Monte Hellman (born Monte Jay Himmelbaum; July 12, 1929 — April 20, 2021) was an American film director, producer, writer, and editor. He was born in New York City, where his parents were visiting, but he grew up in Los Angeles.Hellman began his career as an editor's apprentice at ABC TV, and made his directorial debut with the horror film "Beast from Haunted Cave" (1959), produced by Roger Corman.
He would later gain critical recognition for the Westerns "The Shooting" and "Ride in the Whirlwind" (both 1966) starring Jack Nicholson, and the independent road movie "Two-Lane Blacktop" (1971) starring James Taylor and Dennis Wilson. His later directorial work included the slasher film "Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!" (1989) and the independent thriller "Road to Nowhere" (2010).
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