The Wild Wild West,
Gilligan s Island and
Donner would make his directorial debut in film with 1961 s
X-15, which starred Mary Tyler Moore in her first feature film role. He would follow that film seven years later, directing 1968 s
Salt and Pepper with Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford.
The director s breakthrough would come with 1976 s
The Omen, a supernatural horror film that would go on to be the fifth highest-grossing movie of that year.
Superman would follow in 1978, bringing both Donner and starring hero Reeve international acclaim. Its $55 million budget made it the most expensive film ever made up to that point, and would gross more than $300 million at the global box office.
Superman director Richard Donner dies at 91
Issued on:
06/07/2021 - 00:42 Director/producer Richard Donner attends An Academy Tribute To Filmmaker Richard Donner at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in Beverly Hills, California in 2017 VALERIE MACON AFP/File 2 min
Washington (AFP)
Richard Donner, a prolific filmmaker who directed the first Superman movie, The Goonies, and other blockbusters hits, died on Monday at age 91, US media reported.
Donner s other credits include the 1976 horror classic The Omen, the Lethal Weapon cop franchise with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover starting in 1987, Scrooged (1988) and his final movie in 2006, 16 Blocks.
He also directed episodes of iconic 20th century television shows such as Get Smart, Perry Mason, Gilligan s Island and The Twilight Zone, according to IMDB, and took on a producer role for blockbuster hits including X-Men and Free Willy.
âSuperman,â âLethal Weapon,â director Richard Donner, dies at 91
By Austin Williams
LOS ANGELES - Famed television and film director Richard Donner who helped bring some of the most iconic movies to the big screen including Superman starring Christopher Reeve and the epic buddy cop series Lethal Weapon, has died at 91, according to multiple reports.
Donner’s wife Lauren Schuler Donner reported the news to Deadline and a secretary to the late director confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.
Donner’s work spanned several decades and is most notably known for the films he created in the 1970s and 1980s.
Shawn Allen
THE TOY, director Richard Donner, 1982, (c) Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection
Written by Shawn Allen
Superman and 1985’s
The prolific director got his start in television, directing episodes of
The Twilight Zone and
Gilligan’s Island before transitioning to film full-time with 1976’s
The Omen. Donner is also considered a pioneer of the comic book film, directing the 1978 film
Superman, starring Christopher Reeves as the titular hero. While comic book adaptations are a dime a dozen today, many would argue that Donner’s take on The Man of Steel was revolutionary at the time, defining the character for a generation.
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Born Richard D. Schwartzberg in New York City, Donner’s credits also include Scrooged, The Goonies, Ladyhawke, The Omen, and Conspiracy Theory.
His first film as a director was Rat Pack comedy Salt and Pepper in 1968.
Before that, he spent 18 years overseeing episodes of TV shows like The Loretta Young Show, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Rifleman, and Have Gun – Will Travel.
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