Biography
Ivan Reitman — director (ghostbusters) with roots in the Russian Empire
Ivan Reitman was a Czech-born Canadian film director and producer who became one of Hollywood's most successful comedy filmmakers. He produced Animal House (1978) and directed Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters, and Kindergarten Cop — building a career synonymous with the American blockbuster comedy.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Cz/Rus roots
Born in Komarno, Czechoslovakia in 1946 to parents with roots in the Czech-Russian borderlands, Reitman was brought to Canada as an infant refugee. His family's Eastern European Jewish background — survivors of Nazi persecution — gave him the outsider's eye for American absurdity that powered his best comedies.
Family Tree
Subject
Ivan Reitman🇨🇦 Canada
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Self
Komarmo (Cz/Rus roots)
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Origin
Cz/Rus roots🇷🇺
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Directed Ghostbusters (1984) — one of the highest-grossing comedies in history
02
Produced National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
03
Directed Stripes (1981), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Dave (1993)
04
Founded The Montecito Picture Company
05
Father of director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air)
"Comedy is the hardest thing to do in film. Except make a sequel to Ghostbusters."
Ivan Reitman
Sources