About

Known credits:
69
Birthday:
1916-12-08
Place of birth:
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Website:
N/A

Richard Fleischer

Overview

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.

Known for

Acting
2010 Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff Actor Self – Interviewee 59
Average
2006 First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series Actor Himself - Son of Max Fleischer N/A
N/A
2005 Filmmakers vs. Tycoons Actor Self 59
Average
2004 Männer im Trenchcoat, Frauen im Pelz Actor Self N/A
N/A
2004 Murder by Numbers Actor Self N/A
N/A
2003 The Making of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Actor Self 59
Average
1995 Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons Actor Self 59
Average
1973 A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green' Actor Self N/A
N/A
1954 Operation Undersea Actor Self 59
Average
1945 Make Mine Memories Actor Director N/A
N/A
The Reality Trip Actor self N/A
N/A

Directing
1989 Call from Space Directing Director 59
Average
1987 Million Dollar Mystery Directing Director 58
Average
1985 Red Sonja Directing Director 55
Average
1984 Conan the Destroyer Directing Director 60
Fair
1983 Amityville 3-D Directing Director 55
Average
1983 Tough Enough Directing Director 58
Average
1980 The Jazz Singer Directing Director 58
Average
1979 Ashanti Directing Director 59
Average
1977 The Prince and the Pauper Directing Director 59
Average
1976 The Incredible Sarah Directing Director 58
Average
1975 Mandingo Directing Director 60
Fair
1974 Mr. Majestyk Directing Director 61
Fair
1974 The Spikes Gang Directing Director 59
Average
1973 The Don Is Dead Directing Director 59
Average
1973 Soylent Green Directing Director 66
Fair
1972 The New Centurions Directing Director 59
Average
1971 See No Evil Directing Director 60
Fair
1971 The Last Run Directing Director 59
Average
1971 10 Rillington Place Directing Director 62
Fair
1970 Tora! Tora! Tora! Directing Director 65
Fair
1969 Che! Directing Director 58
Average
1968 The Boston Strangler Directing Director 61
Fair
1967 Doctor Dolittle Directing Director 59
Average
1966 Fantastic Voyage Directing Director 62
Fair
1961 Barabbas Directing Director 61
Fair
1961 The Big Gamble Directing Director 59
Average
1960 Crack in the Mirror Directing Director 59
Average
1959 These Thousand Hills Directing Director 59
Average
1959 Compulsion Directing Director 61
Fair
1958 The Vikings Directing Director 63
Fair
1956 Between Heaven and Hell Directing Director 59
Average
1956 Bandit! Directing Director 58
Average
1955 The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing Directing Director 59
Average
1955 Violent Saturday Directing Director 59
Average
1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Directing Director 65
Fair
1953 Arena Directing Director 58
Average
1952 The Happy Time Directing Director 59
Average
1952 The Narrow Margin Directing Director 62
Fair
1951 His Kind of Woman Directing Director 59
Average
1950 Armored Car Robbery Directing Director 59
Average
1949 Trapped Directing Director 58
Average
1949 Make Mine Laughs Directing Director 58
Average
1949 Follow Me Quietly Directing Director 59
Average
1949 The Clay Pigeon Directing Director 58
Average
1948 Bodyguard Directing Director 59
Average
1948 Design for Death Directing Director 59
Average
1948 So This Is New York Directing Director 58
Average
1947 Banjo Directing Director 59
Average
1947 Mr. Bell Directing Director N/A
N/A
1946 Child of Divorce Directing Director 59
Average
1945 Make Mine Memories Directing Director N/A
N/A
1944 Memo for Joe Directing Director N/A
N/A
1943 Flicker Flashbacks #2 Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
1945 Make Mine Memories Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1943 Flicker Flashbacks #2 Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
1974 The Spikes Gang Production Producer 59
Average
1945 Make Mine Memories Production Producer N/A
N/A

Crew
1989 Betty Boop's Hollywood Mystery Crew Creative Consultant 58
Average