Ivan Reitman was born in Komárno, Czechoslovakia on October 27, 1946. Reitman and his family departed the country of his birth in 1950 and settled in Canada, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music before entering the world of film production (via Film Reference). According to IMDb, Reitman’s directorial debut came in the form of a 1968 short film titled “Orientation.” Reitman followed this up only a few years later with two longer feature films titled “Foxy Lady” and “Cannibal Girls.”
However, the auteur’s big break didn’t come until he earned a producer’s credit on 1978’s “National Lampoon’s Animal House.” Following this success, Reitman also stepped into the director’s chair for 1979’s “Meatballs,” a film which ultimately launched actor Bill Murray into stardom and gave Reitman the spotlight as a successful director. Reitman followed this up with 1981’s “Stripes” and 1984’s “Ghostbusters,” both films also starring Murray. Additional notable films by the late director include: 1986’s “Legal Eagles,” 1988’s “Twins,” 1990’s “Kindergarten Cop,” and 2014’s “Draft Day,” among a variety of other films (via IMDb).
Reitman is survived by his wife, Geneviève, and three children: Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman, and Caroline Reitman. Notably, Reitman recently played the uncredited role of a motion capture actor in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” a film directed by his son, Jason.