Richard Donner | |
|---|---|
| File:Richard-Donner.png Donner at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Richard Donald Schwartzberg April 24, 1930 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Film director, Television director, Film producer |
| Years active | 1957–present |
| Known for | The Omen Superman The Goonies Lethal Weapon |
| Spouse(s) | Lauren Shuler (m. 1985) |
| Awards | |
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930) is an American director and producer of film and television. After directing the horror film The Omen (1976), Donner became famous for directing the first modern superhero film, Superman (1978), starring Christopher Reeve.
Donner later went on to direct such films as The Goonies (1985) and Scrooged (1988), while reinvigorating the buddy film genre with Lethal Weapon (1987) and its sequels. He and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner, own the production company The Donner's Company, which is most well known for producing the X-Men film series. In 2000, he received the President's Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. Film historian Michael Barson writes that Donner is "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters".[1]
Early years[]
Richard Schwartzberg was born in the Bronx, to Jewish parents,[2] Hattie and Fred Schwartzberg.[3][4] His father owned a small furniture manufacturing business.[3] He has a sister, Joan.[3] Donner started his career with hopes of acting but quickly moved into directing commercials and making business films.
Television[]
He moved into television in the late 1950s, directing some episodes of the Steve McQueen western serial Wanted: Dead or Alive and the Chuck Connors western The Rifleman.[5] In his early career as a director he worked on TV commercials and over twenty-five television series including Have Gun Will Travel, The Fugitive, Combat!, Get Smart, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West, Gilligan's Island, Kojak, Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone (most notably the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" starring William Shatner and "From Agnes—With Love" starring Wally Cox), as well as the serial Danger Island from the children's program The Banana Splits.[5]
Films[]
Donner directed his first feature film in 1961, X-15, which starred Charles Bronson and Mary Tyler Moore. It was not until seven years later, however, that he directed his next film, Salt and Pepper (1968), with Sammy Davis Jr., and Peter Lawford. His break-through film was The Omen (1976).[5] A supernatural thriller made in the wake of the success obtained by The Exorcist, the film stars Gregory Peck, David Warner and Lee Remick. It became the fifth highest-grossing movie of 1976.
Superman (1978)[]
In 1978, Donner directed Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve in the title role. The film became a hit worldwide, projecting both Reeve and Donner to international fame.[6] Co-stars included Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, Marlon Brando as Jor-El and Gene Hackman as archvillain Lex Luthor. It succeeded at the box office, grossing $134 million domestically.[1]
Principal photography of Superman included filming of its first sequel, Superman II. Donner filmed most of Superman II with the expectation he would complete the sequel after the release of Superman. Despite the first film's success, Donner was fired from Superman II. Throughout the filming of Superman and Superman II, Donner had a difficult relationship with executive producers Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler. The Salkinds refused Donner's demand that Spengler be fired; instead, the Salkinds replaced Donner as director of Superman II with Richard Lester, who had worked with the Salkinds on The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers and as an uncredited producer on Superman. Following Donner's dismissal, Marlon Brando's scenes were removed from Superman II and much of the film was re-shot under Lester's direction. Gene Hackman refused to return for re-shoots; consequently, all the Lex Luthor scenes that appear in Superman II were filmed by Donner, although Donner received no onscreen credit for directing, because Donner refused to be on the credits.
Rotten Tomatoes' summary states that "Superman II meets, if not exceeds, the standard set by its predecessor". Donner continued to promote the view his contribution was superior to rest of the series. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut was released on November 28, 2006, on the same date as the DVD release of the summer film, Superman Returns.[citation needed] This version of the film features the re-insertion of Marlon Brando's scenes as Jor-El, and relies on a minimum of footage shot by Richard Lester.
Post-Superman career[]
Donner has mixed commercial flops (The Toy, Inside Moves, Radio Flyer) and successes (The Goonies, the Lethal Weapon series, Scrooged and Ladyhawke). In the case of Superman, it was Donner who insisted the subject of the comic book superhero should be treated "straight" rather than "camp", an approach that strongly influenced later genre directors such as Tim Burton (Batman, Batman Returns), Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2, X-Men: Days of Future Past), and Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises), who have made successful superhero films of their own. The influence of Superman can, to this day, be seen in superhero films outside the Superman storyline, and even outside the DC Comics universe[citation needed]. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film is debatably one of the strongest examples of that influenceTemplate:Or. In the early 1980s, Donner proposed to Warner Bros. a non-camp film version of Batman, to star Mel Gibson[citation needed].
