Director George Armitage, Best Known for ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’ and ‘Miami Blues’, Passes Away at 83

Veteran filmmaker George Armitage, best known for creating projects like Grosse Pointe Blank and Miami Blues, has passed away. He was 83. The news of George Armitage's demise was confirmed by his son Brent. As per Brent, his father breathed his last on Saturday (February 15) in Playa del Rey, Variety reported. David Lynch, Renowned Director of ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘Mulholland Drive,’ Dies at 78.

Armitage started out in the 20th Century Fox mailroom before becoming associate producer on the long-running series Peyton Place in the 1960s. He met Roger Corman on the Fox lot and moved into feature films, writing the Corman-produced 1970 comedy "Gas! - Or - It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It. He continued making films for Corman and his brother Gene Corman, moving into directing with Private Duty Nurses. The 1972 Blaxploitation film Hit Man, which he directed and co-wrote, starred Pam Grier and Bernie Casey. Next up was Vigilante Force, with Kris Kristofferson and Jan-Michael Vincent, and the TV movie Hot Rod. Jang Mi-Ja Dies at 84; Legendary South Korean Actress Was Known for Her Roles in ‘King the Land’, ‘Clinic for Married Couples’ Among Others.

Armitage's next film as director, the 1990 comedic thriller Miami Blues, was based on a Charles Willeford novel. Starring Alec Baldwin and Fred Ward, it garnered attention for Jennifer Jason-Leigh's performance. Also in 1990, Armitage co-wrote cop actioner Last of the Finest. He was Emmy-nominated for co-writing the 1996 TV movie The Late Shift, the story of the rivalry between David Letterman and Jay Leno over who would succeed Johnny Carson. His final credit was the 2004 crime pic The Big Bounce, starring Owen Wilson and Morgan Freeman in a story co-written by Elmore Leonard.

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