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Richard Fleischer

Directing 89 (deceased) years old Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA ★ 1.4
Born: December 8, 1916
Died: March 25, 2006

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Richard O. Fleischer (December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director.

Fleischer was born in Brooklyn, the son of Essie (née Goldstein) and animator/producer Max Fleischer. After graduating from Brown University, he went to Yale School of Drama, where he met his future wife, Mary Dickson.

His film career began in 1942 at the RKO studio, directing shorts, documentaries, and compilations of forgotten silent features.

Fleischer moved to Los Angeles and was assigned his first feature, Child of Divorce (1946). In 1954, he was chosen by Walt Disney (his father's former rival as a cartoon producer) to direct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starring Kirk Douglas. In 1955 Fox signed Fleischer to a long term contract. He would work for that studio for the next fifteen years. His first film under his new contract with Fox was The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955). Kirk Douglas hired Fleischer to make The Vikings (1958), which was another big hit. He then moved to Paris where he directed two stories for Darryl F. Zanuck starring Greco. Fleischer then signed a contract with Dino de Laurentiis to make Barabbas (1962). Back in Hollywood, Richard Zanuck had become head of production at Fox and offered Fleischer Fantastic Voyage (1966). It was a success and resurrected his Hollywood career. Che! (1969), a biopic of Che Guevera that starred Omar Sharif, was an expensive flop, as was an account of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). This was his last film for 20th Century Fox.

Fleischer travelled to England, where he directed an acclaimed thriller, 10 Rillington Place. See No Evil (1971) with Mia Farrow was another thriller. In Hollywood, he made The New Centurions (1972). At MGM, he made a science-fiction film, Soylent Green (1973), with Charlton Heston.

He was reunited with De Laurentiis for the popular, if controversial, Mandingo (1975). The Prince and the Pauper (1977) was a version of the Mark Twain novel that featured Heston, Harrison and Scott in its cast. Fleischer was then hired on Ashanti (1979), starring Michael Caine, which turned out to be a flop. Tough Enough (1983) was about the Toughman Contest starring Dennis Quaid. He made three more for de Laurentiis. His final theatrical feature was Million Dollar Mystery (1987).

Fleischer was chairman of Fleischer Studios, which today handles the licensing of Betty Boop and Koko the Clown. In June 2005, he released his memoirs of his father's career in Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution.

Fleischer's 1993 autobiography, Just Tell Me When to Cry, described his many difficulties with actors, writers and producers.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Richard O. Fleischer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

Directing Credits (52)

Call from Space
Call from Space Director 1989
Million Dollar Mystery
Million Dollar Mystery Director 1987
Red Sonja
Red Sonja Director 1985
Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer Director 1984
Amityville 3-D
Amityville 3-D Director 1983
Tough Enough
Tough Enough Director 1983
The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer Director 1980
Ashanti
Ashanti Director 1979
The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper Director 1977
The Incredible Sarah
The Incredible Sarah Director 1976
Mandingo
Mandingo Director 1975
Mr. Majestyk
Mr. Majestyk Director 1974
The Spikes Gang
The Spikes Gang Director 1974
The Don Is Dead
The Don Is Dead Director 1973
Soylent Green
Soylent Green Director 1973
The New Centurions
The New Centurions Director 1972
See No Evil
See No Evil Director 1971
The Last Run
The Last Run Director 1971
10 Rillington Place
10 Rillington Place Director 1971
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Tora! Tora! Tora! Director 1970
Che!
Che! Director 1969
The Boston Strangler
The Boston Strangler Director 1968
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor Dolittle Director 1967
Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage Director 1966
Barabbas
Barabbas Director 1961
The Big Gamble
The Big Gamble Director 1961
Crack in the Mirror
Crack in the Mirror Director 1960
These Thousand Hills
These Thousand Hills Director 1959
Compulsion
Compulsion Director 1959
The Vikings
The Vikings Director 1958
Between Heaven and Hell
Between Heaven and Hell Director 1956
Bandido!
Bandido! Director 1956
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing Director 1955
Violent Saturday
Violent Saturday Director 1955
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Director 1954
Arena
Arena Director 1953
The Happy Time
The Happy Time Director 1952
The Narrow Margin
The Narrow Margin Director 1952
Armored Car Robbery
Armored Car Robbery Director 1950
Trapped
Trapped Director 1949
Make Mine Laughs
Make Mine Laughs Director 1949
Follow Me Quietly
Follow Me Quietly Director 1949
The Clay Pigeon
The Clay Pigeon Director 1949
Bodyguard
Bodyguard Director 1948
Design for Death
Design for Death Director 1948
So This Is New York
So This Is New York Director 1948
Banjo
Banjo Director 1947
Mr. Bell
Mr. Bell Director 1947
Child of Divorce
Child of Divorce Director 1946
Make Mine Memories
Make Mine Memories Director 1945
Memo for Joe
Memo for Joe Director 1944
Flicker Flashbacks #2
Flicker Flashbacks #2 Director 1943

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