Robert Kaufman

Screenwriter

About

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

March 22, 1931

Died

November 21, 1991

Cause of Death

Heart Attack

Biography

After a stint as a New York press agent and comedy writer for Dick Shawn and Mort Sahl, moved to Los Angeles where he joined Universal Pictures as a writer of TV comedies such as the Emmy-winning "The Bob Newhart Show" (for which as head writer he was also nominated for an Emmy), "McHale's Navy" and "I Dream of Jeannie." Kaufman also contributed to episodes of "Combat" and "Alfred Hitchc...

Filmography

I Love My Wife (1970)

Devil

Separate Vacations (1986)

Screenwriter

The Check Is in the Mail (1986)

Screenwriter

Zany Adventures Of Robin Hood (1984)

Screenplay

Split Image (1982)

Screenplay

How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980)

Screenplay

Photos & Videos

View All

Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine (1965) -- (Movie Clip) Day After Tomorrow

Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine (1965) -- (Movie Clip) I Want Them To See This

Family & Companions

Judith Pokempner

Wife

Divorced May, 1976.

Robin Christine Krause

Wife

Producer.

Bibliography

"Isolation Booth"

Robert Kaufman

"Right People"

Robert Kaufman

"Please Don't Talk to Me, I'm in Training"

Robert Kaufman

Notes

In 1968 Kaufman served as a writer for Robert Kennedy's Presidential campaign in Los Angeles and in 1984 he was a writer for Gary Hart's Presidential campaign.

Biography

Specializing in film comedies, Kaufman was nominated for an Oscar for the story for "Divorce American Style" (1967) and wrote screenplays for the college spoof "Getting Straight" (1970), the marital comedy "I Love My...Wife" (1970), "Freebie and the Bean" (1974), "Harry and Walter Go to New York" (1976), the popular Dracula spoof "Love at First Bite" (1979), which he also executive produced, and "She's Out of Control" (1989). He died of a heart attack in 1991.

Filmography

Life Events

1952

Worked as a freelance press agent in New York for Dick Shawn and Mort Sahl

1961

Became head writer for the TV series, "The Bob Newhart Show"

1965

First screenplay credit, "Dr Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine"

1967

Wrote original story for "Divorce American Style"

1968

Produced first TV series, "The Ugliest Girl in Town" (also writer)

1979

Served as executive producer and screenwriter of "Love at First Bite"

1980

Produced first feature, "How to Beat the High Cost of Living"

1989

Executive produced, "She's Out of Control"

Videos

Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine (1965) -- (Movie Clip) Day After Tomorrow Joining the title song by The Supremes, with as intense a use of Lombard Street in San Francisco as you'll see, Susan Hart is the robotic female lead and Frankie Avalon is failing to impress an (uncredited) girl, opening Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine, 1965, starring Vincent Price.

Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine (1965) -- (Movie Clip) I Want Them To See This Vincent Price (title character) scolds aide Igor (Jack Mullaney) for sending his fem-bot #11 (a.k.a. Diane, Susan Ward) after the wrong target, then re-directs her toward rich playboy Todd (Dwayne Hickman), with extra cheesecake, early in Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine, 1965.

Divorce American Style (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Stop At The Bank Barbara (Debbie Reynolds) is advised (by lawyer Shelley Berman) to grab the money as she and Richard (Dick Van Dyke) near divorce, leading to a musical-financial interlude in Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear's Divorce American Style, 1967.

Divorce American Style (1967) -- (Movie Clip) The Sunday Father Divorcee Nelson Downes (Jason Robards Jr.) is lying in wait at the bowling alley, where Richard (Dick Van Dyke) has taken his sons (Tim Matheson, from Animal House, and Gary Goetzman, the noted producer) on their first post-separation date, in Divorce American Style, 1967.

Divorce American Style (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Since When Do Men Grow Up? Lionel (Joe Flynn), buddy of not-yet divorced Richard (Dick Van Dyke), has been explaining the utility of prostitution, thus taking him to meet Lee Grant, as Dede, her complete performance here, in Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear's Divorce American Style, 1967.

Freebie And The Bean (1974) -- (Movie Clip) Last Week It Was Your Pants Grungy and profane, with the Transamerica building confirming San Francisco, James Caan and Alan Arkin (who’s supposed to be Mexican-American) as the title character cops, opening writer-director Richard Rush’s popular early buddy-action-comedy Freebie And The Bean 1974.

Freebie And The Bean (1974) -- (Movie Clip) I Could've Made It In My Porsche Writer-director Richard Rush getting adventurous with San Francisco scenery and banking on the chemistry of his co-stars, James Caan and Alan Arkin as the misfit partner cops, pursuing suspect Whitey (Paul Koslo) then hitting the streets, in the action-comedy Freebie And The Bean, 1974.

Freebie And The Bean (1974) -- (Movie Clip) Mr. Inconspicuous More banter between boastful James Caan and counterpunching Alan Arkin (whose character is Mexican-American), San Francisco cops staking out a Detroit hit-man, shooting on Pine Street in Nob Hill, matters almost getting serious, in writer-director Richard Rush’s Freebie And the Bean, 1974.

Divorce American Style (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Opening An L-A traffic montage, a conductor taking up a position in the Hollywood Hills, and Norman Lear's stinging marital dialogues set the stage for Divorce American Style, 1967.

Divorce American Style (1967) -- (Movie Clip) French Bread Richard (Dick Van Dyke) and Barbara (Debbie Reynolds) segue from a spat into a dinner party in the opening scene from Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear's Divorce American Style, 1967.

Freebie And The Bean (1974) -- (Original Trailer) Original TV trailer with lots of schtick from stars Alan Arkin and James Caan, and supporting player Alex Rocco, from director Richard Rush’s genuinely screwy action-comedy Freebie And The Bean, 1974.

Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine - (Original Trailer) Dr. Goldfoot (Vincent Price) sends beautiful female robots to ensnare the world's richest men in Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965).

Ski Party - (Original Trailer) Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman pretend to be English girls during a Ski Party (1965).

Family

Leo Kaufman

Father

Drug store owner. Opened New York's first all-night drugstore where Dutch Schultz, Meyer Lansky and Legs Diamond played cards.

Estelle Kaufman

Mother

Paul Kaufman

Brother

Burton Kaufman

Brother

Melissa Kaufman

Daughter

Mother Judith Pokempner.

Robin Kaufman

Daughter

Mother Judith Pokempner.

Richard Kaufman

Son

Employee of Studio Tape & Film; mother Judith Pokempner.

Christopher Kaufman

Son

Actor, comedian. Mother Judith Pokempner.

Companions

Judith Pokempner

Wife

Divorced May, 1976.

Robin Christine Krause

Wife

Producer.

Bibliography

"Isolation Booth"

Robert Kaufman

"Right People"

Robert Kaufman

"Please Don't Talk to Me, I'm in Training"

Robert Kaufman

Notes

In 1968 Kaufman served as a writer for Robert Kennedy's Presidential campaign in Los Angeles and in 1984 he was a writer for Gary Hart's Presidential campaign.

About

Biography

Filmography

Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Bibliography

Notes

Biography

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Writer (Feature Film)

Producer (Feature Film)

Editing (Feature Film)

Music (Feature Film)

Life Events

1952

1961

1965

1967

1968

1979

1980

1989

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Family

Companions

Bibliography

Notes

TCM Emails