Rest In Peace Richard Donner

By RodneyHatfieldJr for Movies

Horror aficionados are saddened today. Classic Film and television director, Richard Donner, has died. No cause of death has been revealed at this time. He was 91 years old.


Donner was born on April 24, 1930, in the Bronx and began his career in the hopes of acting before finding his true talent and passion in directing. His earliest credits focused in television where he helmed episodes of The Rifleman, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Have Gun will Travel, and The Eleventh Hour among many others. He would go on to direct six episodes of The Twilight Zone, including the famous “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” starring William Shatner.


Donner continued directing television throughout the 60s and 70s with episodes of Get Smart and Gilligan’s Island before finding himself in the director’s chair for 1976’s The Omen. The film starred Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as an ambassador and his wife who find themselves parents of the Antichrist. The film’s success led to more work on the big screen for Donner. He next tackled Superman and Superman II before moving onto The Toy, Ladyhawke, Scrooged, and The Goonies. It was during this time that he also directed Lethal Weapon starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Donner would direct three sequels to that film.


As a producer, Donner worked on films like Bordello of Blood as well as entries in the X-Men franchise and produced television episodes for Tales from the Crypt and the animated spin-off Tales from the Cryptkeeper. A huge name in classic 80s TV and film.

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