Mel Stuart (born Stuart Solomon; September 2, 1928 – August 9, 2012) was an American film director and producer who often worked with producer David L. Wolper, at whose production firm he worked for 17 years, before going freelance.
Early life
Stuart, born Stuart Solomon,
Career
Stuart directed the fantasy-musical Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). He directed other features, including If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), One Is a Lonely Number (1972) and Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135 (2000).
Stuart also directed feature documentaries including the 1964 Oscar-nominated John F. Kennedy documentary Four Days in November and the 1973 concert film Wattstax.
In addition he directed or produced over 180 films including movies of the week The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal, Bill, The Chisholms, and Ruby and Oswald, the television series Ripley's Believe It or Not!, and the documentaries The Making of the President 1960, 1964, and 1968, The Hobart Shakespeareans, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Man Ray — The Prophet of the Avant-Garde, George Plimpton and the Philharmonic, and The Poet's View. He was also nominated for the made-for-TV production Bill, starring Mickey Rooney.
Awards
He was awarded an Emmy award, an Academy Award nomination, a Peabody, and numerous other awards. Stuart also served as president of the International Documentary Association for two years.
Personal life
Stuart was born to Edgar and Cecille Solomon, graduated from New York University in 1949, and worked for an advertising company. Stuart married his first wife Harriet Rosalind Dolin on August 12, 1956. They had three children: Madeline, Peter, and Andrew. Madeline and Peter made appearances in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory though only Peter was credited. Stuart and Dolin divorced in 1979. He married his second wife Roberta Silberman in 1985, and they stayed together until her death in 2011.
- Brenda Starr (1976, TV)
- Welcome Back, Kotter (1977, TV)
- Ruby and Oswald (1978, TV)
- Mean Dog Blues (1978)
- The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal (1979, TV)
- The Chisholms (1980, TV)
- Sophia Loren: Her Own Story (1980, TV)
- The White Lions (1981)