Richard Donner
Born
April 24, 1930
Died
July 5, 2021 (91 years old)
Known For
Directing
Place of Birth
Bronx, New York, USA
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.
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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Self (archive footage)
2024
Reunited Apart
Self · (1 episode)
2020
Cursed Films
Self - Director, The Omen · (1 episode)
2020
Valerie
Self
2019
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Self
2019
Eli Roth's History of Horror
Self · (1 episode)
2018
Davi's Way
Self
2018
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies
Self
2017
Life After Flash
Self
2017
Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond
Self
2016
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
Self - Filmmaker
2014
Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics
Self
2013
Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot
Self
2013
Casting By
Self
2012
Maximum Impact: The Legacy of 'Lethal Weapon'
Self
2012
Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics
Self (archive footage)
2010
Making of a Cult Classic: The Unauthorized Story of 'The Goonies'
Self
2010
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
Self
2009
Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound
Self - Director, Superman: The Movie
2008
You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman
Self
2006
Superman II: Restoring the Vision
Self
2006
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Man Walking by Diner (uncredited)
2006
Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman
Self
2006
16 Blocks
Man Holding a Birthday Cake (uncredited)
2006
The Curse of 'The Omen'
Self
2005
Timeline
Man in Car (uncredited)
2003
Out Cold
Snooty Bartender (uncredited)
2001
Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman'
Self
2001
Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend
Self
2001
666: The Omen Revealed
2000
Conspiracy Theory
Cab Passenger (uncredited)
1997
E! True Hollywood Story
(1 episode)
1996
Film Music Masters: Jerry Goldsmith
1995
Maverick
Dealer (uncredited)
1994
HBO First Look
(2 episodes)
1992
HBO First Look
Self · (1 episode)
1992
First Works
Self
1989
Tales from the Crypt
Man at Bar (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1989
Scream Greats, Vol.2: Satanism and Witchcraft
Himself
1986
The Goonies
Policeman (uncredited)
1985
Inside Moves
Man who closes the ambulance doors (uncredited)
1980
Superman II
Man Walking by Diner (uncredited)
1980
The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'
Self
1980
Superman
Man in Street (extended version) (uncredited)
1978
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Inebriate · (1 episode)
1964
Sam Benedict
Grover Stann · (1 episode)
1962
Lassie
Clay Braddock · (1 episode)
1954