After a long illness, John Urie passed away on June 26 at his home in Santa Paula, Calif. He was 83.
The loss of his life has been felt by assorted people throughout the industry because he gave life to so many of their careers and made so many friends along the way. Before the web and new director showcases, gaining exposure for one’s own talent was a considerably different proposition. It depended more heavily on getting someone else to recognize and believe in your talent. And on that front, director/entrepreneur Urie was a leading beacon of light.
His legendary Los Angeles studio, John Urie and Associates, was a spawning ground. And his credibility with the agency community was often enough to get ad shops to try out unknown talent during the 1960s.
The directors who cut their teeth at his studio included Ron Dexter, Stu Hagmann, Joe Hanwright, Remi Kramer, David Stern, Ahmed Lateef, Dick Bailey and David Impastato. Young cameramen broke into commercials via the Urie studio, among them John Hora, Ed Martin, Alan Daviau, Woody Omens. Caleb Deschanel (who co-founded and directs spots via Dark Light Pictures) and Kent Wakeford (who became a director and co-founded Wakeford/Orloff).
Editors also emerged from the Urie fold, including Pete Verity and editor-turned-director David Dryer. A key grip at Urie, David Farrow, became a leading automotive spot director. Casting director Niki Minter made a successful transition to director. Also blossoming at Urie were animation directors Bob Curtis and Jean-Guy Jacques.
Before starting his own studio in 1958, Urie worked at UPA writing, producing and directing animated, stop motion, and puppetry commercials–not to mention ads deploying cut-outs in the pre-Monty Python era. Among his creations was Western Airlines’ “The Only Way to Fly” campaign with an animated bird kicking back and sitting on the tailend of a plane. And then there was the classic, “Hey. How’ bout a nice Hawaiian Punch?” commercial. Urie then started turning out live action spots and short films with a special touch that was ahead of its time.
Jean-Guy Jacques remembered Urie for having “a unique gift for recognizing people with a special talent as an editor or a cameraman, a writer or a director. That gift, the talent he hired and the notable work he produced allowed his studio to quickly grow from a staff of three to a staff of over sixty. John created a place his staff never wanted to leave. Many became award winners.”
Urie used to say, “With a smile, you can go around the world.”
“And he did,” noted Jacques. His generous spirit and creativity will be missed by a huge number of friends.”
Urie is survived by his son Willard and his daughter Cinthia, three granddaughters and two great grandsons, a younger brother Richard, and a sister, Margaret Huston. John Urie’s younger son Kurt passed away at the age of 33 in 1993 from cancer. He also lost his wife Cheli in ’07. He loved working with his sons–Kurt was involved in video playback and Willard continues to serve as a gaffer.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara, Calif., P.O. Box 152, Santa Paula, CA 93061. (805 525-7910).
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Reach Divorce Settlement After 8 Years
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, ending one of the longest and most contentious divorces in Hollywood history but not every legal issue between the two.
Jolie and Pitt signed off on a default declaration filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, saying they have entered into a written agreement on their marital and property rights. The settlement was first reported by People magazine.
"More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt," Jolie's attorney, James Simon, said in a statement. "She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over."
The filing says they give up the right to any future spousal financial support, but gives no other details. A judge will need to sign off on the agreement. An email late Monday night to Pitt's attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.
Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, were among Hollywood's most prominent pairings for 12 years, two of them as a married couple. The Oscar winners have six children together.
Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, after a private jet flight from Europe during which she said Pitt physically abused her and their children. The FBI and child services officials investigated Pitt's actions on the flight. Two months later, the FBI released a statement saying it would not investigate further, and the U.S. attorney did not bring charges.
A heavily redacted FBI report obtained by The Associated Press in 2022 said that an agent provided a probable cause... Read More