Richard Fleischer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Fleischer
Richard Fleischer in 1946
Born	(1916-12-08)December 8, 1916 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Died	March 25, 2006(2006-03-25) (aged 89) Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Other names	Dick Fleischer
Education	Brown University (BA) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Film director, chairman of Fleischer Studios
Years active	1942–1993
Spouse(s)	Mary Dickson ​ (m. 1943)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Max Fleischer (father) Ethel "Essie" Goldstein (mother)
Relatives	Dave Fleischer (uncle) Lou Fleischer (uncle) Seymour Kneitel (brother-in-law)

Richard Owen Fleischer (December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director. He made movies for over 40 years, starting when Hollywood was in its "Golden Age." He directed many different types of films.

Fleischer was known for his big, exciting movies. Some of his famous films include: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), The Vikings (1958), Fantastic Voyage (1966), and Soylent Green (1973). He also directed action-packed fantasy films like Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Red Sonja (1985).

He worked with many top Hollywood stars. These included Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Orson Welles, Rex Harrison, Charlton Heston, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Fleischer was very good at directing all kinds of movies, no matter the budget. This made him a popular choice for film producers. Many of his films were very successful and earned a lot of money.

Early Life and Education

Richard Fleischer was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Max Fleischer, was a famous animator and producer.

Richard went to Brown University and then to Yale School of Drama. There, he met his future wife, Mary Dickson.

Fleischer served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, he started his film career in 1942. He worked at the RKO studio. He directed short films, documentaries, and old silent movie collections. He called these "Flicker Flashbacks."

In 1947, he won an Academy Award. This was for producing the documentary Design for Death. This film looked at the reasons behind Japan's actions in World War II. It was co-written by Theodor Geisel, who later became known as Dr. Seuss.

Film Career Highlights

Starting in Hollywood

Fleischer moved to Los Angeles. His first feature film was Child of Divorce (1946). This movie did well, so he was given more projects.

He directed several exciting crime films, known as film noirs. These included Bodyguard (1948) and The Narrow Margin (1952).

The owner of RKO, Howard Hughes, liked The Narrow Margin. He asked Fleischer to help fix another movie, His Kind of Woman (1952). Fleischer rewrote and re-shot parts of it. Hughes was happy with the result.

Big Budget Movies

Fleischer was chosen by Walt Disney to direct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This was a huge adventure film starring Kirk Douglas.

After this, he directed Violent Saturday (1955) for 20th Century Fox. This film was also successful. Fox then signed Fleischer to a long-term contract. He worked for this studio for the next 15 years.

Kirk Douglas later hired Fleischer to direct The Vikings (1958). This was another very popular movie. Back at Fox, Fleischer made Compulsion (1959), a crime drama with Orson Welles. This film was also a success.

Working Around the World

Fleischer also worked in Europe. He directed Crack in the Mirror (1960) and The Big Gamble (1961) in Paris.

He then made Barabbas (1961), a big historical film.

Return to Hollywood Success

When he returned to Hollywood, Fleischer directed Fantastic Voyage (1966). This science fiction film was a big hit and helped his career in Hollywood.

He then directed the musical Doctor Dolittle (1967). He also made Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), a movie about the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. This was his last film for 20th Century Fox.

1970s and Beyond

In the 1970s, Fleischer directed 10 Rillington Place (1971), a true-crime story. He also made the science fiction movie Soylent Green (1973), starring Charlton Heston.

He directed several action films, including Mr. Majestyk (1974) with Charles Bronson. He also made Mandingo (1975).

Fleischer became known as a director who could step in and finish a project. He often took over films when the original director was replaced.

He directed The Prince and the Pauper (1977), based on the classic novel. He also directed The Jazz Singer (1980), starring singer Neil Diamond.

In his later career, he directed Amityville 3-D (1983), a horror film. He also made two fantasy films based on Robert E. Howard's stories: Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Red Sonja (1985). Both starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

His last movie for theaters was Million Dollar Mystery (1987).

Fleischer Studios

Richard Fleischer was the chairman of Fleischer Studios. This company handles the rights for famous cartoon characters like Betty Boop and Koko the Clown. In 2005, he wrote a book about his father's animation career called Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution.

Death and Legacy

Richard Fleischer wrote an autobiography in 1993 called Just Tell Me When to Cry. He passed away in 2006 at the age of 89 from a breathing infection.

Japanese film director Kiyoshi Kurosawa has said he admires Fleischer's work.

Filmography

Short Films

Books by Richard Fleischer

• Fleischer, Richard, Just Tell Me When to Cry (Carroll and Graf, 1993)
• Fleischer, Richard, Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution (University Press of Kentucky, 2005)

Awards and Honors

See also

In Spanish: Richard Fleischer para niños