lucky sprite Charles Shyer, Filmmaker Who Focused on Women, Dies at 83
Charles Shyer, who co-wrote and directed a long string of hit comedies, including “Private Benjamin,” “Baby Boom” and “Father of the Bride” — many of which featured strong female leads and were made in collaboration with his former wifelucky sprite, Nancy Meyers — died on Dec. 27 in Los Angeles. He was 83.
His daughters Annie Meyers-Shyer and Hallie Meyers-Shyer, who is also a director, said he died in a hospital after an unspecified short illness.
Mr. Shyer was practically raised by the film industry — his father, Melville Shyer, was a founder of the Directors Guild of America — and his projects drew on his unabashed love for classic movies.
His portfolio of inspirations was vast, encompassing the renowned, like “His Girl Friday” (1940) and “North by Northwest” (1959), and the obscure, like the absurdist 1973 British comedy “O Lucky Man!,” which he ranked among his favorite films.
He and Ms. Meyers were both romantic and professional partners. They were already dating when they collaborated with Harvey Miller on the script for “Private Benjamin,” a 1980 film about a socialite who enlists in the U.S. Army.
The film, directed by Howard Zieff and starring Goldie Hawn, was a major hit — it made $69.8 million on a $9.2 million budget — and the writing trio earned an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay.
We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
live22 slotThank you for your patience while we verify access.
But the move backfired in a way that few supporters expected. Californians in 2021 actually tossed nearly 50 percent more plastic bags, by weight, than when the law first passed in 2014, according to data from CalRecycle, California’s recycling agency.
His debunked claims about Haitian migrants stealing and eating their neighbors’ pets in Springfield, Ohio, helped stir a firestorm over immigration in that community, which has dealt with bomb threats and evacuations after Mr. Trump made his comments.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.lucky sprite