George Loening Hickenlooper III (May 25, 1963 – October 29, 2010) was an American narrative and documentary filmmaker. Early life Hickenlooper was born in St. Louis, the son of Barbara Jo Wenger, a social worker and stage actress, and George Loening Hickenlooper, Jr., a teacher and playwright. He was also the grand nephew of British-born conductor Leopold Stokowski through marriage to his great aunt, pianist Olga Samaroff (whose birth name was Lucy Mary Agnes Hickenlooper). He attended high school at St. Louis University High, where he was part of a group of teenage filmmakers he informally called the "Splicers". After graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in History and Film Studies in 1986, Hickenlooper interned for the producer Roger Corman, and launched his directing career with Art, Acting, and the Suicide Chair: Dennis Hopper in 1988. Career His first feature-length documentary, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, explored the making of Apocalypse Now. It won several awards, including the National Board of Review award for "Best Documentary", an American Cinema Editors award for "Best Edited Documentary", two Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards for "Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming – Directing" and "Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming – Picture Editing", and the International Documentary Association award. Hickenlooper himself won an Emmy for direction. George Hickenlooper's cousin, then-Denver mayor John Hickenlooper, made a cameo appearance as a fictional senator in George's 2010 film Casino Jack. In 2020, John defeated incumbent Cory Gardner to represent Colorado in the US Senate. John also served as Governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2019. In addition to his films, Hickenlooper authored a book in 1991, Reel Conversations. Death Hickenlooper died in his sleep on October 29, 2010 at the age of 47. Despite initial reports that Hickenlooper had suffered a heart attack, the coroner ruled that his death was the result of accidental painkiller overdose, combining oxymorphone with alcohol. Sleep apnea and a "moderately enlarged heart" were contributing factors. Filmography Documentaries Art, Acting, and the Suicide Chair: Dennis Hopper, 1988 Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, 1991 Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas, 1991 The Big Brass Ring, 1997 (short) Monte Hellman: American Auteur, 1997 (short) Mayor of the Sunset Strip, 2003 Speechless, 2008 Out in the City, 2009 (short) 'Hick' Town, 2009 Narrative films Ghost Brigade, 1993 Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, 1994