Elliot Silverstein, ‘Cat Ballou’ Director, Dies at 96
Elliot Silverstein, known for directing films such as “Cat Ballou” and “A Man Called Horse,” died on Nov. 24 in Los Angeles, his family confirmed via Legacy. He was 96.
After working on episodes of TV series like “The Twilight Zone,” “Naked City” and “Route 66,” Silverstein made his feature directorial debut in 1965 with “Cat Ballou,” which starred Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin. Silverstein suggested Marvin play Kid Shelleen when Kirk Douglas turned down the role in the Western comedy. When a producer wanted to replace Marvin with José Ferrer, Silverstein threatened to quit. Marvin ended up winning an Oscar for his role in the film.
Silverstein went on to direct the Anthony Quinn-led “The Happening,” “A Man Called Horse,” starring Richard Harris, and the cult classic “The Car” with James Brolin. He was also integral in forming the Bill of Creative Rights for directors.
While working on his “Twilight Zone” episode “The Obsolete Man,” the editor refused to cut the ending the way Silverstein wanted. This experience led him to the discovery that directors only had the right to view the first rough cut and express their improvements to the associate producer. Finding that a director’s rights were limited, Silverstein urged the Directors Guild of America president George Sidney to authorize a committee in November 1963, which Silverstein chaired. The committee included Robert Altman and Sydney Pollack. They met every Sunday for six months, eventually coming up with the Bill of Rights in April 1964.
One declaration within the Bill of Creative Rights defined the Director’s Cut: “The arrangement of the recorded images and sounds in a relationship the Director considers proper shall be known as the ‘Director’s Cut.’ It is the Director’s creative right and obligation to prepare this cut, and he must be given the time he deems necessary to fulfill this function.”
By fall 1964, the DGA incorporated the Bill of Creative Rights and the Director’s Cut — now known as the cornerstone of all director’s rights — into its new contract with producers. The DGA gave Silverstein the Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award from the DGA in 1985. He was named an honorary life member of the guild in 1990.
“Every director today owes a debt of gratitude to Elliot Silverstein. No one ever worked harder or was more passionate about protecting artists from having their work and vision altered than Elliot. He knew how deeply intertwined the end product was with a director’s authority to execute their vision, and that these rights were essential for their best work to shine through,” DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement. “Through his work and determination he helped codify and negotiate a list of creative necessities with producers through the development of the Bill of Creative Rights – something which governs the rights of DGA members to this day.”
The statement furthers: “Elliott’s commitment to the needs of directors knew no bounds. He once purposely made a spectacle in the middle of the Universal Studios lot, dragging a chair into the street as his ‘office’ to draw attention to the fact that producers refused to provide workspaces for directors. Thanks to him, that changed in the next round of negotiations. Elliot went on to serve in Guild leadership for four decades, and his tremendous impact earned him almost every service Award the Guild could bestow, including the Robert B. Aldrich Award in 1985, Honorary Life Membership in 1990, and the DGA Honors John Huston Award in 2002. His legacy endures in every director’s chair today. He will be deeply missed.”
Silverstein also founded the Artists Rights Foundation in the 1990s to advocate for the concept of filmmakers’ moral rights. Under his leadership, the Foundation secured two major legal victories in Europe, which set a precedent to protect a director’s work globally. The Artists Rights Foundation consolidated into the Film Foundation under the DGA in 2002. Silverstein served as chair of the Film Foundation’s Artists Rights Education and Legal Defense Fund Council, continuing to defend directors’ rights.
“Elliot Silverstein was a tireless champion of the creative rights of filmmakers — he fought valiantly to preserve the vision and original intent of all artists. Every American filmmaker has benefited from his fierce dedication,” Martin Scorsese, the Film Foundation founder and chair, said in a statement.
Born on Aug. 3, 1927, in Boston, Silverstein was raised in Dorchester, Mass. He attended Boston College, changing his major from biology to drama, and Yale University for directing. He made his start directing and producing plays for Brandeis University. In 1958, Silverstein directed the Broadway comedy “Maybe Tuesday” before moving to television.
Following his retirement, Silverstein taught at the University of Southern California. He is survived by his brother Jason.
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