#92;Documentary filmmaker David Maysles and his brother, Albert Maysles, played important roles in the development of #92;cinema verité, designing highly portable cameras and sound equipment that gave filmmakers minimal intrusion while documenting their subjects. Before teaming up with his brother in 1957, Maysles worked as a production assistant on two Marilyn Monroe features. The Maysles brothers formed their own production company in 1962 and went on to make many #92;documentary films for both the big screen and television. Their best-known #92;documentaries are Salesman (1969) and Gimme Shelter (1970); the latter was a disturbing, controversial chronicle of a Rolling Stones concert during which four people were killed by the Hell's Angels hired by the band to keep fans off the stage. The Maysles captured one of those brutal murders on film, repeatedly showing it throughout the #92;documentary. In 1974, David Maysles was nominated for an Academy Award for Valley Curtain, the first of three #92;documentaries looking at the life and work of idiosyncratic outdoor artist Christo. He continued working until his death on January 3, 1987; in addition to his #92;documentary Vladimir Horowitz: The Last Romantic, which was released the same year, another project, Beatles: The First U.S. Visit, was released posthumously in 1991. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Also Credited As:
David Paul Maysles
- Born:
January 10, 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts
- Died:
January 3, 1987.
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Job Titles:
Director, Documentarian, Producer, Sound recordist, Production assistant
Family
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Brother: Albert Maysles. older
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Sister: Barbara Maysles. older
Significant Others
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Companion: . married c. 1975
Education
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Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, psychology, BA
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Brookline High School, Brookline, Massachusetts
Milestones
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1955 Worked as production assistant for Marilyn Monroe Productions (on "Bus Stop" in the USA and "The Prince and the Showgirl" in England)
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1957 Filmmaking debut with brother, "Youth of Poland"
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1957 Joined brother on continent to collaborate on films
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1962 First film under new banner "Showman", made with Charlotte Zwerin; film was not released in the USA because its subject producer Joseph E Levine would not grant his permission
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1962 Formed Maysles Films, Inc.
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1964 With Zwerin and brother Albert, co-directed "What's Happening! The Beatles in the USA"
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1970 Co-directed (with Zwerin and Albert) and shared director of photography duties (with Albert) on "Gimme Shelter", documenting the Rolling Stones 1969 world tour
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1973 Shared Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short for "Christo's Valley Curtain"
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1974 Co-produced and co-directed the controversial "Grey Gardens"
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1978 made second film about the artist Christo, "Running Fence"; served as co-producer, co-director and sound recording mixer
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1990 Last film, the posthumously released "Christo in Paris"; credited as co-director and co-cinematographer
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After college graduation, joined US Army; posted in Germany serving at Headquarters Military Intelligence School, Oberammergau
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In the mid-1980s, worked on two documentary profiles of musicians, "Ozawa" (1984) and "Vladimir Horowitz: The Last Romantic" (1985); earned Emmy Award for the latter
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With brother, member of Drew Associates