Robert Downey Sr., director of the countercultural satire “Putney Swope” and the father of actor Robert Downey Jr., died Wednesday in New York. He was 85. Downey Sr.’s wife told t…
Robert Downey Sr., director of the countercultural satire “Putney Swope” and the father of actor Robert Downey Jr., died Wednesday in New York. He was 85.Downey Sr. also acted, and directed several other films that gained a cult following. But 1969’s “Putney Swope” was given a mainstream release and thus exposed his work to a wider audience, which was shocked by much of what they saw at the time.
Actor Ron Leibman sued to have his name removed from the credits of Downey’s 1980 film “Up the Academy,” an attempt to replicate the success of “Animal House” but with antics much milder than the ones in the John Belushi film. His later films included the 1986 “America” and 1988 comedy “Rented Lips,” written by and starring Martin Mull.
Robert John Elias Jr. was born in New York City, the son of model Elizabeth and Robert Elias, who worked in hotel and restaurant management. He took the surname of his stepfather, James Downey, when enlisting in the Army.