Bud Boetticher, a renowned American film director, particularly known for his work in the Western genre, possessed a complex artistic temperament despite his simple and bleak directing style. Born to a wealthy hardware retailer, Boetticher was adopted and attended Culver Military Academy and Ohio State University, where he excelled in football and boxing.
Following his education, Boetticher embarked on an adventurous journey to Mexico, where he transformed himself into a skilled professional matador. His school friend, Hal Roach Jr., leveraged his connections in the film industry to secure Boetticher minor roles, including a position as technical adviser on the bullfighting romance "Blood and Sand" (1941). By studying the work of director Rouben Mamoulian and editor Barbara McLean, Boetticher gained a thorough understanding of filmmaking.
After completing an apprenticeship as a studio messenger and assistant director, Boetticher was given the opportunity to direct, initially retaking scenes from other directors' films and later working on his own low-budget projects. His first prominent work, "Bullfighter and the Lady" (1951),was a fictionalization of his own experiences in Mexico, although it was re-edited without his approval by his mentor, John Ford. The director's cut was later restored several decades later.
Boetticher went on to form a partnership with actor Randolph Scott, which resulted in a string of memorable Western films, including "7 Men from Now" (1956) and "The Tall T" (1957). He also directed a sharp gangster film, "The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond" (1960),before leaving for Mexico to film a documentary on famed matador Carlos Arruza with his wife Debra Paget. The documentary, "Arruza" (1971),was both an exquisite documentary and a testament to Boetticher's unwavering drive.
Boetticher's life was marked by near-fatal illness, divorce, incarceration, and the accidental deaths of Arruza and most of the film crew. He returned to Hollywood to form a partnership with Audie Murphy, but they only completed one film together before Murphy's death in 1971. Since then, Boetticher completed another documentary and announced several feature films in preparation. He passed away at the age of 85.
