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{{Short description|American film producer}}
{{unreferenced|date=October 2007}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
[[Image:Jeff dowd.jpg|thumb|Jeff Dowd]]
{{Infobox person
'''Jeff Dowd''' (born [[November 20]] [[1949]]) is an American [[film producer]] and [[political activism|political activist]] best known as a member of the "[[Seattle Liberation Front|Seattle Seven]]," who went to jail (briefly, for contempt of court) following a violent protest against the [[Vietnam war]].
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|name=Jeff Dowd
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|image=Jeff Dowd.jpg|
|image_size=260
|caption=Dowd in 2009
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1949|11|20}}
|birth_place=[[United States]]
|death_date=
|death_place=
|occupation=[[Film producer]]
}}


'''Jeff Dowd''' (born November 20, 1949) is an American film producer and [[political activism|political activist]].
He later moved to [[Los Angeles, California]] and became an independent movie producer and promoter.


==Biography==
He met the [[Coen Brothers]], directors of ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'', while they were promoting their first film, ''[[Blood Simple]]''. Allegedly, he is the basis for one of their most famous characters, [[The Big Lebowski|Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski]].
He was a member of the "[[Seattle Liberation Front|Seattle Seven]]",<ref>{{cite news | first=Guy | last=Raz | title=The Dude: A Little Lebowski, Alive in All of Us | date=May 25, 2008 | publisher=[[National Public Radio]] | url =https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90725993 | work =[[All Things Considered]] | access-date = July 23, 2009 }}</ref> who were jailed for contempt of court following a violent protest against the [[Vietnam War]]. He later moved to Los Angeles and became an independent movie producer and promoter, producing such films as ''[[Zebrahead (film)|Zebrahead]]''.<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Zebrahead (1992) Review/Film Festival: Zebrahead; A Racial Chameleon In a Hidebound World|first=Janet|last=Maslin|author-link=Janet Maslin|date=October 8, 1992|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE5D91030F93BA35753C1A964958260}}</ref> He met the [[Coen brothers]] while they were promoting their first film, ''[[Blood Simple]]'', and was a key (though not the only) inspiration for their character Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski from ''[[The Big Lebowski]]''.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jennifer |last=Sullivan |title="The Dude" abides on light rail |date=July 21, 2009 |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009512896_webthedude21m.html |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date=July 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725120430/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009512896_webthedude21m.html |archive-date=July 25, 2009 }}</ref>


In 2009, Dowd was involved in an altercation with movie critic John Anderson at the [[25th Sundance Film Festival|Sundance Film Festival]], after Anderson panned ''[[Dirt! The Movie]]'' (Dowd was the film's sales agent).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ramos|first1=Steve|title=Critic Hits Dude at Sundance|url=http://www.vulture.com/2009/01/critic_hits_dude_at_sundance.html|website=Vulture|date=January 21, 2009 |publisher=www.vulture.com}}</ref> Anderson was eating breakfast when Dowd reportedly confronted him, and then incited a food fight and brief melee at the Yarrow Hotel Restaurant. Dowd did not press charges.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thompson|first1=Anne|title=Sundance Watch|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2009/01/sundance-watch-john-anderson-pounds-jeff-dowd-186758/|website=Indiewire|date=January 21, 2009 |publisher=www.Indiewire.com}}</ref>
Radio host and comedian [[Phil Hendrie]] voices a character, Jeff Dowder, who is very similar to Jeff Dowd's inspired character [[Jeff Lebowski]].

In 2011, Dowd was the subject of an 18-minute documentary-short directed by [[Jeff Feuerzeig]] and broadcast on the [[USA Network]] as part of its "Character" series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2012/08/the-dude/261667/|title=The Dude Who Inspired 'The Dude' in the Coen Brothers' 'The Big Lebowski' |last=Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg|first=Kasia|date=August 28, 2012|publisher=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=September 2, 2012}}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
*''The Last Game'' (2002) (TV) (executive producer)
*''[[FernGully: The Last Rainforest]]'' (1992) (co-executive producer)
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*''Cement'' (1999) (co-executive producer)
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*''[[FernGully: The Last Rainforest]]'' (1992) (co-executive producer)
*''[[Zebrahead (film)|Zebrahead]]'' (1992) (producer)
*''[[Zebrahead (film)|Zebrahead]]'' (1992) (producer)
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*''Cement'' (1999) (co-executive producer)
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*''The Last Game'' (2002) (TV) (executive producer)
*''[[Ocean of Pearls]]'' (2008) (executive producer)

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{imdb name|id=0235669|name=Jeff Dowd}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0235669|name=Jeff Dowd}}
* [http://www.farfromglory.com/jeff_dowd_fortune.htm The Dude's Film School]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120717051256/http://www.farfromglory.com/jeff_dowd_fortune.htm The Dude's Film School]

* [http://www.jeffdowd.com Official Site]
{{Authority control}}
* [http://www.myspace.com/JeffTheDudeDowd Official MySpace Site]
* Jeff Dowd's Guest DJ Set on KCRW [[http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/gd/gd080917jeff_the_dude_dowd KCRW Guest DJ Set]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowd, Jeff}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowd, Jeff}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American film producers]]
[[Category:Film producers from Washington (state)]]
[[Category:American anti-Vietnam War activists]]
[[Category:American anti–Vietnam War activists]]

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Latest revision as of 20:54, 20 August 2024

Jeff Dowd
Dowd in 2009
Born (1949-11-20) November 20, 1949 (age 74)
United States
OccupationFilm producer

Jeff Dowd (born November 20, 1949) is an American film producer and political activist.

Biography

[edit]

He was a member of the "Seattle Seven",[1] who were jailed for contempt of court following a violent protest against the Vietnam War. He later moved to Los Angeles and became an independent movie producer and promoter, producing such films as Zebrahead.[2] He met the Coen brothers while they were promoting their first film, Blood Simple, and was a key (though not the only) inspiration for their character Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski from The Big Lebowski.[3]

In 2009, Dowd was involved in an altercation with movie critic John Anderson at the Sundance Film Festival, after Anderson panned Dirt! The Movie (Dowd was the film's sales agent).[4] Anderson was eating breakfast when Dowd reportedly confronted him, and then incited a food fight and brief melee at the Yarrow Hotel Restaurant. Dowd did not press charges.[5]

In 2011, Dowd was the subject of an 18-minute documentary-short directed by Jeff Feuerzeig and broadcast on the USA Network as part of its "Character" series.[6]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Raz, Guy (May 25, 2008). "The Dude: A Little Lebowski, Alive in All of Us". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  2. ^ Maslin, Janet (October 8, 1992). "Zebrahead (1992) Review/Film Festival: Zebrahead; A Racial Chameleon In a Hidebound World". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Jennifer (July 21, 2009). ""The Dude" abides on light rail". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on July 25, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  4. ^ Ramos, Steve (January 21, 2009). "Critic Hits Dude at Sundance". Vulture. www.vulture.com.
  5. ^ Thompson, Anne (January 21, 2009). "Sundance Watch". Indiewire. www.Indiewire.com.
  6. ^ Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg, Kasia (August 28, 2012). "The Dude Who Inspired 'The Dude' in the Coen Brothers' 'The Big Lebowski'". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
[edit]
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