Memorial Page for Richard Fleischer

Richard Fleischer (born 8 December 1916 in Brooklyn, New York; died 25 March 2006 in Los Angeles) was an American film director. He worked in film noir, adventure, science fiction, historical drama, true crime and studio entertainment and became known for films such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Narrow Margin, Fantastic Voyage, The Boston Strangler, Tora! Tora! Tora! and Soylent Green.

Family and training

Fleischer was the son of animation pioneer Max Fleischer, whose studio shaped characters such as Betty Boop and Popeye. Richard Fleischer studied at Brown University and the Yale School of Drama. His path into film began not through his father's name, but through shorts, newsreels and practical studio work at RKO.

Documentary and film noir

In the 1940s Fleischer worked on short and documentary films. Design for Death, which he co-produced, won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 1948. He then developed at RKO a feel for compact, precise thrillers. Armored Car Robbery and especially The Narrow Margin are regarded as important works of American film noir.

Disney and large productions

In 1954 Fleischer directed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for Walt Disney. The fact that Disney hired the son of his former competitor Max Fleischer was often retold later; what mattered most was the result: an elaborate adventure film that became important for Disney's live-action history. Larger productions followed, including The Vikings, Barabbas and Fantastic Voyage.

Subjects and genres

Fleischer was not a director tied to one subject. He made true-crime films such as Compulsion, The Boston Strangler and 10 Rillington Place, the war project Tora! Tora! Tora!, science fiction such as Soylent Green and later entertainment films with uneven results. His strength often lay in organization, pace and the ability to handle difficult material within large production systems.

Later years

Not all of Fleischer's later films were warmly received. Productions such as The Jazz Singer or Conan the Destroyer also show the limits of a director who often took commissioned work. Still, his body of work remains broad and historically interesting because it touches many forms of American and international studio cinema. In later years he spoke in interviews and film histories about his experiences.

Farewell

Richard Fleischer died in Los Angeles on 25 March 2006. He was 89 years old. His memory is linked with a versatile directing career that reaches from compact noir to large studio productions.