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 film director and producer. 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 50-year career 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

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
Superman II: Restoring the Vision as Self
You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman 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)
The Omen Legacy as Self
Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend as Self
Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman' as Self

2000

666: The Omen Revealed
X-Men ... (Executive Producer)

1999

Made Men ... (Producer)
Any Given Sunday ... (Executive Producer)
Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection ... (Producer)

1998

Lethal Weapon 4 ... (Director)

1997

Double Tap ... (Producer)
Free Willy 3: The Rescue ... (Executive Producer)
Conspiracy Theory as Cab Passenger (uncredited)
Perversions of Science ... (Executive Producer)

1996

Bordello of Blood ... (Executive Producer)
E! True Hollywood Story

1995

Assassins ... (Director)
Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight ... (Executive Producer)
The Omen ... (Executive Producer)
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home ... (Executive Producer)
W.E.I.R.D. World ... (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 ... (Director)
Two-Fisted Tales ... (Director)
Radio Flyer ... (Director)

1991

Delirious ... (Executive Producer)

1989

Tales from the Crypt as Man at Bar (uncredited)
Lethal Weapon 2 ... (Producer)
First Works as Self

1988

Scrooged ... (Director)

1987

Lethal Weapon ... (Producer)
The Lost Boys ... (Executive Producer)

1986

Scream Greats, Vol.2: Satanism and Witchcraft as Himself

1985

The Goonies as Policeman (uncredited)
Ladyhawke ... (Producer)

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)
A Shadow in the Streets ... (Director)
Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic ... (Director)

1974

Petrocelli ... (Director)
Lucas Tanner ... (Director)
Senior Year ... (Director)

1973

Kojak ... (Director)
Nightside ... (Director)

1972

The Streets of San Francisco ... (Director)
Ghost Story ... (Director)
The Marshal of Madrid ... (Director)
Banyon ... (Director)
Sam Cade ... (Director)

1971

Cannon ... (Director)
Bearcats! ... (Director)
Sarge ... (Director)

1970

Twinky ... (Director)
The Interns ... (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

The Wild Wild West ... (Director)
Get Smart ... (Director)
The F.B.I. ... (Director)
The Trials of O'Brien ... (Director)

1964

Gilligan's Island ... (Director)
12 O'Clock High ... (Director)
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Inebriate

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)