As reported by Variety, filmmaker Arthur Hiller—the director behind the 1970 romantic drama Love Story—has died. He was 92.
Hiller was born in Canada in 1923, and though his parents weren’t really part of the entertainment industry, they would put on a play every year or so for the fellow members of their local Jewish community. After serving in Canada’s Air Force during World War II, he went to college and got a job directing local productions for Canadian radio. He moved onto TV by the time it started taking off and eventually attracted the attention of NBC, which led to him getting directing gigs on shows like Gunsmoke, Thriller, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
In 1957, Hiller directed his first film, The Careless Years, but he primarily remained in the TV world for the next decade. By the late-’60s, though, he switched over to directing movies like The Wheeler Dealers, The Americanization Of Emily (starring James Garner and Julie Andrews), and Tobruk. His biggest hit came in 1970, when he directed the iconic romantic drama Love Story—based on the book by Erich Segal. Hiller’s Love Story was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and it frequently appears on lists of the most romantic movies of all time.
Hiller went on what Variety refers to as a “hot streak” around this time, releasing a series of hits in addition to Love Story: The Out Of Towners, The Hospital, and Plaza Suite. He continued directing films for the next few decades, including a couple films with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor (Silver Streak and See No Evil, Hear No Evil), as well as The Babe, The In-Laws, Making Love, and W.C. Fields And Me. His final film, National Lampoon’s Pucked, was released in 2006.