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.
- 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