- Born
- Died
- Birth nameAram Albert Avakian
- Aram Avakian was born on April 23, 1926 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an editor and director, known for End of the Road (1970), Lad: A Dog (1962) and 11 Harrowhouse (1974). He was married to Dorothy Tristan. He died on January 17, 1987 in New York City, New York, USA.
- SpouseDorothy Tristan(1958 - 1973) (divorced, 2 children)
- Children
- RelativesGeorge Avakian(Sibling)
- He was the original editor for The Godfather (1972), but was fired because of issues with director Francis Ford Coppola.
- Younger brother of legendary Jazz Producer George Avakian, the brothers worked together often. Aram married Dorothy Tristan, the model turned actress. (see her IMDB page. They met on Jazz on a Summer's Day. They had two children: Alexandra and Tristan.
- Taught at and then became the chairman of the film studies program at the State University of New York, College of Purchase. He was instrumental in helping launch the career of several of his students.
- At Horace Mann high school Avakian edited the school newspaper with Jack Keroac and taught him about Jazz. He ended up as a character under a different name in Keroac's book The Vanity of Duluaz. Avakian graduated from Yale University.
After service in World War II as an officer in the U.S Navy, he used his GI bill to study in Paris. Fluent in French, he lived there for years. He soaked up all the French New Wave films , and French existentialism through literature and films. Back in the USA, he soon became a famous film editor. Then he directed his first film End of the Road.
He was editor, co-director, and co-cinematographer of the seminal documentary about the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959). Also directed the excellent caper comedy 11 Harrowhouse (1974). He directed, co-wrote, and edited the astonishing existentialist, socially critical film End of the Road (1970 )_ It was popular with young people, who memorized and spoke every line in screenings, and was covered in a 9-page article in Life Magazine, November, (1969)_.
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