Paul Bartel American actor, writer and director Date of Birth: 06.08.1938 Country: USA

Biography of Paul Bartel

Paul Bartel was an American actor, writer, and director, best known for his black comedy film "Eating Raoul" in 1982. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to William Bartel, an advertising specialist, and his wife Jesse. Bartel was openly gay, which greatly influenced his career choices. He believed that he would be better accepted and have more opportunities in independent cinema rather than in Hollywood.

Throughout his career, Bartel released a total of 11 low-budget films, with three of them achieving relative success. These films include "Eating Raoul," "Lust in the Dust," and "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills." His acquaintance from Brooklyn, actress Mary Woronov, appeared in two out of these three films. Bartel's eccentric genius was showcased in his short film "The Secret Cinema," a paranoid fantasy about the film industry. Bartel and Woronov often collaborated, appearing together in a total of seventeen different films, including the cult classic "Death Race 2000" in 1975, "Rock 'n' Roll High School" in 1979, and the 1976 project "Hollywood Boulevard" directed by Joe Dante.

In 1986, Bartel and Woronov reprised their roles from "Eating Raoul" in the horror film "Chopping Mall." Additionally, Bartel played a small role as the main character's teacher in Tim Burton's short film "Frankenweenie." Bartel's later projects mainly consisted of low-budget comedies, with sponsors hoping to replicate the success of "Eating Raoul," but achieving little success. Bartel also made appearances on television, mostly as a guest star in various television shows.

Paul Bartel passed away on May 13, 2000, at the age of 61. He died of a heart attack, having undergone liver cancer surgery two weeks prior. In 2004, the Belgian horror film "Calvaire" paid homage to Bartel by naming one of its characters after him.