Ron Shelton
Ronald Wayne Shelton (born September 15, 1945) is an American film director and screenwriter[1][2] and former minor league baseball infielder. Shelton is known for the many films he has made about sports. His 1988 film Bull Durham, based in part on his own baseball experiences, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Ron Shelton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Wayne Shelton Whittier, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
| Spouse | Lolita Davidovich (m. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
A former minor league baseball infielder in Baltimore's farm system, Shelton played with the Bluefield Orioles, Stockton Ports, Florida Instructional League Orioles, Dallas–Fort Worth Spurs and Rochester Red Wings from 1967 through 1971.
Film career
After working on the scripts for a number of films, including co-writing the Nick Nolte and Gene Hackman political drama Under Fire, Shelton made his directorial debut with Bull Durham[3] in 1988. Set in the world of minor league baseball, the romantic comedy stars Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. Shelton's screenplay netted him multiple awards, including Best Original Script from the Writers Guild of America and Best Script from the US National Society of Film Critics. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.
In 1990, Ron Shelton had received a three-year first look writing and producing deal with 20th Century Fox.[4]
Shelton worked with Costner again on the 1996 golf-themed romantic comedy Tin Cup.[5] Other films as writer and director included the boxing comedy Play It to the Bone, a critical and commercial flop, and acclaimed 1992 comedy White Men Can't Jump,[3] starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as two basketball hustlers. Calling the latter film "very smart and very funny," and "not simply a basketball movie," critic Roger Ebert wrote that Shelton "knows how his characters talk and sound, and how they get into each other's minds with non-stop talking and boasting."
Shelton has also written and directed two biopics: Cobb, in which Tommy Lee Jones portrayed record-breaking baseballer Ty Cobb, and Blaze, which starred Paul Newman as colourful Louisiana Governor Earl Long.[2] He wrote or co-wrote other sports-themed films including The Best of Times, starring Robin Williams and Kurt Russell as former football teammates; the basketball drama Blue Chips, starring Nick Nolte, and a boxing comedy, The Great White Hype, starring Samuel L. Jackson.
He also directed two Los Angeles-based crime films, Dark Blue, a drama starring Kurt Russell,[3] and Hollywood Homicide, a comedy with Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett.
In 2022, Shelton received the Leonard Maltin Award at the Coronado Island Film Festival.[6]
Personal life
Shelton grew up in Montecito, California, the oldest of four brothers. He is an alumnus of Santa Barbara High School and of the University of Arizona and Westmont College.
Shelton is married to Canadian-born actress Lolita Davidovich, who has appeared in several of his films, including taking the title role of Blaze Starr in Blaze.[2] The couple have two children and reside in Los Angeles and Ojai, California. Shelton has two daughters with his first wife, filmmaker Lois Shelton.
On July 7, 2017, Shelton was inducted into the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame.[7]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper | Associate producer, creative consultant | |
| 1983 | Under Fire | Screenplay by, second unit director | Co-wrote screenplay with Clayton Frohman, story by Clayton Frohman |
| 1986 | The Best of Times | Written by, second unit director | |
| 1988 | Bull Durham | Director, written by | |
| 1989 | Blaze | Director, screenplay by | |
| 1991 | Sharkskin | Executive producer | Short film |
| 1992 | White Men Can't Jump | Director, written by | |
| 1994 | Blue Chips | Written by, executive producer | |
| Cobb | Director, screenplay by | ||
| 1995 | Open Season | Executive producer | |
| 1996 | The Great White Hype | Written by | Co-wrote with Tony Hendra |
| Tin Cup | Director, written by | Co-wrote with John Norville | |
| 1998 | Welcome to Hollywood | Special thanks | |
| 1999 | Play It to the Bone | Director, written by | |
| No Vacancy | Executive producer | ||
| 2002 | Dark Blue | Director | |
| 2003 | Hollywood Homicide | Director, written by | Co-wrote with Robert Souza |
| Bad Boys II | Screenplay by, story by | Co-wrote screenplay with Jerry Stahl, co-wrote story with The Wibberleys | |
| 2005 | Bad Reputation | Special thanks | |
| 2011 | Hound Dogs | Director, written by, executive producer | |
| 2016 | Spaceman | Executive producer | |
| 2017 | Just Getting Started | Director, written by |
References
- ^ Benson, Sheila (1989-12-13). "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Blaze' Sizzles Even Over Low Flame". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
- ^ a b c Maslin, Janet (1989-12-13). "Movie Review - Blaze - Review/Film; 'Blaze,' a Story of a Rogue and a Stripper". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
- ^ a b c Taylor, Ella (2003-02-20). "Our Dark Blue Places - Page 1 - Film+TV - Los Angeles". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ "Ron Shelton inks three-pic deal with Fox". Variety. 1990-07-04. p. 22.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (August 16, 1996). "Tin Cup (1996) When Golf Is Life And Life a Game". The New York Times.
- ^ Accomando, Beth (2022-11-10). "Coronado Island Film Festival celebrates its 7th year". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
- ^ Roth, Leo (7 September 2017). "'Bull Durham' writer/director Ron Shelton now a Red Wings Hall of Famer, you could look it up". Democrat and Chronicle. from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
External links
- Ron Shelton at IMDb
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)