Biography
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker. Described as "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters", Donner directed some of the most financially successful films of the 1970s and 1980s. His career spanning more than six decades crossed genres and influenced trends among filmmakers across the world. Donner began his career in 1957 as a television director. In the 1960s, he directed episodes of the series The Rifleman, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Fugitive, The Twilight Zone, The Banana Splits, and many others. Donner made his film debut with the low-budget aviation drama X-15 in 1961, but had his critical and commercial breakthrough with the horror film The Omen in 1976. He directed the landmark superhero film Superman in 1978, which provided an inspiration for the fantasy film genre to eventually gain artistic respectability and commercial dominance. Donner later went on to direct films in the 1980s such as The Goonies and Scrooged, while reinvigorating the buddy cop film genre with the Lethal Weapon series. Donner and his wife, Lauren, owned a production company, The Donners' Company, which is…
Directed
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The Goonies (1985) — Director
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Lethal Weapon (1987) — Director
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Superman (1978) — Director
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Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) — Director
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Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) — Director
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Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) — Director
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The Omen (1976) — Director
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16 Blocks (2006) — Director
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Maverick (1994) — Director
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Assassins (1995) — Director
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Scrooged (1988) — Director
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Conspiracy Theory (1997) — Director
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Ladyhawke (1985) — Director
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Timeline (2003) — Director
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The Twilight Zone (1959) — Director
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Tales from the Crypt (1989) — Director
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Get Smart (1965) — Director
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Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006) — Director
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Gilligan's Island (1964) — Director
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The Toy (1982) — Director
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Radio Flyer (1992) — Director
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Kojak (1973) — Director
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Perry Mason (1957) — Director
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Combat! (1962) — Director
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The Streets of San Francisco (1972) — Director
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The Wild Wild West (1965) — Director
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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) — Director
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Ironside (1967) — Director
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The Fugitive (1963) — Director
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The Rifleman (1958) — Director
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Have Gun, Will Travel (1957) — Director
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Cannon (1971) — Director
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Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958) — Director
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Inside Moves (1980) — Director
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Wagon Train (1957) — Director
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Twinky (1970) — Director
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Petrocelli (1974) — Director
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Salt & Pepper (1968) — Director
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The F.B.I. (1965) — Director
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12 O'Clock High (1964) — Director
Also appeared in
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The Goonies (1985) — Policeman (uncredited)
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Superman (1978) — Man in Street (extended version) (uncredited)
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Superman II (1980) — Man Walking by Diner (uncredited)
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16 Blocks (2006) — Man Holding a Birthday Cake (uncredited)
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Maverick (1994) — Dealer (uncredited)
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Conspiracy Theory (1997) — Cab Passenger (uncredited)
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Timeline (2003) — Man in Car (uncredited)
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Tales from the Crypt (1989) — Man at Bar (uncredited)
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Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006) — Man Walking by Diner (uncredited)
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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) — Self (archive footage)
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Out Cold (2001) — Snooty Bartender (uncredited)
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E! True Hollywood Story (1996)
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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) — Inebriate
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Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics (2013)
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Lassie (1954) — Clay Braddock
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Eli Roth's History of Horror (2018) — Self
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Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics (2010) — Self (archive footage)
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Casting By (2012) — Self
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Cursed Films (2020) — Self - Director, The Omen
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Inside Moves (1980) — Man who closes the ambulance doors (uncredited)
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Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman (2006) — Self
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Superpowered: The DC Story (2023) — Self (archive footage)
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Life After Flash (2017) — Self
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Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire (2014) — Self - Filmmaker
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No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos (2009) — Self
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Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film (2019) — Self
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HBO First Look (1992)
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Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies (2017) — Self
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The Making of 'Superman: The Movie' (1982) — Self
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Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound (2008) — Self - Director, Superman: The Movie
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The Making Of The Goonies (1985) — Self
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Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond (2016) — Self
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Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman' (2001) — Self
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Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend (2001) — Self
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The Curse of 'The Omen' (2005) — Self
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Valerie (2019) — Self
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You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman (2006) — Self
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The Omen Legacy (2001) — Self
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666: The Omen Revealed (2000)
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Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot (2013) — Self