HOLLYWOOD is still in mourning over the loss of producer-director Ivan Reitman, whose wildly successful comedies of the ‘70s and ‘80s included the blockbuster spookfest Ghostbusters, and who died in his sleep over the weekend. He was 75.
Born in Czechoslovakia, Reitman’s mother survived the Auschwitz extermination camp, while his father fought in the Czech resistance. At four years old, he was taken by his family as they fled the repressive postwar Communist regime.
Raised in Canada, Reitman would then become responsible for propelling many young comics into stardom, such as Dan Aykroyd, Rick Moranis, Billy Murray and John Belushi.
The biggest film of Reitman’s career that spawned a four decade old franchise was Ghostbusters, which recently saw a sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife that was directed by Reitman’s son, Jason.
Reitman was also responsible for showing the comedic-side of (at that time) action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger through Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990) and Junior (1994).
In a 1993 New York Times feature, writer Randall Rothenberg said: “Mr. Reitman, [his actors] say, walks a fine line between the control many directors assert over every aspect of a film and the willingness to let his cast – many of whom come from the world of improvisational comedy – fly free.”
Paying tribute to Reitman, Aykroyd’s statement expressed his heartbreak to Reitman’s surviving family.
“The loss of my friend, collaborator, champion and one of the last great creative talents of the big screen era crumples me,” the veteran comedic actor said.
“Now on Thursdays who am I gonna call?”
Reitman is survived by his wife Genevieve; his son Jason, a director; and daughters Catherine, a TV actress-writer-producer, and Caroline.
In a statement, the family wrote: “We take comfort that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world. While we mourn privately, we hope those who knew him through his films will remember him always.”
