Director Robert Benton dies: three-time Oscar winner for Kramer vs. Kramer.

At the age of 92, American director and screenwriter, three-time Oscar winner Robert Benton has died. He passed away in his Manhattan home (a New York neighborhood) on Sunday, May 11, his death confirmed by The New York Times on Tuesday, May 13 by assistant and manager Marisa Forzano.

Robert Benton was born on September 29, 1932, in Dallas, Texas. In 1953, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas and moved to New York to study art history at Columbia University. After the first semester, he ran out of money and was drafted into the army.

Creative Work

• Returning to New York, he changed several jobs as an artist's assistant before being hired as an assistant art director at Esquire in 1957. From 1958 to 1964, Benton served as the magazine's art editor, and from 1964 to 1972, he was the chief editor.
• At Esquire, he met David Newman, with whom he later co-wrote several screenplays. The first film made from their script was the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde directed by Arthur Penn about the bank robbers of the Great Depression era, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The crime drama was considered groundbreaking for its time due to its graphic portrayal of violence. Benton and Newman were nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay.

Recent Works

One of Benton's most famous works as a director is the film Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). He also wrote the script for the film, adapting it from Avery Corman's novel. The drama won an Oscar for Best Picture, and Benton won statuettes for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Benton received his third Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film Places in the Heart (1984).

Benton's last directorial work was the 2007 drama Feast of Love starring Morgan Freeman.

Robert Benton was an American director and screenwriter, a three-time Oscar winner who passed away at the age of 92. He made several iconic films, including 'Bonnie and Clyde', 'Kramer vs. Kramer', and 'Places in the Heart'. His work has always been valued by critics and audiences, and his talent will forever remain in the history of cinema.