Barry Levinson Biography (1942-)

Born April 6, 1942, in Baltimore, MD; son of Irvin (in furniture and appliance business) and Vi (maiden name, Krichinsky) Levinson; married Valerie Curtin(an actress and writer), December, 1977 (some sources cite 1975; divorced, 1982); married Diana Mona Rhodes (an artist); children: (second marriage) Jack, Sam; (stepchildren) Patrick, Michelle (an actress). Addresses: Agent: Jeremy Zimmer, United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., 5th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Manager: Stephanie Davis, Artists Management Group, 9465Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Publicist: Simon Halls, PMK/HBH, 8500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.; Contact: c/o Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Director, producer, writer, actor
Birth Details: April 6, 1942; Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Director
Diner, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1982
The Natural, TriStar, 1984
Young Sherlock Holmes (also known as Pyramid of Fear), Paramount, 1985
Tin Men, Buena Vista, 1987
Good Morning, Vietnam, Buena Vista, 1988
Rain Man, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1988
Avalon, TriStar, 1990
Bugsy, TriStar, 1991
Toys, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992
Jimmy Hollywood, Paramount, 1994
Disclosure, Warner Bros., 1994
Sleepers, Warner Bros., 1996
Wag the Dog, New Line Cinema, 1997
Sphere, Warner Bros., 1998
Liberty Heights, Warner Bros., 1999
Original Diner Guys (documentary), Baltimore/Spring Creek Productions, 1999
An Everlasting Piece, DreamWorks, 2000
Bandits, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2001
Film Producer
(With Mark Johnson) Avalon, TriStar, 1990
(With Johnson and Warren Beatty) Bugsy, TriStar, 1991
Toys, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992
(With others) Jimmy Hollywood, Paramount, 1994
(With others) Disclosure, Warner Bros., 1994
(With others) Sleepers, Warner Bros., 1996
Donnie Brasco, TriStar, 1997
Wag the Dog, New Line Cinema, 1997
Sphere, Warner Bros., 1998
Home Fries, Warner Bros., 1998
Analyze This, Warner Bros., 1999
Liberty Heights, Warner Bros., 1999
Original Diner Guys (documentary), Baltimore/Spring Creek Productions, 1999
An Everlasting Piece, DreamWorks, 2000
Bandits, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2001
Possession, USA Films, 2002
Film Executive Producer
Kafka, Miramax, 1991
The Perfect Storm, Warner Bros., 1999
Analyze That, Warner Bros., 2002
Also executive producer, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, Warner Bros.
Film Appearances
Executive, Silent Movie, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
Bellboy, High Anxiety, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1978
Column salesperson, History of the World, Part I, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
(Uncredited) Doctor, Rain Man, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists,1988
Director of life story, Jimmy Hollywood, Paramount, 1994
Dave Garroway, Quiz Show, Buena Vista, 1994

Original Diner Guys (documentary), Baltimore/Spring Creek Productions, 1999
Television Work
Series
Executive producer, Harry, ABC, 1987
Editor, Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as H: LOTSand Homicide), NBC, 1993-1996
(with Tom Fontana) Executive producer, Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as H: LOTS and Homicide), NBC, 1993-1999
Creator and executive producer, Oz, HBO, 1997
Executive producer, The Beat, UPN, 2000
Executive producer, Falcone, CBS, 2000
Executive producer, Baseball Wives, HBO, 2002
Television Executive Producer
Movies
Rio Diablo, 1993
(With Chip Diggins), The Second Civil War, HBO, 1997
Homicide: The Movie, NBC, 2000
Shot in the Heart, HBO, 2001
Television Director
Episodic
"Gone for Goode," Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as H: LOTS and Homicide), NBC, c. 1993
The Beat, UPN, 2000
Also director of "The Gas Man," Homicide: Life on the Street (alsoknown as H: LOTS and Homicide), NBC.
Television Work
Other
Executive producer and director, Diner (pilot), CBS, 1983
Producer, D.P., 1985
Executive producer and director, The 20th Century: Yesterday's Tomorrows (special), Showtime, 1999
Executive producer, American Tragedy (miniseries), CBS, 2000
Executive producer of Stopwatch: 30 Minutes of Investigative Ticking (special).
Television Appearances
Series
Host, Stand Up Spotlight, VH1, 1993
Specials
Himself, Diamonds on the Silver Screen, AMC, 1992
Inside the Academy Awards, TNT, 1995
Robbie Robertson: Going Home (also known as Going Home), The Disney Channel, 1995
Himself, AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies, CBS, 2000
Himself, Unitas, HBO, 2000
Narrator, Fiddler on the Roof: 30 Years of Tradition, 2001
(Uncredited; in archive footage) Himself, Who Is Alan Smithee?, AMC, 2002
Episodic
The Lohman and Barkley Show, NBC, 1969
The Tim Conway Comedy Hour, CBS, 1970
The Carol Burnett Show, CBS, 1974, 1975
"Larry's Agent," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1993
Himself, "The Documentary," Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as H: LOTS and Homicide), NBC, 1996
Also appeared in an episode of The Directors, Encore.
WRITINGS
Screenplays
(With Michael Miller) Street Girls, 1974
(With Mel Brooks, Ron Clark, and Rudy De Luca) Silent Movie, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
(With Brooks, Clark, and De Luca) High Anxiety, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1978
(With Valerie Curtin) ... And Justice for All, Columbia, 1979
(With Curtin) Inside Moves, Associated Film Distributors, 1980
(Uncredited) Tootsie (also known as Would I Lie to You?), Columbia, 1982
Diner, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1982, published in Avalon, Tin Men, Diner: Three Screenplays, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1990
(With Curtin) Best Friends, Warner Bros., 1982
(With Curtin and Robert Klane) Unfaithfully Yours (adapted from the Preston Sturges film of the same title), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1984
Tin Men, Buena Vista, 1987, published in Avalon, Tin Men, Diner: Three Screenplays, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1990
Avalon, TriStar, 1990, published in Avalon, Tin Men, Diner: Three Screenplays, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1990
(With Curtin) Toys, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992
Jimmy Hollywood, Paramount, 1994
Sleepers (based on a book by Lorenzo Carcaterra), Warner Bros., 1996
Liberty Heights, Warner Bros., 1999
Television Series
Lohman and Barkley Show, NBC, 1969
The Tim Conway Comedy Hour, CBS, 1970
The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine, Associated Television, 1971-1972ABC, 1972
The John Byner Comedy Hour, CBS, 1972
The Carol Burnett Show, CBS, 1974-1975
Books
Avalon, Tin Men, Diner: Three Screenplays, Atlantic Monthly Press,1990
Levinson on Levinson, edited by David Thompson, Faber & Faber(Winchester, MA), 1992

Further Reference

ADAPTATIONS

Some episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street were based on ideasor stories by Levinson.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

Movieline, November, 2001, p. 24
New York Times, March 11, 1990
Playboy, March, 1989, pp. 112, 114, 134-138
Premiere, November, 1996, pp. 59-62
Starlog, April, 1998

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