Roberta Findlay (née Hershkowitz; born December 30, 1943) is an American film director, cinematographer, producer and actress. She is best known for her work in the exploitation field. Her work has received increasing critical appreciation in recent years.
Early life Findlay was born Roberta Hershkowitz in Brooklyn, New York City to Hungarian-Jewish immigrant parents, and was raised in the Bronx. She was classically trained on piano as a child, and her parents hoped she would have a career as a musician.
Career While attending the City College of New York, she met Michael Findlay, a student who had recently transferred there after leaving seminary school, where he was studying to become a Catholic priest. He asked her to perform a piano accompaniment for a silent film screening he was holding on the university campus. The two eventually married and began making films together, with Roberta often working as cinematographer.
By her own account, Roberta's marriage to Michael was tempestuous, and the couple were separated by 1974 due to him suffering "psychological issues." Despite their separation, she continued to occasionally work with him professionally, including as cinematographer on Shriek of the Mutilated (1974). Michael Findlay died in 1977 in a helicopter accident; after his death, she continued to make films, directing the horror films Blood Sisters (1987) and Tenement (1985).
Select filmography Feature films YearTitleDirectorWriterCinematographer Notes 1968 The Kiss of Her Flesh Credited as Anna Riva1969 Crack-Up 1971The Slaughter Credited as Roberto Herz Kowicz 1974Invasion of the Blood Farmers Credited as Frederick Douglass 1974Shriek of the Mutilated 1976Snuff 1985The Oracle 1985Tenement 1987Blood Sisters 1988Lurkers 1988Prime Evil 1989Banned
Pornography YearTitleDirectorWriterCinematographer Notes 1971 The Altar of Lust 1974Angel Number 9 1975Anyone But My Husband 1975Every Inch a Lady Film also attributed to John and Lem Amero Every Inch a Lady (1975), IMDb. Retrieved 25 January 2024. 1977A Woman's TormentA Woman's Torment 1982 Liquid A$$ets Co-writer 1985Shauna: Every Man’s Fantasy Uncredited
References
Further reading
External links
Roberta Findlay at Letterboxd