James Foley, 'Glengarry Glen Ross' director, dies at 71
Entertainment
In his long and varied career, Foley directed Madonna music videos
James Foley, a journeyman director best known for “Glengarry Glen Ross,” has died. He was 71.
He died earlier this week after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, his representative, Taylor Lomax, said Friday.
In his long and varied career, Foley directed Madonna music videos, 12 episodes of “House of Cards” and the two “Fifty Shades of Grey” sequels, but it was his 1992 adaptation of David Mamet’s foulmouthed Pulitzer Prize winning play that stood above the rest.
Although it wasn’t a hit at the time, “Glengarry Glen Ross” wormed its way into the culture and grew into an oft-quoted cult favorite, especially Alec Baldwin’s made-for-the-film “always be closing” monologue.
Critic Tim Grierson wrote 20 years after its release that it remains “one of the quintessential modern movies about masculinity.” He added, “while there are many fine Mamet movies, it’s interesting that the best of them was this one — the one he didn’t direct.”