Lethal Weapon (1987–1998)[]
Donner's next blockbuster film was Lethal Weapon, written by Shane Black. It starred Mel Gibson as a widowed narcotics detective with a suicidal bent "who breaks every rule for the sheer joy of it." It co-starred Danny Glover as a calm homicide detective with a loving family and consideration for retirement. The film's action sequences were considered "truly spectacular" and made the film one of the year's biggest hits.[1]
Donner directed six films starring Mel Gibson overall, creating a Lethal Weapon franchise with 3 sequels, the last one being Lethal Weapon 4, released in 1998. In an interview in 2000, Gibson described his impressions of Donner:
"Uncle Dick. He’s a great guy, just terrific. Extremely professional. He’s an old veteran and has an understanding of film that is the culmination of years of experience. He’s got his technical stuff down, his vision down. No matter what you say about Dick, it underrates him. He really loves what he’s doing, loves working with actors, and he allows you freedom to explore all kinds of areas. 'All right, kid,' he’ll say, and slap you on the back and let you try something, because even he doesn’t know sometimes. He’s just an extremely charming, talented, great fuckin’ guy. I love him."[7]
Richard Donner's cousin is actor Steve Kahan, who played a policeman tracking Otis in Superman: The Movie, and played Captain Ed Murphy in the Lethal Weapon movie franchise. Donner has cast Kahan in some of his other films too.
X-Men[]
He became the executive producer for the 2000 Marvel Comics film X-Men, then also an executive producer for the 2009 X-Men prequel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and producer on X-Men: Days of Future Past. In addition, Donner's wife has produced all of the films in the X-Men film series under their Donners' Company brand.
On October 16, 2008, Donner and Lauren Shuler Donner received stars in a double ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their achievements in motion pictures, located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard.[8][9][10]
Comic books[]
One of Donner's assistants in the late 1990s was comic book writer Geoff Johns. In October 2006, Donner, Johns and artist Adam Kubert became the new creative team on Action Comics, the publisher's most time honored publication and one of DC Comics' two main Superman titles. Together, Johns and Donner collaborated on the stories Last Son and Escape from Bizarro World, both of which have been released in collected book form. Donner and Johns also co-wrote a story for the upcoming Action Comics #1000 in 2018.
Book release[]
On November 10, 2010, Donner's authorized biography You're the Director... You Figure It Out: The Life and Films of Richard Donner by James Christie was published by BearManor Media.[11] The book features a foreword by actor Mel Gibson.
Script Magazine described the book as an "engaging portrait of a warm-hearted (if occasionally gruff) man who can justly be considered the modern equivalent of Victor Fleming and Michael Curtiz – a highly talented, professional director of motion pictures who has thrived in the studio system and made some pretty good pictures to boot."[12]
The Directors Guild of America called the book "a compelling study of an ebullient, ballsy risk-taker who was a director even before he was aware of it" that "ably captures Donner's joy in doing a job he loves."[13]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | X-15 | Yes | ||
| 1968 | Salt and Pepper | Yes | ||
| 1969 | Lola aka "Twinky" | Yes | ||
| 1976 | The Omen | Yes | ||
| 1978 | Superman | Yes | ||
| 1980 | Superman II | Yes | Uncredited; with Richard Lester | |
| Inside Moves | Yes | |||
| 1981 | Omen III: The Final Conflict | Yes | ||
| 1982 | The Toy | Yes | ||
| 1985 | The Goonies | Yes | Yes | |
| Ladyhawke | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1987 | Lethal Weapon | Yes | Yes | |
| The Lost Boys | Yes | Directed by Joel Schumacher | ||
| 1988 | Scrooged | Yes | Yes | |
| 1989 | Lethal Weapon 2 | Yes | Yes | |
| 1991 | Delirious | Yes | Directed by Tom Mankiewicz | |
| 1992 | Radio Flyer | Yes | ||
| Lethal Weapon 3 | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1993 | Free Willy | Yes | Directed by Simon Wincer | |
| 1994 | Maverick | Yes | Yes | |
| 1995 | Assassins | Yes | Yes | |
| Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | Yes | Directed by Dwight H. Little | ||
| Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight | Yes | Directed by Ernest Dickerson | ||
| 1996 | Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood | Yes | Directed by Gilbert Adler | |
| 1997 | Conspiracy Theory | Yes | Yes | |
