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).
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push — one that could include paying millions of dollars — to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More