Richard Fleischer

Infobox actor
name = Richard Fleischer


caption = Portrait
birthname = Richard O. Fleischer
birthdate = December 8 1916
birthplace = Brooklyn, New York
deathdate = March 25 2006 (age 89)
deathplace = Woodland Hills, California
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occupation = Film director
yearsactive = 1943-1987
spouse = Mary Dickson (1943-his death)
domesticpartner =
children =
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academyawards = Documentary Feature 1947 "Design for Death."
emmyawards =
grammyawards =
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Richard O. Fleischer (December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director. [imdb name|id=0281507|name=Richard Fleischer.]

Early life

He was born in Brooklyn, the son and biographer of animator Max Fleischer. He started in motion pictures as director of animated shorts produced by his father including entries in the "Betty Boop", "Popeye" and "Superman" series.

His live-action film career began in 1942 at the RKO studio, directing shorts, documentaries, and compilations of forgotten silent features, which he called "Flicker Flashbacks". He won an Academy Award as producer of the 1947 documentary "Design for Death", co-written by Theodor Geisel (later known as Dr. Seuss), which examined the cultural forces that led to Japan's imperial expansion through World War II.

Career

Fleischer directed his first feature in 1946. His early films were taut "film noir" thrillers such as "Bodyguard" (1948), "The Clay Pigeon" (1949), "Follow Me Quietly" (1949), "Armored Car Robbery" (1950), and "The Narrow Margin" (1952).

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". He became known for big features, often employing special effects, such as "Barabbas" (1961), "Fantastic Voyage" (1966), "Dr. Dolittle" (1967), and "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970).

He directed many action adventures such as "Violent Saturday" (1955), "Bandido" (1956), "The Vikings" (1958), and "Mr. Majestyk" (1974). He also directed a trilogy of films centering on famous serial killers and focusing on the theme of capital punishment: "Compulsion" (1959), "The Boston Strangler" (1968) and "10 Rillington Place" (1971). He helmed "Soylent Green" (1973), a cautionary tale of overpopulation and pollution. Some of his entertainments are regarded as controversial and provocative, such as "Che!" (1969), a biopic of Che Guevara, and the interracial melodrama of the Deep South in "Mandingo" (1975).

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".

Death and legacy

He died in his sleep at age 89, after having been in failing health for the better part of a year.

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

Filmography

* "This is America" (1943) [Goble, Alan. "The Complete Index to World Film, since 1885." 2008. [http://www.citwf.com/indexx.asp Index home page] .] (Short documentary series)
* "Flicker Flashbacks" (1943) (Series of shorts)
* "Memo for Joe" (1944)
* "Child of Divorce" (1946)
* "Design for Death" (1947)
* "Banjo" (1947)
* "Bodyguard" (1948)
* "So This is New York" (1948)
* "Trapped (1949 film)" (1949)
* "Make Mine Laughs" (1949)
* "Follow Me Quietly" (1949)
* "The Clay Pigeon" (1949)
* "Armored Car Robbery" (1950)
* "His Kind of Woman" (1951)
* "The Narrow Margin" (1952)
* "The Happy Time" (1952)
* "Arena" (1953)
* "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954)
* "Violent Saturday" (1955)
* "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing" (1955)
* "Bandido" (1956)
* "Between Heaven and Hell" (1956)
* "The Vikings" (1958)
* "These Thousand Hills" (1959)
* "Compulsion" (1959)
* "Crack in the Mirror" (1960)
* "The Big Gamble" (1961)
* "Barabbas" (1961)
* "Fantastic Voyage" (1966)
* "Dr. Dolittle" (1967)
* "Think 20th" (1967)
* "The Boston Strangler" (1968)
* "Che!" (1969)
* "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970)
* "See No Evil" (1971) (aka "Blind Terror")
* "The Last Run" (1971)
* "10 Rillington Place" (1971)
* "The New Centurions" (1972)
* "Soylent Green" (1973)
* "The Don is Dead" (1973)
* "Mr. Majestyk" (1974)
* "The Spikes Gang" (1974)
* "Mandingo" (1975)
* "The Incredible Sarah" (1976)
* "Crossed Swords" (1977) (aka "The Prince and the Pauper")
* "Ashanti" (1979)
* "The Jazz Singer" (1980)
* "Tough Enough" (1982)
* "Amityville 3-D" (1983)
* "Conan the Destroyer" (1984)
* "Red Sonja" (1985)
* "Million Dollar Mystery" (1987)
* "Call From Space" (1989)

Awards

Wins
* Academy Awards: Oscar, Best Feature Documentary, for "Design for Death" (1947); Shared with: Sid Rogell and Theron Warth; 1948.
* Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, Avoriaz, France: Grand Prize, for "Soylent Green"; 1974.

Nominations
* Golden Globes: Golden Globe, Best Director, for "The Happy Time" (1952); 1953.
* Cannes Film Festival: Golden Palm, for "Compulsion"'; 1959.
* Directors Guild of America: DGA Award, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, for "The Vikings"; 1959.
* Directors Guild of America: DGA Award, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, for "Compulsion"; 1960.
* British Academy of Film and Television Arts: BAFTA Film Award, Best Film from any Source, for "Compulsion"; 1960.
* Fantasporto, Porto, Portugal: International Fantasy Film Award, Best Film, for "Amityville 3-D"; 1986.

Unsolicited nomination
* Razzie Awards: Razzie Award nomination, Worst Director, for "The Jazz Singer"; shared with: Sidney J. Furie; 1981.

References

Bibliography

* Fleischer, Richard, "Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution" (University Press of Kentucky, 2005)
* Fleischer, Richard, "Just Tell Me When to Cry" (Carroll and Graf, 1993)

Notes

External links

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* [http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Richard+Fleischer Richard Fleischer] profile at Disney Legends