Roberta Findlay

Roberta Findlay (née Hershkowitz;[1] born 1948) is an American film director, cinematographer, producer and actress.[2] She is best known for her work in the exploitation field. Her work has received increasing critical appreciation in recent years.[3]

Roberta Findlay
Born1948 (age 74–75)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film director, cinematographer, producer, actress
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1966; died 1977)​

Early life

Findlay was born Roberta Hershkowitz in Brooklyn, New York City to Hungarian-Jewish immigrant parents, and was raised in the Bronx.[4] She was classically trained on piano as a child, and her parents hoped she would have a career as a musician.[4]

Career

While attending the City College of New York, she met Michael Findlay, a student who had recently transferred there after leaving seminary school, where he was studying to become a Catholic priest.[5] He asked her to perform a piano accompaniment for a silent film screening he was holding on the university campus.[5] The two eventually married and began making films together, with Roberta often working as cinematographer.[5]

By her own account, Roberta's marriage to Michael was tempestuous, and the couple were separated by 1974 due to him suffering "psychological issues."[5] Despite their separation, she continued to occasionally work with him professionally, including as cinematographer on Shriek of the Mutilated (1974).[5] Michael Findlay died in 1977 in a helicopter accident; after his death, she continued to make films, directing the horror films Blood Sisters (1987) and Tenement (1985).[6][7]

Select filmography

Feature films
Year Title Director Writer Cinematographer Notes Ref.
1968 The Kiss of Her Flesh No Yes Yes Credited as Anna Riva
1969 Crack-Up No No Yes
1971 The Slaughter Yes No Yes Credited as Roberto Herz Kowicz
1974 Invasion of the Blood Farmers No No Yes Credited as Frederick Douglass
1974 Shriek of the Mutilated No No Yes [5]
1976 Snuff No No Yes [8][9]
1988 Lurkers Yes No No [7][10]
1988 Prime Evil Yes No No [7][11]
1987 Blood Sisters Yes No No [7][10]
1985 Shauna: Every Man’s Fantasy Yes No No Uncredited
1985 The Oracle Yes No No [7][12]
1985 Tenement Yes No No [10]
1989 Banned Yes No No

Pornography
Year Title Director Writer Cinematographer Notes Ref.
1976 The Altar of Lust Yes No No
1982 Liquid A$ets Yes No No [13]
1975 Every Inch of Lady Yes No No [14]
1974 Angel Number 9 Yes No No [15]

References
  1. Who's Who of American Women, 1991-1992 (17th ed.). Marquis Who's Who. 1991. p. 316. ISBN 978-0-837-90417-7.
  2. Alilunas, Peter; Strub, Whitney (2023-01-31). ReFocus: the Films of Roberta Findlay. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-1-4744-9746-6.
  3. "The Curse of Her Filmography". NY Press. 27 July 2005.
  4. Bennett, Rémy (January 24, 2018). "A Woman's Torment: The Films of Roberta Findlay". Diabolique Magazine. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023.
  5. Findlay, Roberta (2022). "Yeti Again: An Interview with Roberta Findlay" (Blu-ray disc). Vinegar Syndrome. OCLC 1344440743.
  6. "Michael and Roberta Findlay". Grindhouse Database.
  7. Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra (December 5, 2018). "A Beginner's Guide to Women's Horror Filmmaking". Vulture. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  8. Guardian Staff (2000-10-28). "The recent release of long-banned films". the Guardian. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  9. "The Evil Dead, The Living Dead and the dead wrong". The Guardian. 2010-10-15. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  10. Albright, Brian (2012-11-08). Regional Horror Films, 1958-1990: A State-by-State Guide with Interviews. McFarland. pp. 246, 257, 261, 271. ISBN 978-1-4766-0042-0.
  11. Archives, L. A. Times (1988-01-10). "Films going into production:BLOODHOUNDS OF BROADWAY..." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  12. "Indie Focus: The ravishing images of 'Crimson Peak' and 'The Assassin'". Los Angeles Times. 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  13. Lower, Clair (1 April 2022). "Liquid A$$ets (1982), written and directed by Roberta Findlay". www.LifeHacker.com. Life Hacker. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  14. Lower, Clair (1 April 2022). "Every Inch a Lady (1975), written and directed by Roberta Findlay". www.LifeHacker.com. Life Hacker. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  15. Lower, Clair (1 April 2022). "Angel Number 9 (aka Angel on Fire) (1974), written and directed by Roberta Findlay". www.LifeHacker.com. Life Hacker. Retrieved 17 June 2022.

Further reading


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