Richard Lester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Lester
Lester in 2014
Born	Richard Lester Liebman (1932-01-19) January 19, 1932 (age 93) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names	Dick Lester
Education	University of Pennsylvania (BA)
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1959–2006
Known for	A Hard Day's Night Help! A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum The Three Musketeers Superman II Superman III
Spouse(s)	Deirdre Smith ​ (m. 1956)​
Children	1

Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is a retired American film director. He is known for his funny and unique movie style. He worked on films in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Richard Lester is most famous for directing two films starring the Beatles: A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965). He also directed the superhero movies Superman II (1980) and Superman III (1983). The British Film Institute says that Richard Lester perfectly captured the exciting and sometimes silly mood of Britain in the 1960s.

Richard Lester's Early Life and Career

Richard Lester Liebman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a very smart kid and started studying at the University of Pennsylvania when he was only 15 years old. He earned a degree in psychology in 1951.

Starting in Television

Lester began working in television in 1950. He quickly learned how to do many jobs, from helping on set to directing shows.

He was the music director for Action in the Afternoon. This was a live TV show about cowboys that aired every weekday. It was broadcast from Philadelphia, no matter the weather!

In 1955, Lester moved to London, England. There, he started directing TV shows for a company called the Danziger Brothers. He worked on a detective series called Mark Saber. He also wrote for other TV shows like Curtains for Harry and The Barris Beat.

Lester also worked on comedy shows like A Show Called Fred and Son of Fred. He said that making A Show Called Fred live made him want to direct films. With films, you can always do a second take if something goes wrong!

First Movies Directed by Lester

Richard Lester first gained attention with a short film called The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1959). He made it with famous comedians Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers.

His first full-length movie as a director was It's Trad, Dad! (1962), which was a musical. His next film was The Mouse on the Moon (1963). This movie was a funny story about a tiny country trying to go to the moon.

Working with The Beatles

The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film was a favorite of the Beatles, especially John Lennon. When the band needed a director for their first movie, they chose Richard Lester.

A Hard Day's Night

A Hard Day's Night (1964) showed a fun, exaggerated version of the Beatles' lives. It was a great way to promote the band. Many of the ways Lester filmed this movie, like using different camera angles for live performances, were new ideas. These ideas later became common in music videos. Because of this, MTV gave Lester an award, calling him the "Father of the Music Video."

The movie was a huge success with both critics and audiences. It even won an award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Help! and Other Films

After A Hard Day's Night, Lester directed another Beatles film, Help! (1965). This movie was a funny parody of the popular James Bond spy movies. It was also a big hit.

Director Richard Lester on the set of How I Won the War in 1967

Lester then directed A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966). This was a comedy musical.

He also made How I Won the War (1967), which was an anti-war movie. It starred John Lennon from the Beatles. Lester wanted to show that war is always bad for people. Even though the movie was set during World War II, it was also a comment on the Vietnam War happening at the time.

Lester's next film was Petulia (1968). He then made another dark comedy about war called The Bed Sitting Room (1969).

Adventure Movies and Superman

Richard Lester's career got a boost when he was asked to direct The Three Musketeers (1973). This movie was based on a famous adventure story. The filmmakers decided to split the movie into two parts after they finished filming. The second part was called The Four Musketeers (1974). Both movies were very popular and successful.

Lester also directed Juggernaut (1974), a thriller set on a cruise ship. He then made Royal Flash (1975), another adventure film.

In 1976, Lester directed Robin and Marian. This movie starred famous actors Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn. It told the story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian when they were older.

Directing the Superman Films

Lester's next big success was Superman II (1980). This movie was a huge hit! Production on Superman II actually started before the first Superman movie was even finished.

Another director, Richard Donner, had filmed most of Superman II. But after the first Superman movie came out, Lester was brought in to finish the last part of the second film. He had to reshoot some scenes.

For example, Gene Hackman, who played the villain Lex Luthor, did not return for the reshoots. So, Lester used a body double and a voice actor to include Lex Luthor in the new scenes. Later, in 2006, a special version of the film called Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut was released. It used more of the original director's footage.

Richard Lester also directed Superman III (1983). While it was not as popular as the first two Superman movies, it was still a success at the box office.

Later Films and Retirement

Lester directed the comedy Finders Keepers (1984). This movie featured a young Jim Carrey.

In 1988, he brought back most of the actors from The Three Musketeers to make The Return of the Musketeers. Sadly, during filming, actor Roy Kinnear, a good friend of Lester's, died after falling from a horse. After finishing the film, Lester decided to mostly retire from directing movies.

He only directed one more film after that, a concert movie for Paul McCartney called Get Back (1991).

In 1993, he presented a TV series for the BBC called Hollywood U.K.. It looked back at British movies from the 1960s.

Many directors, like Steven Soderbergh, believe Richard Lester's work is very important. Soderbergh even wrote a book about Lester's career called Getting Away with It.

In 2012, the British Film Institute gave Richard Lester a special award called a Fellowship. This is the highest honor in the British film industry. It recognized his unique movies and funny style that have entertained millions of people.

Personal Life

Richard Lester is an atheist, which means he does not believe in a god. He discussed his views in Steven Soderbergh's book about him. When he was at the University of Pennsylvania, he was part of a fraternity called Sigma Nu.

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Lester in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Richard Lester para niños