Jeff Dowd Explained

Jeff Dowd
Birth Date:20 November 1949
Birth Place:United States
Occupation:Film producer

Jeff Dowd (born November 20, 1949) is an American film producer and political activist.

Biography

He was a member of the "Seattle Seven",[1] who were jailed for contempt of court following a violent protest against the Vietnam War. He later moved to Los Angeles and became an independent movie producer and promoter, producing such films as Zebrahead.[2] He met the Coen brothers while they were promoting their first film, Blood Simple, and was a key (though not the only) inspiration for their character Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski from The Big Lebowski.[3]

In 2009, Dowd was involved in an altercation with movie critic John Anderson at the Sundance Film Festival, after Anderson panned Dirt! The Movie (Dowd was the film's sales agent).[4] Anderson was eating breakfast when Dowd reportedly confronted him, and then incited a food fight and brief melee at the Yarrow Hotel Restaurant. Dowd did not press charges.[5]

In 2011, Dowd was the subject of an 18-minute documentary-short directed by Jeff Feuerzeig and broadcast on the USA Network as part of its "Character" series.[6]

Filmography

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Guy . Raz . The Dude: A Little Lebowski, Alive in All of Us . May 25, 2008 . . . July 23, 2009 .
  2. Web site: The New York Times. Zebrahead (1992) Review/Film Festival: Zebrahead; A Racial Chameleon In a Hidebound World. Janet. Maslin. Janet Maslin. October 8, 1992.
  3. News: Jennifer . Sullivan . "The Dude" abides on light rail . July 21, 2009 . . July 23, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090725120430/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009512896_webthedude21m.html . July 25, 2009 .
  4. Web site: Ramos. Steve. Critic Hits Dude at Sundance. Vulture. January 21, 2009 . www.vulture.com.
  5. Web site: Thompson. Anne. Sundance Watch. Indiewire. January 21, 2009 . www.Indiewire.com.
  6. Web site: The Dude Who Inspired 'The Dude' in the Coen Brothers' 'The Big Lebowski' . Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg. Kasia. August 28, 2012. The Atlantic. September 2, 2012.