Matt Cimber

Directing·Dec 1, 1936

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Writer, director and producer Matt Cimber was born as Matteo Ottaviano in 1936 and began his career in the early 60s directing off-Broadway plays including works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams and the US premieres of the Jean Cocteau trilogy. During his theater years, Cimber rewrote Burning Bright with John Steinbeck which introduced Sandy Dennis who went on to win an Academy Award for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) . Cimber then directed the Broadway revival of Bus Stop, where he met future wife Jayne Mansfield. Matt made his cinematic directorial debut with the offbeat Single Room Furnished (1966), which was also Mansfield's last movie. He followed this movie with the film The Sexually Liberated Female (1970) which was based on a best-selling book The Sensuous Female by J. As the screenwriter / director of this film, Cimber made a satire which required the title be changed for release because the publisher rescinded the rights. Cimber did three immensely enjoyable blaxploitation pictures in the mid 70s: The Black 6 (1973), Lady Cocoa (1975) and the terrifically trashy The Candy Tangerine Man (1975) which was also Samuel L. Jackson 's favorite film. Matt made a rare foray into the horror genre with the disturbing psychological shocker The Witch Who Came from the Sea (1976). His next work was based on a Mario Puzo story, a World War II drama A Time to Die (1982) starring Rex Harrison. Later that year Matt teamed up with Pia Zadora for two films: the underrated Butterfly (1981) and the fun Fake-Out (1982). Butterfly (1981) was the master filmmaker Orson Welles last film for which he received one of the film's three Golden Globe nominations. The following year Matt joined forces with actress Laurene Landon for the delightful action/adventure romps Hundra (1983) and Yellow Hair and the Pecos Kid (1984). Quentin Tarantino is quoted as saying Matt Cimber films were among his favorite. In the late 80s, Cimber created and directed the successful TV series GLOW: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (1986) . The show was lasted for four seasons on 103 stations in the US. More recent years of Cimber's work were dedicated to a documentary genre. He wrote and directed "An American Icon: Coca-Cola, the Early Years" (1997) and "The History of United Nations" (1996). He created and wrote the eight-minute intro for visitors to the United Nations for which he received a special commendation from the UN. After a twenty years absence in motion picture production, Matt Cimber made a comeback with the independent drama Miriam (2006).

Film	Credit
Deconstructing Dunning2016 · Actor	Actor
Tides and Nightmares2016 · Himself	Himself
42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street2015 · Self	Self
Jayne Mansfield: The Tragedy of a Blonde2015 · Self (archive footage)	Self (archive footage)
MMiriam2006 · Director	Director
Stallone's Knockouts1990 · Director	Director
Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold1984 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Hundra1983 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Fake-Out1982 · Hit Man #2, Director, Screenplay	Hit Man #2, Director, Screenplay
A Time to Die1982 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Butterfly1982 · Screenplay, Director, Producer	Screenplay, Director, Producer
Tiger Man1978 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
The Witch Who Came from the Sea1976 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
That Girl from Boston1975 · Director	Director
Lady Cocoa1975 · Arthur (as Gary Harper), Director, Producer	Arthur (as Gary Harper), Director, Producer
Alias Big Cherry1975 · Director	Director
Gemini Affair1975 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
The Candy Tangerine Man1975 · Director	Director
The Black Six1973 · Director	Director
He & She1972 · Director	Director
Mondo Hunt1972 · Director	Director
Calliope1971 · Director	Director
Sex & Astrology1971 · Producer, Director	Producer, Director
The Sensually Liberated Female1970 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
Black Is Beautiful - Africanus Sexualis1970 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Man & Wife: An Educational Film for Married Adults1969 · Director	Director
Single Room Furnished1968 · Director	Director