Robert Benton, who died on May 11 at the age of 92, left behind a body of work remarkable for its breadth, shifts of tone, and the endlessly watchable performances of the actors who gravitated to him.
Before becoming a filmmaker, he worked as an art director at Esquire, where he met his congenial collaborator David Newman. The talented and funny duo would introduce features such as the Dubious Achievement Awards before going on to write the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Bonnie and Clyde, a blast of modernity that shook up the critical establishment and signaled the arrival of the New Hollywood. (The Academy wasn’t there yet: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner won for original screenplay.)
