoy, great-grandson of...
about Edie Sedgwick called Edie: Girl on Fire. He is at work on a documentary with the same title.
Since 2008, Weisman has been working with Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader
Paul Joseph Schrader is an American screenwriter, film director, and former film critic. Apart from his credentials as a director, Schrader is most notably known for his screenplays for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Raging Bull....
and Indian writer Mushtaq Shiekh, author of two Shah Rukh Khan biographies and screenwriter of Khan's Om Shanti Om, to produce a bilingual action thriller, Xtrme City. Schrader describes the film as, “cross-cultural entertainment that merges the cinematic traditions of Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
and Hollywood.” Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
will co-produce the picture with Shah Rukh Khan and Weisman.
Selected filmography
Xtrme City (2011) (producer)Edie: Girl on Fire (2010) (director)
Tangled Web: Making Kiss of the Spider Woman (2008) (director)
Manuel Puig: The Submissive Woman's Role (2008) (director)
Kiss of the Spider Woman: Making the Musical (2008) (director)
Naked Tango
Naked Tango
Naked Tango is a 1991 film written and directed by Leonard Schrader. It starred Vincent D'Onofrio, Mathilda May, Esai Morales and Fernando Rey.-Plot summary:...
(1991) (producer)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) (producer)
Growing Pains (1984) (executive producer)
The Killing of America (1982) (producer)
Shogun Assassin
Shogun Assassin
Shogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. In 2006 it was restored and re-released on DVD in North America by AnimEigo....
(1980) (producer)
Ciao! Manhattan
Ciao! Manhattan
Ciao! Manhattan is a 1972 American avant garde film starring Edie Sedgwick, one of Andy Warhol's Superstars. Although not a documentary, the film centers around a character very closely based on Sedgwick, and deals with the pain of addiction and the lure of fame.-Film overview:Written and directed...
(1972) (producer/co-director)
Hurry Sundown
Hurry Sundown (film)
Hurry Sundown is a 1967 American drama film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Jane Fonda and Michael Caine. The screenplay by Horton Foote and Thomas C. Ryan is based on the 1965 novel of the same title by K.B...
(1967) (title designer)