| Free Willy 3: The Rescue | Yes | Directed by Sam Pillsbury | ||
| 1998 | Lethal Weapon 4 | Yes | Yes | |
| 1999 | Any Given Sunday | Yes | Directed by Oliver Stone | |
| 2000 | X-Men | Yes | Directed by Bryan Singer | |
| 2002 | Tales from the Crypt: Ritual | Yes | Directed by Avi Nesher | |
| 2003 | Timeline | Yes | Yes | |
| 2006 | 16 Blocks | Yes | ||
| Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut | Yes | |||
| 2009 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Yes | Directed by Gavin Hood |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | 1 episode |
| The DuPont Show with June Allyson | ||
| 1960-61 | Wanted Dead or Alive | 6 episode |
| 1961 | Letter to Loretta | 5 episode |
| Route 66 | 1 episode | |
| The Tall Man | 2 episodes | |
| Wagon Train | 1 episode | |
| 1961-62 | Have Gun – Will Travel | 5 episodes |
| 1962 | The Detectives | 1 episode |
| The Rifleman | 7 episodes | |
| 1962-63 | Sam Benedict | 6 episodes |
| 1963 | The Eleventh Hour | 2 episodes |
| Combat! | 1 episode | |
| The Nurses | ||
| 1963-64 | The Lieutenant | 2 episode |
| The Twilight Zone | 6 episodes | |
| Mr. Novak | 7 episodes | |
| 1964 | The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters | 1 episode |
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | 4 episode | |
| 1964-65 | Gilligan's Island | 3 episode |
| Perry Mason | ||
| 1965 | Twelve O'Clock High | 4 episode |
| Get Smart | 2 episodes | |
| 1966 | The F.B.I. | 1 episode |
| The Fugitive | 2 episodes | |
| It's About Time | 1 episode | |
| Jericho | ||
| The Wild Wild West | 3 episode | |
| The Felony Squad | ||
| 1968-69 | The Banana Splits Adventure Hour | 6 episodes |
| 1971 | The Interns | 1 episode |
| Sarge | ||
| Bearcats! | 2 episodes | |
| 1971-72 | Cade's County | 3 episodes |
| 1971-73 | Cannon | 4 episodes |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense | 1 episode |
| Ghost Story | ||
| Banyon | ||
| Ironside | ||
| The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | 3 episodes | |
| 1973-74 | Kojak | |
| 1974 | The Streets of San Francisco | 2 episodes |
| Sons and Daughters | 3 episodes | |
| Lucas Tanner | 1 episode | |
| Petrocelli | ||
| 1975 | Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic | Television film |
| Bronk | 2 episode | |
| 1989-92 | Tales from the Crypt | 3 episodes
Also executive producer |
| 1992 | Two-Fisted Tales | Television film
with |
| 1993-94 | Tales from the Cryptkeeper | Executive producer |
| 1997 | Perversions of Science | |
| 1999 | Made Men | Producer |
Bibliography[]
- Action Comics (co-writer with Geoff Johns)
- Last Son and Escape from Bizarro World (2009)
- You're the Director... You Figure It Out: The Life and Films of Richard Donner (2010)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Barson, Michael. Who's Who of Hollywood Directors, Noonday Press (1995)
- ↑ Vanity Fair: "The Rude Warrior" by Peter Biskind March 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Variety Magazine: "Vet helmer’s long and boffo road" by Beverly Walker July 31, 1997
- ↑ Haaretz: "Superman, Man of Schlemiel? - Superman, the invention of two U.S. Jews, is a profoundly Jewish character whose film history is entwined with that of American Jewry" by Nathan Abrams June 16, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Richard Donner at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ "From The Archive: The Making Of Superman". Empire Magazine. January 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Simon, Alex (June 29, 2015). "Great Conversations: Mel Gibson". HuffPost. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-simon/great-conversations-mel-g_b_7690210.html.
- ↑ "Richard Donner | Hollywood Walk of Fame". www.walkoffame.com. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Lauren Shuler Donner | Hollywood Walk of Fame". www.walkoffame.com. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Richard Donner - Hollywood Star Walk - Los Angeles Times". projects.latimes.com. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "You're the Director... – Amazon". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Morton, Ray (October 7, 2011). "Meet the Reader: Bookshelf". Script Magazine. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Christie, James (2012). "You're the Director...You Figure It Out: The Life and Films of Richard Donner – Review". Directors Guild of America. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
{{cite web}}:
External links[]
Template:S-lit| Preceded by Lee Sholem |
Director 1978 |
Succeeded by Richard Lester |
Template:Richard Donner Template:MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence