Robert John Downey Sr. (born Robert Elias Jr.; June 24, 1936) is a
retired American actor, director, producer, writer, cinematographer,
and the father and namesake of actor Robert Downey Jr. He is known for
writing and directing the underground film Putney Swope, a satire on
the New York Madison Avenue advertising world. According to film
scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon, Downey Sr.'s films during the 1960s
were "strictly take-no-prisoners affairs, with minimal budgets and
outrageous satire, effectively pushing forward the countercultural
agenda of the day."Robert John Downey Sr. was born in Manhattan, New
York City, the son of Elizabeth (née McLauchlen), a model, and Robert
Elias Sr., who worked in management of motels and restaurants. His
paternal grandparents were Lithuanian Jews, while his mother was of
half Irish and half Hungarian-Jewish ancestry. The elder Downey was
born Robert Elias Jr., but he later changed his surname for his
stepfather, James Downey, when he wanted to enlist in the U.S. Army,
but was underage at the time.Robert Downey Sr. initially made his mark
creating basement budget, independent films aligning with the
Absurdist movement, coming of age in counterculture anti-establishment
1960s America. His work in the late 1960s and 70s was quintessential
anti-establishment, reflecting the nonconformity popularized by larger
counterculture movements and given impetus by new freedoms in
filmmaking, such as the breakdown of Codes on censorship. In keeping
with the underground tradition, his 1960s films were independently
made on shoestring budgets and were relatively obscure in the
Absurdist movement, finding cult notoriety.
retired American actor, director, producer, writer, cinematographer,
and the father and namesake of actor Robert Downey Jr. He is known for
writing and directing the underground film Putney Swope, a satire on
the New York Madison Avenue advertising world. According to film
scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon, Downey Sr.'s films during the 1960s
were "strictly take-no-prisoners affairs, with minimal budgets and
outrageous satire, effectively pushing forward the countercultural
agenda of the day."Robert John Downey Sr. was born in Manhattan, New
York City, the son of Elizabeth (née McLauchlen), a model, and Robert
Elias Sr., who worked in management of motels and restaurants. His
paternal grandparents were Lithuanian Jews, while his mother was of
half Irish and half Hungarian-Jewish ancestry. The elder Downey was
born Robert Elias Jr., but he later changed his surname for his
stepfather, James Downey, when he wanted to enlist in the U.S. Army,
but was underage at the time.Robert Downey Sr. initially made his mark
creating basement budget, independent films aligning with the
Absurdist movement, coming of age in counterculture anti-establishment
1960s America. His work in the late 1960s and 70s was quintessential
anti-establishment, reflecting the nonconformity popularized by larger
counterculture movements and given impetus by new freedoms in
filmmaking, such as the breakdown of Codes on censorship. In keeping
with the underground tradition, his 1960s films were independently
made on shoestring budgets and were relatively obscure in the
Absurdist movement, finding cult notoriety.
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