Robert Elmer "Bob" Balaban (born
August 16,
1945) is an
American actor,
author and
director, best known for his collaborations with
Christopher Guest.
Biography
Personal life
Balaban was born in
Chicago, Illinois, the son of Eleanor (
née Pottasch) and Elmer Balaban, a local hat salesman.
[Bob Balaban Biography (1945-)] His family was a dominant force in the theatre business; his uncles founded the
Balaban and Katz Theatre circuit in Chicago, a chain which included the
Chicago and
Uptown theatres (a 2006 documentary,
Uptown: Portrait of a Palace, features one of these theatres). Balaban and Katz operated some of the most beautiful movie palaces in the United States beginning the 1920s. Bob Balaban's father and his uncle Harry founded the H & E Balaban Corporation in Chicago. H & E Balaban Corporation operated their own movie palaces including the Esquire Theatre in Chicago. They later owned a powerful group of television stations and cable television franchises. His uncle
Barney Balaban was president of
Paramount Pictures[Bob Balaban Gets "Exonerated"] for nearly 30 years from 1936 to 1964. His grandmother's second husband, Sam Katz, was a vice president at MGM beginning in 1936. Sam had early partnered with Bob's uncles Abe, Barney, John and Max to form Balaban and Katz. Sam also served as President of the Publix theatre division of Paramount Pictures.
