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IMDbPro

John G. Avildsen(1935-2017)

  • Director
  • Editor
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
John G. Avildsen on the set of "The Karate Kid, Part II"
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:15
The Karate Kid (1984)
3 Videos
17 Photos
John G. Avildsen was born on 21 December 1935 in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. He was a director and editor, known for Rocky (1976), The Karate Kid Part III (1989) and Rocky V (1990). He was married to Tracy Brooks Swope and Marie Olga Maturevich. He died on 16 June 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
BornDecember 21, 1935
DiedJune 16, 2017(81)
BornDecember 21, 1935
DiedJune 16, 2017(81)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Won 1 Oscar
    • 5 wins & 7 nominations total

Photos17

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Known for

Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire in Rocky (1976)
Rocky
8.1
  • Director
  • 1976
Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
The Karate Kid Part III
5.3
  • Director
  • 1989
Sylvester Stallone in Rocky V (1990)
Rocky V
5.4
  • Director
  • 1990
Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid
7.3
  • Director
  • 1984

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Director

  • Let Love Last (2014)
    Let Love Last
    6.6
    Short
    • Director
    • 2014
  • Jean-Claude Van Damme in Inferno (1999)
    Inferno
    5.2
    • Director (as Danny Mulroon, director's cut)
    • 1999
  • A Fine and Private Place
    5.7
    • Director
    • 1998
  • Luke Perry in 8 Seconds (1994)
    8 Seconds
    6.6
    • Director
    • 1994
  • John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, Stephen Dorff, Simon Fenton, Fay Masterson, Alois Moyo, and Guy Witcher in The Power of One (1992)
    The Power of One
    7.1
    • Director
    • 1992
  • Sylvester Stallone in Rocky V (1990)
    Rocky V
    5.4
    • Director
    • 1990
  • Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
    The Karate Kid Part III
    5.3
    • Director
    • 1989
  • Lean on Me (1989)
    Lean on Me
    7.4
    • Director
    • 1989
  • Molly Ringwald and Randall Batinkoff in For Keeps? (1988)
    For Keeps?
    5.9
    • Director
    • 1988
  • Happy New Year (1987)
    Happy New Year
    5.9
    • Director
    • 1987
  • Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
    The Karate Kid Part II
    6.1
    • Director
    • 1986
  • Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid (1984)
    The Karate Kid
    7.3
    • Director
    • 1984
  • Murder Ink
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1983
  • A Night in Heaven (1983)
    A Night in Heaven
    4.3
    • Director
    • 1983
  • Traveling Hopefully (1982)
    Traveling Hopefully
    6.2
    • Director
    • 1982

Editor

  • John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, Stephen Dorff, Simon Fenton, Fay Masterson, Alois Moyo, and Guy Witcher in The Power of One (1992)
    The Power of One
    7.1
    • Editor
    • 1992
  • Sylvester Stallone in Rocky V (1990)
    Rocky V
    5.4
    • Editor
    • 1990
  • Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
    The Karate Kid Part III
    5.3
    • Editor
    • 1989
  • Lean on Me (1989)
    Lean on Me
    7.4
    • Editor
    • 1989
  • Molly Ringwald and Randall Batinkoff in For Keeps? (1988)
    For Keeps?
    5.9
    • Editor
    • 1988
  • Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
    The Karate Kid Part II
    6.1
    • Editor
    • 1986
  • Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid (1984)
    The Karate Kid
    7.3
    • Editor
    • 1984
  • A Night in Heaven (1983)
    A Night in Heaven
    4.3
    • Editor
    • 1983
  • Slow Dancing in the Big City (1978)
    Slow Dancing in the Big City
    5.4
    • Editor
    • 1978
  • Okay Bill (1971)
    Okay Bill
    4.6
    • Editor
    • 1971
  • Cry Uncle (1971)
    Cry Uncle
    4.9
    • Editor
    • 1971
  • Guess What We Learned in School Today? (1970)
    Guess What We Learned in School Today?
    4.1
    • Editor
    • 1970
  • Turn on to Love (1969)
    Turn on to Love
    4.4
    • Editor
    • 1969
  • Light Sound Diffused
    4.2
    Short
    • Editor
    • 1965

Producer

  • Danny Trejo, Jesse Borrego, and Anthony Guajardo in The Margarita Man (2019)
    The Margarita Man
    4.0
    • executive producer
    • 2019
  • American Satan (2017)
    American Satan
    5.7
    • executive producer
    • 2017
  • Dancing Into the Future
    7.2
    Video
    • producer
    • 2007
  • Lean on Me (1989)
    Lean on Me
    7.4
    • executive producer
    • 1989
  • Traveling Hopefully (1982)
    Traveling Hopefully
    6.2
    • producer
    • 1982
  • Slow Dancing in the Big City (1978)
    Slow Dancing in the Big City
    5.4
    • producer
    • 1978
  • Out of It (1969)
    Out of It
    6.0
    • associate producer
    • 1969
  • Light Sound Diffused
    4.2
    Short
    • producer
    • 1965
  • Mickey One (1965)
    Mickey One
    6.3
    • executive producer
    • 1965
  • Smiles (1964)
    Smiles
    5.7
    Short
    • producer
    • 1964
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos3

The Karate Kid
Trailer 2:15
The Karate Kid
The Making of 'Rocky': Shooting in Philadelphia
Video 1:04
The Making of 'Rocky': Shooting in Philadelphia
The Making of 'Rocky': Shooting in Philadelphia
Video 1:04
The Making of 'Rocky': Shooting in Philadelphia
The Making of 'Rocky': Low Budget
Video 0:42
The Making of 'Rocky': Low Budget

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • John G Avildsen
  • Height
    • 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
  • Born
    • December 21, 1935
    • Oak Park, Illinois, USA
  • Died
    • June 16, 2017
    • Los Angeles, California, USA(pancreatic cancer)
  • Spouses
      Tracy Brooks SwopeFebruary 27, 1987 - August 28, 2003 (divorced, 1 child)
  • Children
      Bridget Avildsen
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Biographical Movies
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 2 Interviews
    • 1 Article
    • 1 Pictorial
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Directed seven actors to Oscar nominations: Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Burgess Meredith, Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Pat Morita and Burt Young. Lemmon won Best Actor prizes for Save the Tiger (1973).
  • Quotes
    When I read Rocky V (1990), it was a terrific story, a great script. Rocky died at the end. He has this devastating fight with Tommy Gunn, ends up in an ambulance with his head in Adrian's lap, and by the time they get to the hospital, he's dead.
  • Trademark
      Underdog films complete with realistic character development and montage sequences

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