She was the second wife of ... (Ford temporarily moved on with actress Grace Cunard), but they got remarried in Los Angeles in 1916. Desc: The Tornado is a 1917 American short film directed and co-written by John Ford, who at that time was credited as "Jack Ford". His first marriage was to actress Elsie Ann Downey (née Ford), with whom he had two children: actress-writer Allyson Downey and actor Robert Downey Jr. In keeping with the underground tradition, his 1960s films were independently made on shoestring budgets and were relatively obscure in the Absurdist movement, finding cult notoriety. Genealogy for Elsie Ford (1890 - d.) family tree on Geni, with over 200 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. In 1998 he married his third wife, Rosemary Rogers, author of Random House bestseller Saints Preserve Us! The Jewish News of Northern California, "FILM; Robert Downey Jr. Is Chaplin (on Screen) and a Child (Off)", "Robert Downey Jr: I don't even know what it's like to be stoned any more", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Downey_Sr.&oldid=981812239, American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent, American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Actor, director, producer, writer, cinematographer, This page was last edited on 4 October 2020, at 15:18. He moved into big-budget filmmaking with the surrealistic Greaser's Palace (1972). Robert Jr.'s lengthy acting résumé includes appearances in eight films directed by his father (Pound, Greaser's Palace, Moment to Moment, Up the Academy, America, Rented Lips, Too Much Sun, Hugo Pool), as well as two acting appearances in movies where his father was also an actor (Johnny Be Good, Hail Caesar). In 1961, working with the film editor Fred von Bernewitz, he began writing and directing low-budget 16mm films that gained an underground following, beginning with Ball's Bluff (1961), a fantasy short about a Civil War soldier who awakens in Central Park in 1961. Robert John Downey Sr. (born Robert Elias Jr.; June 24, 1936) is a retired American actor, director, producer, writer, cinematographer, and the father and namesake of actor Robert Downey Jr. They worked together on a number of projects, though their relationship appears to have been rocky. Biography. Daughter Allyson and son Robert Jr. each made their film debuts in the 1970 absurdist comedy Pound at the ages of 7 and 5, respectively; Allyson would appear in one more film by her father, Up the Academy. Filmed in California, the two-reel Western starred Ford as well, with a supporting cast that included Jean Hathaway, John Duffy, Peter Gerald, Elsie Thornton, and Duke Worne. They separated early on in the marriage (Ford temporarily moved on with actress Grace Cunard), but they got remarried in Los Angeles in 1916. [2] The pair founded Fordart Films in 1917, and released the film Berlin Via American under this banner. Robert John Downey Sr. (born Robert Elias Jr.; June 24, 1936) is a retired American actor, director, producer, writer, cinematographer, and the father and namesake of actor Robert Downey Jr. His work in the late 1960s and 70s was quintessential anti-establishment, reflecting the nonconformity popularized by larger counterculture movements and given impetus by new freedoms in filmmaking, such as the breakdown of Codes on censorship. [1][3], In 1919, while Ford was away on a shoot, Elsie briefly left him for his business manager and sold the studio. [11] His most recent film was Rittenhouse Square (2005), a documentary capturing life in a Philadelphia park.[12]. [4], "6 Nov 1934, 4 - Hartford Courant at Newspapers.com", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elsie_Van_Name&oldid=970914114, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 August 2020, at 03:37. People Projects Discussions Surnames "[3], Robert John Downey Sr. was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Elizabeth (née McLauchlen), a model, and Robert Elias Sr., who worked in management of motels and restaurants. Downey's films were often family affairs. [1] The pair married in New York City in 1909. His first wife, Elsie, appears in four of his movies (Chafed Elbows, Pound, Greaser's Palace, Moment to Moment), as well as co-writing one (Moment to Moment). [13], Actor and director from the United States, Robert Downey Jr. – Inside The Actors Studio Pt. [5][6][7][8][9] The elder Downey was born Robert Elias Jr., but he later changed his surname for his stepfather, James Downey, when he wanted to enlist in the U.S. Army, but was underage at the time.[10][9]. Robert Downey Sr. initially made his mark creating basement budget, independent films aligning with the Absurdist movement, coming of age in counterculture anti-establishment 1960s America. The marriage ended in divorce in 1975. His second marriage, to actress-writer Laura Ernst, ended with her 1994 death from Lou Gehrig's disease. [1] She died in Los Angeles on November 4, 1934, and was survived by Ford (to whom she was still married) and their two sons. 1, You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat, "Robert Downey Jr.'s Mother Dies: Read His Moving, Candid Tribute to Elsie Ann Downey", "Celebrity Jews: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Barbara Walters, Larry David, Ben Stiller & more", J. She was the second wife of actor/director Francis Ford, whom she met when they co-starred in a play together. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens. Downey has been married three times. He is known for writing and directing the underground film Putney Swope, a satire on the New York Madison Avenue advertising world. Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Quebec. According to film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon, Downey Sr.'s films during the 1960s were "strictly take-no-prisoners affairs, with minimal budgets and outrageous satire, effectively pushing forward the countercultural agenda of the day. They live in New York City. [1] His paternal grandparents were Lithuanian Jews,[4] while his mother was of half Irish and half Hungarian-Jewish ancestry. and seven other books. Elsie Jane Van Name (1890-November 4, 1934) was an American screenwriter and actress active during Hollywood's silent era. Elsie Jane Van Name (1890-November 4, 1934) was an American screenwriter and actress active during Hollywood's silent era. He is known for writing and directing the underground film Putney Swope, a satire on the New York Madison Avenue advertising world.