Richard Fleischer
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Richard Fleischer
Biography
The son of famed animator Max Fleischer (Popeye, Betty Boop et. al.), Richard O. Fleischer was a psychology student at Brown University when he dropped out in favor of the Yale Drama Department. At age 21, Fleischer organized a campus theatrical troupe called the Arena Players. In 1942, he went to work for RKO-Pathe in New York, editing the company's weekly newsreels before producing and directing his own short-subject projects, including the March of Time-like This is America and a series of gagged-up silent-film vignettes titled Flicker Flashbacks. In 1946, he headed to Hollywood, there to direct feature films for Pathe's parent studio, RKO Radio; his last short-subject effort was the Oscar-winning Design for Death (1948). At first limited to "B" pictures, Fleischer gained a loyal critical following with such topnotch films as Follow Me Quietly (1949) and The Narrow Margin (1952).Perhaps sensing that RKO was on its last legs, Fleischer moved on to MGM, then to Walt Disney Studios. While working for Disney he helmed his first big-budgeter, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954). Firmly established as an action specialist, Fleischer remained in this vein with such profitable projects as The Vikings (1958), These Thousand Hills (1959) and Fantastic Voyage (1966). He also evinced a fondness for crime and suspense pictures, notably Violent Saturday (1955), Compulsion (1959) and The Boston Strangler (1968). While many of his films were box-office bonanzas, he also turned out an equal number of unsuccessful films including Dr. Doolittle (1967) and Che! (1969). A true survivor, Fleischer was able to remain active until the late 1980s, by which time he'd chalked up fewer and fewer hits like The New Centurions (1972) and more and more misses like The Jazz Singer (1980) and Million Dollar Mystery (1987). Though he hasn't made a film since 1990, Richard Fleischer has kept busy as the licensee of his dad's cartoon creation Betty Boop; and in 1994, Fleischer published his sprightly autobiography, Just Tell Me When to Cry. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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Richard Fleischer
| Richard Fleischer | |
|---|---|
 Portrait |
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| Born | Richard O. Fleischer December 8, 1916 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | March 25, 2006 (aged 89) Woodland Hills, California |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 1943–1987 |
| Spouse | Mary Dickson (1943–his death) |
Richard O. Fleischer (December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director.
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Early life
Fleischer was born in Brooklyn, the son of Essie (née Goldstein) and animator/producer Max Fleischer.[1] 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 1948, Fleischer also directed So This Is New York, a cynically sophisticated comedy starring acerbic humorist Henry Morgan based upon a Ring Lardner novel.
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, James Mason, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre. It was Disney's first Hollywood live-action film, and his most elaborate to date. It was a great success with both the critics and the public. As a result, Fleischer became known for big features, often employing special effects, such as Barabbas (1961), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967), and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).
He directed many action adventures such as Violent Saturday (1955), Bandido (1956) starring Robert Mitchum, The Vikings (1958), and Mr. Majestyk (1974). Fleischer 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
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.
Further reading
- 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)
References
- ^ Filmreference.com
- ^ Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to World Film, since 1885. 2008. Index home page.
External links
- Richard Fleischer at the Internet Movie Database
- Richard Fleischer at AllRovi
- Richard Fleischer profile at Disney Legends
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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