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Barbara Gordon, an Emmy Award-winning TV shaper and documentary filmmaker whose conflict pinch Valium addiction was chronicled successful her 1979 memoir I’m Dancing arsenic Fast arsenic I Can and 1982 movie adaptation, died Tuesday, April 7, astatine her location successful New York City aft respective years of sick health. She was 90.
Her decease was announced by family past week, though it was not wide reported astatine nan time.
“Although an urbanite done and through, she was a unit of nature,” her brother, Edward Loeb, said successful nan published obituary.
Gordon’s revelatory relationship of her intelligence wellness battles and benzodiazepine dependence successful an era erstwhile nan supplier was overmuch overprescribed and mostly assumed to beryllium safe, became a bestseller, was connected nan shortlist for an American Book Award and was adapted by playwright David Rabe for a movie starring Jill Clayburgh. Jack Hofsiss directed, pinch Scott Rudin and Edgar J. Scherick producing.
Critics were not impressed by nan movie, nor was Gordon herself. In her published obituary, she is quoted arsenic saying, “It was an atrocious disappointment, truthful different from nan book, truthful unfeeling, truthful yucky. But I’m not nan first writer who had her book horribly altered by Hollywood and I’m acrophobic I won’t beryllium nan last.”
Still, nan movie helped dispersed nan connection astir nan dangers of medicine medication addiction, nan title of nan memoir and nan movie becoming truthful recognizable successful nan 1980s and ’90s that playwright Tony Kushner could usage it successful 1991 arsenic a punchline successful Angels In America arsenic a surefire laugh-getter. Gordon herself erstwhile explained nan title by noting that it was based connected an aged Catskills joke successful which a man and a female meet astatine a singles resort. While dancing together, nan man says “I’m only present for nan weekend,” to which nan female replies, “I’m dancing arsenic accelerated arsenic I can.”
The building captured not only Gordon’s humor, but her frenetic manner and profession successful nan 1970s.
Born Barbara Sue Loeb connected December 19, 1935, successful Miami Beach, Florida, Gordon attended Vassar and received a grade from Barnard College earlier landing a occupation arsenic a caput astatine NBC successful New York. She soon began penning for nan network’s Today Show, and from location became a writer and shaper for nationalist tv and astatine CBS’ New York flagship WCBS.
For WNET, a superior PBS personnel now known simply arsenic 13, Gordon produced segments for nan acclaimed 1971-’72 bid The Great American Dream Machine. During her TV profession she won 3 New York-area Emmy Awards.
In summation to her brother, she is survived by his woman Melinda, 3 nephews and different extended family.
