Paul Morrissey

Paul Joseph Morrissey (born February 23, 1938 in New York City) was an American filmmaker whose career spanned five decades and whose work reshaped underground cinema. Raised in a devout Irish‑Catholic family in Yonkers, he attended Fordham Prep and Fordham University before serving as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, experiences that gave him a disciplined yet rebellious edge. In the early 1960s he opened the Exit Gallery on East 4th St., showcasing avant‑garde shorts alongside his own silent 16 mm comedies such as Mary Martin Does It and Taylor Mead Dances. A chance meeting with poet‑filmmaker Gerard Malanga led to an introduction to Andy Warhol in June 1965; Warhol immediately recognized Morrissey’s technical skill and recruited him to The Factory, where he co‑directed seminal works including My Hustler, Chelsea Girls, and I, a Man. Morrissey’s partnership with Warhol birthed iconic collaborations that defined the era—most notably the cult classics Flesh (1968), Trash (1970) and Heat (1972), each starring the charismatic Joe Dallesandro and featuring trans icons like Holly Woodlawn and Candy Darling. His films combined gritty realism with a satirical eye, earning both box‑office success in Europe and a lasting influence on independent cinema.

After the Factory years Morrissey ventured to Rome, directing the horror‑infused Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974), projects that solidified his reputation beyond the New York underground. Returning to the United States he tackled the punk scene in Madame Wang’s (1981) and chronicled New York’s social decay in a trio of early‑80s films—Forty Deuce, Mixed Blood, and Spike of Bensonhurst. Though he later voiced criticism of Warhol’s mythic stature, Morrissey remained committed to portraying marginalized individuals with empathy, insisting that “a human being is a sympathetic entity.” His final feature, News From Nowhere (2010), premiered at Film at Lincoln Center, capping a prolific career that blended exploitation aesthetics with incisive social commentary. Morrissey passed away from pneumonia on October 28, 2024, leaving an indelible legacy as a bold, contrarian voice in American film.