Richard B. Glickman
October 31, 1926 - February 18, 2018
Richard Bruce Glickman, beloved husband, father and grandfather, was known by family, friends and colleagues for his rare intelligence, prodigious wit, warmth and compassion. A consulting engineer and expert in the field of lighting and related technology for film, television and stage, he passed away in Sherman Oaks at the age of 91.
Born in New York in 1926, he moved with his family to Los Angeles as a small child. He could recall the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, riding the Red Car to the beach and weekend drives to see the vast citrus orchards of the San Fernando Valley. He attended Audubon Junior High and Dorsey High School, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. His studies were interrupted by military service–he enlisted in the Army Air Corps at age 17 and was discharged at Lowry Field, Colorado in 1945, returning to school and completing his degree at Berkeley and UCLA in 1948.
Richard married Harriet Ratner, the love of his life, in 1950. They lived in West Adams and Gardena before moving in 1965 to the Sherman Oaks home where they would raise their three children.
The earliest years of his professional life saw him turn his engineering prowess toward rocket science, oil refining and gas-pilot safety, among other industrial applications. But his career began in earnest when he became Chief Engineer of ColorTran Industries in 1959, where he directed innovations in the field of lighting equipment that had a powerful impact on news and entertainment production. In 1964, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Richard and two colleagues with a technical award “for advancements in the design and application to motion picture photography of lighting units using quartz iodine lamps.” During his tenure at ColorTran and beyond, Richard presented numerous technical papers for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), served on the Education Committee of the SMPTE Hollywood branch and was active in the Illuminating Engineering Society.
In 1971, Richard went into business for himself, serving for eight years as technical consultant to Robert Hagel, president of The Burbank Studios. His projects included the redesign of TBS Stage 2, a semi-automated stage that was suitable for both film and TV production. For New York-based Rosco Laboratories, he almost singlehandedly established a global network of agents and distributors for Rosco’s line of scenic materials and filters for film and TV production lighting. While consulting for Rosco, he also played a lead role in conceiving and designing the theatrical fog machine that became the industry standard by creating safe and effective fog and smoke effects for film, TV and music production. In addition to these efforts, Richard wrote and edited a section of the American Cinematographer Manual and penned the “Tech Talk” column for The Hollywood Reporter.
Richard was an active and outspoken member of the Motion Picture Academy’s Scientific and Technical Committee, working on safety issues and evangelizing for the recognition of technical advances he considered noteworthy. He advocated fiercely for the recognition and inclusion of the industry’s scientific and technical community as a formal branch of the Academy. In 2003, the Academy honored him with the prestigious John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation, “in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy.” In 2011, noting that he had made “distinguished contributions to the art or science of motion pictures,” the Academy designated him a Science Fellow. The Richard B. Glickman collection at the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library, comprising journals, manuals and other technical materials from 1961-85, encompasses, according to the library’s website, “13 linear feet.”
Richard’s scientific endeavors and boundless curiosity were balanced by a passion for social justice. He had a deep love of classical music, opera and the operettas of Gilbert & Sullivan, many of which he knew by heart, as well as a fascination with the history of political cartoons, which he collected. He was known to recite his favorite limericks–the more off-color the better–at the slightest provocation.
Richard was involved in the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center for decades, serving as its president in the 1970s and helping the organization become a social and community hub that would spur many lifelong friendships. But the true light of his life was his family: Harriet, his wife of 68 years, daughter Katherine Moore-MacMillan, sons Paul and Simon, daughters-in-law Janetta Yanez and Julia Rubiner and cherished grandsons Jesse MacMillan and Jonah and Caleb Glickman. He was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed.
The family will hold a memorial service on May 12. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ACLU or to Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) at LA Phil.