Bert Schneider

{{Short description|American film and television producer (1933-2011)}} {{About|the American television and film producer}} {{Infobox person | name = Bert Schneider | image =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Berton Jerome Schneider | birth_date = {{Birth date|1933|5|5}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|12|12|1933|5|5}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | nationality = | citizenship = | alma_mater = [[Cornell University]] | years_active = | spouse = Judith Feinberg (divorced); three subsequent marriages | children = 2 | parents = Abraham Schneider | relatives = }}

'''Berton''' "'''Bert'''" '''Jerome Schneider''' (May 5, 1933{{spaced ndash}}December 12, 2011) was an American [[film producer|film]] and [[television producer]].

He was responsible for several topical films of the late 1960s and early 1970s,<ref>{{cite news|author=Elaine Woo |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-xpm-2011-dec-14-la-me-bert-schneider-20111214-story.html |title=Bert Schneider obituary: 'Easy Rider' producer dies at 78 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2011-12-14 |access-date=2013-11-05}}</ref> including the [[road movie|road film]] ''[[Easy Rider]]'' (1969), directed by [[Dennis Hopper]].

==Early life and education== Schneider was born to a wealthy [[American Jews|Jewish]] family<ref name=Biskind>Biskind, Peter [https://books.google.com/books?id=J3ucTdpeE9YC&q=bert+schneider&pg=P Easy Riders Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-And Rock 'N Roll Generation Saved Hollywood] {{ISBN|9780684857084}} - {{ISBN|0684857081}} - Publisher: Simon & Schuster - Publish Date: April 1999 p.55</ref> in [[New York City]]<ref name=TelegraphObit>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8957007/Bert-Schneider.html|title=Bert Scneider|publisher=The Telegraph|access-date=8 July 2015|location=London|date=2011-12-14}}</ref> and raised in [[New Rochelle, New York]].<ref name=Biskind /> His father was Abraham Schneider (1905-1993), who succeeded [[Harry Cohn]] as the president of [[Columbia Pictures]].<ref name=Biskind /> He was the middle of three brothers, the younger Harold and the elder Stanley.<ref name=Biskind /> Schneider tended toward the rebellious politics of the day. Briefly a student at [[Cornell University]], located in [[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca]], New York, he was ultimately expelled.<ref>{{cite news|author=[[Ronald Bergan]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/14/bert-schneider |title=Bert Schneider obituary |work=The Guardian |date= 2011-12-14|access-date=2013-11-05 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2011/12/bert-schneider-dead-producer-of-easy-rider-five-easy-pieces-the-last-picture-show-204852/ |title=R.I.P. Bert Schneider |date=14 December 2011 |publisher=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=2013-11-05}}</ref>

His brother, Harold Schneider, also became a film producer.

==Career== In 1953, he worked for [[Screen Gems]], Columbia's television division in [[Los Angeles]].<ref name=Biskind /> In 1965, Schneider formed a partnership with the [[film director]] [[Bob Rafelson]], creating [[Raybert Productions]]. The duo brought to television ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]'' (1966–1968), a [[situation comedy]] about a fictional [[rock band]] (who became a real group, [[The Monkees]], to meet public demand, and their own aspirations).

The success of ''The Monkees'' allowed Schneider and Rafelson to break into feature films, first with the [[counterculture]] film ''[[Head (film)|Head]]'' (1968), starring The Monkees, directed by Rafelson and featuring a screenplay co-written by Rafelson and [[Jack Nicholson]]. The film bombed in its initial release due to poor distribution and the lack of a target audience for 1968.<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063049/|title=Head (1968)|publisher=IMDb.com|access-date=2013-11-05}}</ref> Monkees fans were disappointed that the disjointed, [[Stream of consciousness writing|stream-of-consciousness]] ring of stories was not just an expanded episode. [[Art film]] enthusiasts may have embraced its creativity but were not interested in a film by the "pre-fab four."<ref name="Allmusic"/> In recent years, the film has received above average reviews from critics and fans alike as an interesting 1960s period piece.<ref name="Allmusic"/>

They had their first major success with ''[[Easy Rider]]'' (1969), which ushered in the era of [[New Hollywood]]. Then followed with the [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] ''[[Five Easy Pieces]]'' (1970), which Rafelson directed. Following ''Five Easy Pieces'', Schneider and Rafelson added a partner, [[Stephen Blauner]], and Raybert turned into [[BBS Productions]].

