Glowing reviews (Pauline Kael likened Demme to Renoir) did not translate into ticket sales and the film was a flop, as was Last Embrace (1979), his witty homage to Vertigo. On the other hand, it gave Demme the publicity he wanted. He later conceded that the success of those two films changed the course of his career, and not exclusively for the good. Jonathan Demme, who has died aged 73 from complications from cancer, rose from his colourful if tawdry beginnings under the aegis of the exploitation maestro Roger Corman to become one of the most eclectic, delightful and original film-makers in Hollywood. Edward Kern "Ted" Demme (October 26, 1963 – January 13, 2002) was an American film director and producer. He shot one scene of the sex film Secrets of a Door-to-Door Salesman (aka Naughty Wives) (1973) and wrote assorted scripts for Corman, such as Angels Hard As They Come (1971) and The Hot Box (1972), before making his directing debut with the women-in-prison thriller Caged Heat (1974) and the lighthearted gangster movie Crazy Mama (1975). His movies could be bewilderingly diverse – he made the innovative concert film Stop Making Sense (1984), the uproarious screwball thriller Something Wild (1986), the Aids drama Philadelphia (1993) and a remake of The Manchurian Candidate (2004) – but they were united by their colour and vim, as well as a deep-seated sense of conscientiousness and community. We wanted to reach the people who couldn’t care less about people with Aids. When out of the production studios, Demme was a lover of sports. He is survived by his second wife, Joanne Howard, and three children, Ramona, Brooklyn and Jos. This was particularly showcasing the turf wars of the Celtic mafia mobs in the city of Boston. The same year, he oversaw the production of No Cure for Cancer. Ted Demme was born on October 26, 1963 in New York City, New York, USA as Edward Demme. The following year he produced yet another movie Monument Ave. This was because he used themes from other previous films. Then he went over to New Line and started their soundtrack department, that's how he got his foot in the door. In the same year 1999, he did a twin production of comedy. Unperturbed, Demme released another movie in 1997, titled Lock N Load. I've known Ted Demme for going on 4 years now. Ted Demme passed away in 2002. He would read the site and send in comments and criticisms about what it was we did. His birth name was Edward Kern Demme. After his last outright exploitation picture, the revenge thriller Fighting Mad (1976), Demme made his major studio debut with Citizens Band, aka Handle With Care (1977), intended by Paramount to cash in on the CB radio boom but shaped by Demme into a sweet-natured comic roundelay. While together, Ted an Amanda welcomed 2 children: a son born in 1997 and a daughter born in November 2001. “I wondered if I was missing some commercial gene,” he said. Tom Hanks, left, and Denzel Washington in Philadelphia, 1993, directed by Jonathan Demme. Heather Rochester, Other Works In the comic movie Life, Demme had among other actors Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. Doing 'The Walking Dead' sort of turned me on to the whole thing. In this streetwise production, Demme delved in the typical life of mobs in the streets. Jan. 15, 2002 -- Ted Demme, a Hollywood director who was on the fast track, collapsed while playing in a celebrity basketball game and died. In both instances, he insisted that the criminals should survive; Crazy Mama even ends with the outlaws cheerfully running a hot-dog stand. Film critics retorted with negativity. Edward Kern "Ted" Demme[1][2] (/ˈdɛmi/ DEM-ee;[3] October 26, 1963 – January 13, 2002) was an American director, producer, and actor.