Richard Thorpe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Thorpe
Richard Thorpe in 1934
Born	Rollo Smolt Thorpe (1896-02-24)February 24, 1896 Hutchinson, Kansas, United States
Died	May 1, 1991(1991-05-01) (aged 95) Palm Springs, California, United States
Resting place	Ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean
Occupation	Film director
Children	Jerry Thorpe

Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director. He was famous for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a major movie studio.

People who worked with him said he was a very skilled director. He was happy to direct any movie the studio gave him. Richard Thorpe believed that if a script was good, any director could make a good movie.

He especially liked two of his films: Night Must Fall (1937) and Two Girls and a Sailor (1944). He said these movies were "new and different experiences."

Richard Thorpe has a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California. This star honors his work in the movie industry. In 2003, another star was given to him and his son, Jerry, in Palm Springs, California.

Early Life and Career

Richard Thorpe was born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas. He started his career performing in vaudeville shows and on stage. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with many different acts, like singing, dancing, and comedy.

In 1921, he began working in motion pictures as an actor. He directed his first silent film in 1923. Silent films were movies without spoken dialogue. Over his career, he directed more than 180 films!

In the 1930s, he often worked at a smaller movie studio called Chesterfield Pictures. He once said he directed many Westerns, comedies, and other films before joining the big studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Working at MGM

Richard Thorpe's first full-length movie for MGM was Last of the Pagans (1935). He then directed Tarzan Escapes, which was a huge success. Night Must Fall was also very popular.

The Wizard of Oz Story

Richard Thorpe is known as the first director of The Wizard of Oz (1939). However, he was replaced after only two weeks of filming. The studio felt his scenes did not have the right magical feeling.

He had given Judy Garland, who played Dorothy, a blonde wig and a lot of makeup. This made her look older than the young farm girl she was supposed to be. Another director, George Cukor, was brought in to help. He suggested removing the wig and changing the makeup.

Even though he was replaced, some parts of Thorpe's work might still be in the final movie. For example, some scenes of Toto escaping from the Wicked Witch's castle are believed to be his.

Working with Stars

Thorpe directed Two Girls and a Sailor, which was a big hit. This movie helped make Van Johnson a star.

He also made several movies with actress Esther Williams, starting with Thrill of a Romance. Williams said Thorpe was very efficient. She also mentioned he could be grumpy, especially in the mornings. She felt he often criticized her during filming. However, she said he stopped after she became upset and cried.

Later, Thorpe worked on many big, exciting movies called "epics" with producer Pandro S. Berman. These included Ivanhoe (1952), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), and Knights of the Round Table (1953). These movies were very popular and earned a lot of money.

Pandro Berman said Thorpe was the most efficient director he knew. He was great at the technical parts of filmmaking.

Working Quickly

Richard Thorpe was famous for working very quickly and efficiently. He learned these skills when he directed low-budget films earlier in his career.

A cameraman named Freddie Young explained Thorpe's special method. On Ivanhoe, Thorpe would start filming a wide shot. If an actor made a mistake, he would stop. Then, he would move the camera closer and start filming again. He would keep moving closer with each mistake until he had close-up shots. This way, he always finished on time, or even ahead of schedule! He rarely reshot scenes.

Thorpe also directed The Girl Who Had Everything (1951) with Elizabeth Taylor. He made musicals like The Student Prince (1954) and Athena (1954). He also directed Jailhouse Rock (1957), which was a huge hit starring Elvis Presley.

Later Career and Retirement

In his later career, Richard Thorpe directed movies in different parts of the world. He filmed Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959) in Britain and Kenya. He also made The House of the Seven Hawks (1959) in Europe.

He directed The Tartars in Yugoslavia with famous actor Orson Welles. Then he made popular comedies like The Honeymoon Machine (1961) and The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962).

Thorpe worked with Elvis Presley again on Fun in Acapulco (1963). He also directed The Truth About Spring (1965) with Hayley Mills.

After directing The Last Challenge in 1967, Richard Thorpe decided to retire from the film industry.

Personal Life

Richard Thorpe was married to Belva. They had a son named Jerry Thorpe (1925–2018). They later divorced.

Richard Thorpe passed away in Palm Springs, California, on May 1, 1991. He was 95 years old.

Filmmaking Style

Richard Thorpe was known for being a "by-the-numbers" director. This means he followed the script very closely. He directed 66 films for MGM over 30 years! The studio often used him for ongoing movie series, like four Tarzan films and two Lassie movies.

He had a reputation as a director who worked well with actors and was a good technician. He rarely wasted film, which earned him the nickname "One-take Thorpe." He was dedicated to finishing films on time and within budget.

Selected Filmography

Cesar Romero, Fay Wray, director Richard Thorpe and cinematographer George Robinson (in background) on the set of Cheating Cheaters (1934)

As director

See also

In Spanish: Richard Thorpe para niños