Andrew J. Kuehn, a movie advertiser who helped revolutionize the motion-picture trailers played before films, died at his home here on Thursday. He was 66.
The cause was cancer, Eileen Patterson, a friend and film publicist, said.
Mr. Kuehn was the founder and head of the movie advertising firm Kaleidoscope Films. Kaleidoscope's trailers became the benchmark for the industry, with strong music, good editing and smart writing. Among Mr. Kuehn's best lines was the one used for ''Jaws 2'': ''Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.''
Mr. Kuehn developed trailers for films including the original ''Jaws,'' the ''Indiana Jones'' trilogy, ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,'' ''Schindler's List,'' ''The Lost World: Jurassic Park,'' ''The French Connection,'' ''The Sting,'' ''Star Wars,'' ''Funny Girl,'' ''Aliens,'' ''Top Gun,'' ''Back to the Future'' and ''Witness.''
''He came into the world of previews when they were done very conventionally, and he reinvented them,'' said Bob Harper, vice chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment. ''He pioneered the idea of previews as a stand-alone piece of entertainment.''
Though best known for the trailers, Mr. Kuehn also directed and produced the documentary ''Get Bruce,'' and with the singer Michael Feinstein produced and directed ''The Great American Songbook,'' a PBS musical documentary that was broadcast last year.
In the 1980's he was a co-producer for ''D.O.A.,'' a film noir remake starring Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, and director and a producer of ''Terror in the Aisles,'' a feature documentary about horror films and thrillers.
Continue reading the main storyHis survivors include his partner, Will Gorges, and his sister, Andreva Holterhoff of Laguna Beach.
Continue reading the main story