They subsequently made a series of films, including the drama films ''[[The Last Picture Show]]'' (1971), directed by [[Peter Bogdanovich]] and ''[[The King of Marvin Gardens]]'' (1972), directed by Rafelson. In 1975 he was a member of the jury at the [[9th Moscow International Film Festival]].<ref name="Moscow1975">{{cite web|url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1975 |title=9th Moscow International Film Festival (1975) |access-date=2013-01-04 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116194905/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1975 |archive-date=2013-01-16 }}</ref>

===Academy Award controversy=== In 1975, Schneider received an [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]] for producing ''[[Hearts and Minds (film)|Hearts and Minds]]'' (1974), a [[documentary film]] about the [[Vietnam War]], directed by [[Peter Davis (director)|Peter Davis]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/movies/bert-schneider-producer-of-easy-rider-dies-at-78.html|author=Anita Gates|title=Bert Schneider, Producer Whose Films Reflected an Era, Dies at 78|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2013-11-05|date=2011-12-13}}</ref> His acceptance speech was one of the most politically controversial in the ceremony's history. Schneider's speech included this statement: "It’s ironic that we’re here at a time just before Vietnam is about to be liberated." He then read a telegram from the head of the North Vietnamese delegation to the Paris peace talks. It thanked the antiwar movement "for all they have done on behalf of peace. Greetings of friendship to all American people." After receiving thousands of angry telegrams backstage, [[Frank Sinatra]] appeared later in the show to read a disclaimer that disavowed Schneider's statement, which in turn provoked angry responses from actors [[Shirley MacLaine]] and [[Warren Beatty]]. Beatty later berated Sinatra on stage, calling him "you old Republican."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenation.com/blog/173081/politics-and-oscar-night?rel=emailNation#sthash.nk6cdziJ.dpuf |title=Politics and Oscar Night |work=The Nation |date=2013-02-25 |access-date=2013-11-05}}</ref>

==Personal life== In 1954, he married his first wife, Judy Feinberg (born 1936), who was also Jewish and from a wealthy family.<ref name=Biskind /> They had two children: Jeffrey and Audrey.<ref name=Biskind /> They later divorced and he was subsequently married three more times.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/bert-schneider-film-producer-at-the-epicentre-of-the-new-hollywood-6283850.html The Independent: "Bert Schneider: Film producer at the epicentre of the 'New Hollywood'" by John Riley] 02 January 2012</ref>

Between 1971 and 1974 Schneider had a relationship with [[Candice Bergen]]. Bergen wrote about their relationship in her first memoir, 'Knock Wood', referring to Schneider under the pseudonym "Robin".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mansfield|first=Stephanie|date=April 11, 1984|title=Candice Bergen, Melting the Ice On Growing Up With Fame|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/04/11/candice-bergen-melting-the-ice-on-growing-up-with-fame/8a539279-d704-4a33-9b11-83d18e347fe7/|access-date=December 6, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Mallet|first=Gina|date=April 8, 1984|title=ADVENTURES OF THE VERY GOOD-LOOKING|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/books/adventures-of-the-very-good-looking.html|access-date=December 6, 2020}}</ref>

