BOGDANOVICH, PETER

(b. July 30, 1939, Kingston, N.Y., U.S.), U.S. film director noted for his attempts to revitalize film genres of the 1930s and '40s. Bogdanovich gained experience as a writer, actor, and director in small theatrical productions while turning his lifelong passion for the movies to good effect by contributing criticism and scholarly articles to various periodicals. His first film was a low-budget thriller titled Targets (1968), which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. His second, The Last Picture Show (1971), was a box-office hit that won critical acclaim for its portrayal of sexual mores and social change in a drab Texas town in the 1950s. Later films included What's Up, Doc? (1972), Paper Moon (1973), Daisy Miller (1974), At Long Last Love (1975), and They All Laughed (1981).