Director · Actor

Albert Maysles

1926 – 2015

Who they are

Born: 26 November 1926, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
Died: 5 March 2015
Known for: Salesman, Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens

Albert Maysles (1926–2015) was an American documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. With his brother David, he became a leading figure of direct cinema, filming real people without scripts or staged interviews. Salesman, Gimme Shelter and Grey Gardens are among the most influential nonfiction films of their era.

Where to start

Salesman (1969)Full guide
Follows door-to-door Bible salesmen; a landmark of direct cinema and an early feature-length success for the Maysles brothers.
Gimme Shelter (1970)Full guide
Records the Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour and the violence at Altamont, a defining rock documentary.
Grey Gardens (1976)In the library
Intimate portrait of two reclusive Beale relatives in a decaying East Hampton mansion; a cult classic.
Christo's Valley Curtain (1974)Log in to add it to the library
Documents an artist's giant curtain installation in Colorado, beginning a long line of Maysles films on Christo's projects.
Iris (2014)Log in to add it to the library
Portrait of fashion icon Iris Apfel, one of his final films released in his lifetime.

Their films in the library

Awards

No major awards are documented here.

The full list · 61

1955Psychiatry in RussiaLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1957Russian Close-UpLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1961Adventures on the New FrontierLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1961Safari Ya GariLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1962AnastasiaLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1963ShowmanLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1964What's Happening! The Beatles in the USALog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1964IBM: A Self PortraitLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1964Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Beatles in New YorkLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1965Cut PieceLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1966Meet Marlon BrandoLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1966With Love from TrumanLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1966Orson Welles in SpainLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1966Salvador Dalí's Fantastic DreamLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1968Experiment on 114th StreetLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1969SalesmanLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1969The Maysles BrothersLog in to add it to the libraryActor
1970Gimme ShelterLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Self
1970Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!: The Rolling Stones in ConcertLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1974Christo's Valley CurtainLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1976Grey GardensLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Self (uncredited)
1976The Burks of GeorgiaLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1977Running FenceLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1980Muhammad and LarryLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1985OzawaLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1987IslandsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1987Horowitz Plays MozartLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1990Christo in ParisLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1990Jessye Norman Sings CarmenLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1991The Beatles: The First U.S. VisitLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1991Soldiers of MusicLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1992Abortion: Desperate ChoicesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1993Horowitz: A ReminiscenceLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (Archive Footage)
1994UmbrellasLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1995Accent on the OffbeatLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1996Letting Go: A Hospice JourneyLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1997Concert of Wills: Making the Getty CenterLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2001LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of CottonLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2001With the Filmmaker: Wes AndersonLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2004Michael Moore Hates AmericaLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2004The Making of the Beatles First U.S. VisitLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self - Filmmaker
2005This Is an AdventureLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2005After FrankLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2006The Beales of Grey GardensLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Self
2006Albert Maysles: The Poetic EyeLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2006Time PieceLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2007A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol FactoryLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2007AddictionLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2007Rufus Wainwright - Milwaukee a Last !!!Log in to add it to the libraryDirector
2007Wild Blue YonderLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (Archive)
2008Capturing RealityLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2008The GatesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2008Morris Engel: The IndependentLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2009Muhammad and LarryLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2011The Love We MakeLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2011Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the WhalesLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2012Focus Forward: Short Films, Big IdeasLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2013The Secret of TreesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2014IrisLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2015In TransitLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
2016Robert Drew & Associates at the Museum of ToleranceLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self

Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.