==Death== In 2011, Schneider died of natural causes, aged 78, in [[Los Angeles]], California.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bert-schneider-producer-counterculture-film-272956 |title=Bert Schneider, Producer of Counterculture Film Classics, Dies at 78 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2011-12-13 |access-date=2013-11-05 |first=Mike |last=Barnes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.boston.com/2011-12-15/news/30521310_1_easy-rider-biker-film-hearts-and-minds |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708202350/http://articles.boston.com/2011-12-15/news/30521310_1_easy-rider-biker-film-hearts-and-minds |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-08 |title='Easy Rider' and 'Hearts and Minds' producer Bert Schneider dies at 78 |work=The Boston Globe |date=2011-12-15 |access-date=2013-11-05 |first=Anita |last=Gates }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8957007/Bert-Schneider.html |title=Bert Schneider |work=Telegraph |date=2011-12-14 |access-date=2013-11-05 |location=London}}</ref>

==In popular culture== [[Peter Fonda]] based his character Terry Valentine in the [[crime film]] ''[[The Limey]]'' (1999) partly on Schneider, according to Fonda's interview on the film's DVD.

''[[The Big Cigar]]'', a 2024 [[biographical drama]] [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] [[miniseries]] developed by Jim Hecht, based on the 2012 ''[[Playboy]]'' article of the same name by [[Joshuah Bearman]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=''The Big Cigar'' |url=https://directories.wga.org/project/1238637/the-big-cigar |date=January 3, 2023| access-date=May 20, 2023 |website=[[Writers Guild of America West]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=2024-03-14 |title='The Big Cigar': Premiere Date & First Look At André Holland As Black Panther Leader Huey P. Newton In Apple Limited Series |url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/the-big-cigar-premiere-date-first-look-andre-holland-apple-series-trailer-1235858035/ |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> follows [[Black Panther Party]] founder [[Huey P. Newton]] escaping the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] to [[Cuba]] with the help of Schneider. Schneider is portrayed by [[Alessandro Nivola]].

==Television work== {{inc-tv|date=January 2012}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Genre ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1966–1968 || ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]'' || television [[situation comedy]] || |}

==Filmography== {{inc-film|date=January 2012}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Genre ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1968 || ''[[Head (film)|Head]]'' || || |- | 1969 || ''[[Easy Rider]]'' || [[road movie|road film]] || producer |- | 1970 || ''[[Five Easy Pieces]]'' || [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] || |- | 1971 || ''[[The Last Picture Show]]'' || [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] || |- | 1971 || ''[[Drive, He Said]]'' || [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] || |- | 1971 || ''[[A Safe Place]]'' || [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] || |- | 1972 || ''[[The King of Marvin Gardens]]'' || [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] || |- | 1974 || ''[[Hearts and Minds (film)|Hearts and Minds]]'' ||[[documentary film]] || |- | 1977 || ''[[Tracks (1977 film)|Tracks]]'' ||[[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] || |- | 1978 || ''[[Days of Heaven]]'' ||[[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] || |- | 1981 || ''[[Broken English (1981 film)|Broken English]]'' ||[[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] || |}

==See also== {{Portal|Biography|Film|Television|United States}} {{div col|colwidth=30em}} *[[List of Cornell University alumni]] *[[List of film producers]] *[[List of people from Los Angeles]] *[[List of people from New York City]] *[[List of television producers]] {{div col end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|0773721}} *[http://openarchives.umb.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15774coll8/id/361/rec/15 Bert Schneider: ''Hearts and Minds'' papers, 1969-2002], University Archives and Special Collections, Joseph P. Healey Library, [[University of Massachusetts Boston]] * [http://fbidocs.com/bert-schneider FBI Docs]{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Bert Schneider FBI File

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schneider, Bert}} [[Category:1933 births]] [[Category:2011 deaths]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Los Angeles]] [[Category:Businesspeople from New York City]] [[Category:Cornell University alumni]] [[Category:Film producers from California]] [[Category:The Monkees]] [[Category:American television show creators]] [[Category:Television producers from California]] [[Category:Television producers from New York City]] [[Category:Jewish American film people]]