Monte Hellman, ‘Two-Lane Blacktop’ Director, Dies at 91

In the last few years of his life, I kept in touch with Monte Hellman, the maverick director of “Two-Lane Blacktop,” who died April 20th in his home following a fall the previous day. He was 91. Suffice to say, I was devastated to hear of his death. He wasn’t only an important American cultural artist, but a great man as well.

Here was a cult director who was also a huge movie fan, we could talk for days about the same film. Hellman had a colorful career in different parts of the industry; directing TV movies for Roger Corman in the ‘50s, kickstarting a young Jack Nicholson’s career in the early ‘60s, and even doing second-unit work on Verheoven’s “RoboCop”

However, It was 1971’s “Two-Lane Blacktop,” starring James Taylor and Dennis Wilson, that will forever be synonymous with Hellman’s name and legacy, as that film’s reputation has grown over the years. An existential road movie tackling post-60s America, it was admitted to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2012.

When Hellman moved to the Palm Desert in 2019, he sent me a message describing the eloquence of his domicile, but annoyed by the fact that he still couldn’t found the time to sit down, rest and watch a movie at his new home. I spoke to him a few times after that, but eventually age took its toll. During that time, I discovered “Cockfighter,” his 1970’s gem about a man (played by Warren Oates) who train-fights cocks until one of his birds wins a championship. I messaged Monte to tell him how much I loved the film.

He was a maverick, a loving father to daughter Melissa and Son Jared, but, most of all, he was a true mensch. You have no idea how much you will be missed my friend.