Curtis Hanson, director of 'L.A. Confidential' and '8 Mile,' dies at 71

LOS ANGELES (CNS / FOX 11) - Writer/director/producer Curtis Hanson, who won an Oscar for the adapted screenplay of the crime drama "L.A. Confidential,'' which he also directed, died Tuesday as his home in the Hollywood Hills.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, police and paramedics responded to Hanson's home in the 1800 block of North Vista Street for a "death investigation'' call shortly before 5 p.m. Hanson was pronounced dead at the scene, apparently of natural causes. He was 71.

A Reno, Nevada, native, Hanson began his film career in 1970 working on the adapted screenplay of "The Dunwich Horror.'' His other screenwriting credits included "Sweet Kill,'' "The Silent Partner,'' "Never Cry Wolf'' and "The Bedroom Window.''

His fledgling directorial career began taking off with the 1992 thriller "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.'' He directed "The River Wild'' two years later, then found acclaim with the classic film-noir crime tale "L.A. Confidential,'' which had an all-star cast including Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito and David Strathairn.

His other directing credits include "Wonder Boys,'' "8 Mile,'' "In Her Shoes'' and the HBO film "Too Big to Fail'' in 2011. His most recent directing effort was 2012's "Chasing Mavericks,'' starring Gerard Butler and Elisabeth Shue.

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