Robert Benton

Kramer, winning the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. He won another Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 1984 film Places in the Heart.

• Name — Robert Benton • Birth Name — Robert Douglas Benton • Born — 29 September 1932 • Birthplace — Dallas, Texas, U.S. • Died — 11 May 2025 • Place of death — New York City, U.S. • Occupation — * Film director • screenwriter • producer • Children — 1 • Years Active — 1967–2007

Benton was born in Dallas, Texas, to Dorothy (née Spaulding) and Ellery Douglass Benton, a telephone company employee. He grew up in Waxahachie, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor of fine arts. Benton served two years in the army and then moved to New York City to pursue a master's degree in art history at Columbia University. However, he dropped out after a semester and joined the staff at Esquire magazine.

In 1959, he co-wrote the book The IN and OUT Book with Harvey Schmidt, published by Viking Press. He was the art director at Esquire in the early 1960s. Benton won the Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Best Original Screenplay for Places in the Heart (1984). Benton garnered three additional Oscar nominations: two for Best Original Screenplay for Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and The Late Show (1977), and one for Best Adapted Screenplay for Nobody's Fool (1994). He also directed Twilight (1998) and Feast of Love (2007), and co-wrote the screenplays for Superman (1978) and The Ice Harvest (2005). In 2006, he appeared in the documentary film Wanderlust.

Benton was married to artist Sallie Rendig, with whom he had a son, from 1964 until her death in 2023. Benton died at his home in Manhattan on May 11, 2025, at the age of 92.

• Year — Title — Notes • 1966 — It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman — Libretto; adaptation in television film (1975) • 1969 — Oh! Calcutta! — Contribution in libretto; adaptation in theatrical film (1972)

• Year — Picture — Academy Awards — BAFTAs — Golden Globes • Nominations — Wins — Nominations — Wins — Nominations — Wins • 1977 — The Late Show — 1 — 1 — 1 • 1979 — Kramer vs. Kramer — 9 — 5 — 6 — 8 — 4 • 1984 — Places in the Heart — 7 — 2 — 3 — 1 • 1991 — Billy Bathgate — 1 • 1994 — Nobody's Fool — 2 — 1 • Total — 19 — 7 — 7 — 14 — 5

Under Benton's directions, these actors have received Oscar nominations (and wins) for their performances in their respective roles. • Year — Performer — Feature — Result • Academy Award for Best Actor • 1980 — Dustin Hoffman — Kramer vs. Kramer • 1995 — Paul Newman — Nobody's Fool • Academy Award for Best Actress • 1985 — Sally Field — Places in the Heart • Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor • 1980 — Justin Henry — Kramer vs. Kramer • 1985 — John Malkovich — Places in the Heart • Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress • 1980 — Jane Alexander — Kramer vs. Kramer • Meryl Streep • 1985 — Lindsay Crouse — Places in the Heart

• The Robert Benton Papers 1969–1994 (24 linear feet) are housed at the Wittliff Collections, Texas State University in San Marcos.