Robert Jay Rafelson ’54

Robert Jay Rafelson ’54—an internationally known film writer, producer and director—passed away at his home in Aspen, Colorado, on July 23. At Dartmouth he majored in philosophy and was a member of Green Key, co-editor of The Quarterly, and chairman of the Philosophy Club. Drafted into the U.S. Army, Bob served in Japan as a disc jockey for the Far East Network of military radio and television stations. While in Tokyo he worked as a consultant for the Japanese movie studio Shochiku. He returned to New York as an editor on the Play of the Week television anthology series. In 1962 he moved to Los Angles with his first wife, Toby Carr, and continued to work in television. After brief stints at Universal Studios and Screen Gems he cofounded BBS Productions, which created the television pop group The Monkees. Following that success, Bob went on to direct two award-winning films, Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces. His later films included The Last Picture Show, the Oscar-winning Vietnam War documentary Hearts and Minds, The King of Marvin Gardens, a remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice, Man Trouble, and Blood and Wine. He was proudest of the 1990 film he directed, Mountains of the Moon, a biographical movie about two explorers searching for the source of the Nile River. Besides his second wife, Gabrielle Taurek, he leaves son Pete from his first marriage and sons E.O. and Harper from his second.