Richard Donner
Born: 1930-04-24 in Bronx, New York, USA
Died: 2021-07-05
Known For: Directing
Biography
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker. Described as "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters", Donner directed some of the most financially successful films of the 1970s and 1980s. His career spanning more than six decades crossed genres and influenced trends among filmmakers across the world. Donner began his career in 1957 as a television director. In the 1960s, he directed episodes of the series The Rifleman, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Fugitive, The Twilight Zone, The Banana Splits, and many others. Donner made his film debut with the low-budget aviation drama X-15 in 1961, but had his critical and commercial breakthrough with the horror film The Omen in 1976. He directed the landmark superhero film Superman in 1978, which provided an inspiration for the fantasy film genre to eventually gain artistic respectability and commercial dominance. Donner later went on to direct films in the 1980s such as The Goonies and Scrooged, while reinvigorating the buddy cop film genre with the Lethal Weapon series. Donner and his wife, Lauren, owned a production company, The Donners' Company, which is most successful for producing the Free Willy and X-Men film franchises. Donner also produced Tales from the Crypt and co-wrote several comic books for Superman publisher DC Comics. In 2000, Donner received the President's Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Description above from the Wikipedia article Richard Donner, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2024
- Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story as Self (archive footage)
2023
- Superpowered: The DC Story as Self (archive footage)
2020
- Reunited Apart as Self
- Cursed Films as Self - Director, The Omen
2019
- Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film as Self
- Valerie as Self
2018
- Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- Davi's Way as Self
2017
- Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies as Self
- Life After Flash as Self
2016
2014
- Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire as Self - Filmmaker
2012
- Casting By as Self
- Maximum Impact: The Legacy of 'Lethal Weapon' as Self
2010
- Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics as Self (archive footage)
- Making of a Cult Classic: The Unauthorized Story of 'The Goonies' as Self
2009
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine ... (Executive Producer)
- No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos as Self
2008
- Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound as Self - Director, Superman: The Movie
2006
- 16 Blocks as Man Holding a Birthday Cake (uncredited)
- Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut as Man Walking by Diner (uncredited)
- Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman as Self
- You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman as Self
- Superman II: Restoring the Vision as Self
2005
- The Curse of 'The Omen' as Self
2003
- Timeline as Man in Car (uncredited)
2002
- Ritual ... (Producer)
2001
- Out Cold as Snooty Bartender (uncredited)
- Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend as Self
- The Omen Legacy as Self
- Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman' as Self
2000
- X-Men ... (Executive Producer)
- 666: The Omen Revealed
1999
- Any Given Sunday ... (Executive Producer)
- Made Men ... (Producer)
- Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection ... (Producer)
1998
- Lethal Weapon 4 ... (Director)
1997
- Perversions of Science ... (Executive Producer)
- Conspiracy Theory as Cab Passenger (uncredited)
- Free Willy 3: The Rescue ... (Executive Producer)
- Double Tap ... (Producer)
1996
- Bordello of Blood ... (Executive Producer)
- E! True Hollywood Story
1995
- Assassins ... (Director)
- Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight ... (Executive Producer)
- Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home ... (Executive Producer)
- W.E.I.R.D. World ... (Executive Producer)
- The Omen ... (Executive Producer)
- Film Music Masters: Jerry Goldsmith
1994
- Maverick as Dealer (uncredited)
- Free Willy ... (Executive Producer)
1993
- Free Willy ... (Executive Producer)
1992
- HBO First Look
- Lethal Weapon 3 ... (Producer)
- Radio Flyer ... (Director)
- Two-Fisted Tales ... (Director)
1991
- Delirious ... (Executive Producer)
1989
- Tales from the Crypt as Man at Bar (uncredited)
- Lethal Weapon 2 ... (Producer)
- First Works as Self
- Mel Gibson's Unauthorized Video Diary as Self
1988
- Scrooged ... (Producer)
1987
- Lethal Weapon ... (Director)
- The Lost Boys ... (Executive Producer)
- The Ultimate Stuntman: A Tribute to Dar Robinson as Himself
1986
1985
- The Goonies as Policeman (uncredited)
- Ladyhawke ... (Producer)
- The Making Of The Goonies as Self
1982
- The Toy ... (Director)
- The Making of 'Superman: The Movie' as Self
1981
- The Final Conflict ... (Executive Producer)
1980
- Superman II as Man Walking by Diner (uncredited)
- Inside Moves as Man who closes the ambulance doors (uncredited)
1978
- Superman as Man in Street (extended version) (uncredited)
1976
- The Omen ... (Director)
1975
- Bronk ... (Director)
- Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic ... (Director)
- A Shadow in the Streets ... (Director)
1974
- Petrocelli ... (Director)
- Sons and Daughters ... (Director)
- Senior Year ... (Director)
- Lucas Tanner ... (Director)
1972
- The Streets of San Francisco ... (Director)
- Ghost Story ... (Director)
- Banyon ... (Director)
- Sam Cade ... (Director)
- The Marshal of Madrid ... (Director)
1970
- The Interns ... (Director)
- Twinky ... (Director)
1969
- The Bold Ones: The New Doctors ... (Director)
1968
- Salt & Pepper ... (Director)
1967
- Ironside ... (Director)
1966
- Felony Squad ... (Director)
- Jericho ... (Director)
- It's About Time ... (Director)
1965
- Get Smart ... (Director)
- The Wild Wild West ... (Director)
- The F.B.I. ... (Director)
- The Trials of O'Brien ... (Director)
1964
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Inebriate
- Gilligan's Island ... (Director)
- 12 O'Clock High ... (Director)
1963
- The Fugitive ... (Director)
- Mr. Novak ... (Director)
- The Lieutenant ... (Director)
- The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters ... (Director)
- Philbert (Three's a Crowd) ... (Director)
1962
- Combat! ... (Director)
- Sam Benedict as Grover Stann
- The Eleventh Hour ... (Director)
1961
- X-15 ... (Director)
1960
- Route 66 ... (Director)
- The Tall Man ... (Director)
1959
- The Twilight Zone ... (Director)
- The Detectives ... (Director)
1958
- The Rifleman ... (Director)
- Wanted: Dead or Alive ... (Director)
1957
- Perry Mason ... (Director)
- Wagon Train ... (Director)
- Have Gun, Will Travel ... (Director)
1956
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ... (Director)
1954
- Lassie as Clay Braddock
1953
- Letter to Loretta ... (Director)