John Landis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Landis
Landis at the 2022 Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Italy
Born	John David Landis (1950-08-03) August 3, 1950 (age 75) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Film director producer screenwriter actor
Years active	1969–present
Spouse(s)	Deborah Nadoolman ​ ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	2, including Max
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John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is famous for directing popular comedy movies. Some of his best-known films are National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), The Blues Brothers (1980), Trading Places (1983), Three Amigos (1986), and Coming to America (1988).

He also directed famous horror films like An American Werewolf in London (1981). Landis directed two of Michael Jackson's most famous music videos, "Thriller" (1983) and "Black or White" (1991).

Later in his career, Landis worked in television. He was involved with shows like Dream On and Sliders. He also directed commercials for big companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Disney. In 2008, he won an Emmy Award for a documentary he made about the comedian Don Rickles.

In 1982, a tragic accident happened on the set of his movie Twilight Zone: The Movie. Three actors, including two children, died when a helicopter crashed. This sad event led to major changes in safety rules for the entire movie industry.

Early Life and Inspiration

John Landis was born into a Jewish American family in Chicago, Illinois. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was just four months old. Even though he grew up in California, he always considered Chicago his hometown.

When Landis was a young boy, he saw the movie The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. It had a huge impact on him and made him want to become a film director. He said:

I was eight years old and it transported me. I was on that beach running from that dragon, fighting that Cyclops. It just really dazzled me... I asked my mom, "Who does that? Who makes the movie?"

Career

Getting Started in Movies

Landis started his film career with a job as a mailboy at 20th Century-Fox. He later worked as an assistant director on the movie Kelly's Heroes in Yugoslavia. There, he met actors Don Rickles and Donald Sutherland, who would later appear in his own films. Landis also worked in Europe as a stunt double and actor.

At age 21, he directed his first movie, Schlock. He also wrote and starred in the film, which was a fun tribute to old monster movies. The gorilla suit in the movie was made by Rick Baker, who became a longtime friend and collaborator.

Breakthrough Success

After seeing Landis on The Tonight Show, the creators of The Kentucky Fried Movie hired him to direct it. The movie was a collection of funny sketches, similar to shows like Monty Python and Saturday Night Live.

His next film, Animal House (1978), was a massive hit. It was a "gross-out" comedy, a style of movie with silly and sometimes rude humor that became very popular. The movie made over $120 million and helped launch the careers of actors like John Belushi and Kevin Bacon.

In 1980, Landis directed The Blues Brothers, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. The movie was famous for its car chases and musical performances by legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown.

A year later, he wrote and directed the comedy-horror film An American Werewolf in London (1981). It became a cult classic and was praised for its amazing special effects, which blended horror with humor.

The Twilight Zone Movie Accident

On July 23, 1982, a terrible accident occurred while filming a segment for Twilight Zone: The Movie. Actor Vic Morrow and two child actors, Myca Dinh Le (age 7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (age 6), were killed when a helicopter used in a stunt scene crashed.

The accident was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. They found that special effects explosions were set off too close to the low-flying helicopter. This caused the helicopter to lose control and crash.

This event had a major impact on Hollywood. New, much stricter safety rules and procedures were created for all film sets. These rules helped make sure that actors and crew members would be better protected in the future, especially when filming dangerous scenes with stunts and special effects.

Later Film Career

After the accident, Landis directed Trading Places (1983), a comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. The film was a huge success and helped his career recover.

He continued to direct popular comedies throughout the 1980s, including:

• Spies Like Us (1985), with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd.
• Three Amigos (1986), starring Chevy Chase, Martin Short, and Steve Martin.
• Coming to America (1988), another big hit with Eddie Murphy.

In the 1990s, Landis directed several more films, including Oscar with Sylvester Stallone and Beverly Hills Cop III with Eddie Murphy. He also directed Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), a sequel to his classic film. His first movie in 12 years, Burke and Hare, was released in 2010.

Music Videos and Television

John Landis is also known for directing some of the most famous music videos ever made. In 1983, Michael Jackson asked him to direct the video for his song "Thriller". The 14-minute video was like a short horror film and changed music videos forever. It won many awards and is still considered one of the greatest of all time. In 1991, Landis and Jackson worked together again on the video for "Black or White".

Landis also had a successful career in television. He was an executive producer for several TV series, including the comedy Dream On and the science-fiction show Sliders.

Personal Life

Landis is married to Deborah Nadoolman Landis, a famous costume designer. They have two children, including a son named Max Landis, who is also a filmmaker. In a radio interview, Landis has said that he is an atheist. The family lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Filmography

Film

See also

In Spanish: John Landis para niños