Richard Donner
Directing • Born 1930-04-24 – Died 2021-07-05
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
51 credits
Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman
Movie • 2006
Self
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
Movie • 2009
Self
Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond
Movie • 2016
Self
Davi's Way
Movie • 2018
Self
666: The Omen Revealed
Movie • 2000
Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot
Movie • 2013
Self
Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics
Movie • 2013
Self
Film Music Masters: Jerry Goldsmith
Movie • 1995
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies
Movie • 2017
Self
Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound
Movie • 2008
Self - Director, Superman: The Movie
Superman
Movie • 1978
Man in Street (extended version) (uncredited)
Making of a Cult Classic: The Unauthorized Story of 'The Goonies'
Movie • 2010
Self
Scream Greats, Vol.2: Satanism and Witchcraft
Movie • 1986
Himself
Conspiracy Theory
Movie • 1997
Cab Passenger (uncredited)
Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman'
Movie • 2001
Self
The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'
Movie • 1982
Self
Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend
Movie • 2001
Self
First Works
Movie • 1989
Self
Life After Flash
Movie • 2017
Self
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Movie • 2019
Self
The Curse of 'The Omen'
Movie • 2005
Self
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
Movie • 2014
Self - Filmmaker
The Goonies
Movie • 1985
Policeman (uncredited)
Valerie
Movie • 2019
Self
Superman II
Movie • 1980
Man Walking by Diner (uncredited)
Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics
Movie • 2010
Self (archive footage)
Maximum Impact: The Legacy of 'Lethal Weapon'
Movie • 2012
Self
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Movie • 2006
Man Walking by Diner (uncredited)
Maverick
Movie • 1994
Dealer (uncredited)
Timeline
Movie • 2003
Man in Car (uncredited)
Inside Moves
Movie • 1980
Man who closes the ambulance doors (uncredited)
Out Cold
Movie • 2001
Snooty Bartender (uncredited)
16 Blocks
Movie • 2006
Man Holding a Birthday Cake (uncredited)
Casting By
Movie • 2012
Self
You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman
Movie • 2006
Self
Superman II: Restoring the Vision
Movie • 2006
Self
The Omen Legacy
Movie • 2001
Self
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Movie • 2024
Self (archive footage)
The Making Of The Goonies
Movie • 1985
Self
The Ultimate Stuntman: A Tribute to Dar Robinson
Movie • 1987
Himself
E! True Hollywood Story
TV • 1996
Eli Roth's History of Horror
TV • 2018
Self
Tales from the Crypt
TV • 1989
Man at Bar (uncredited)
Reunited Apart
TV • 2020
Self
Cursed Films
TV • 2020
Self - Director, The Omen
HBO First Look
TV • 1992
HBO First Look
TV • 1992
Self
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
TV • 1964
Inebriate
Lassie
TV • 1954
Clay Braddock
Sam Benedict
TV • 1962
Grover Stann
Superpowered: The DC Story
TV • 2023
Self (archive footage)