Richard Donner, ‘Superman’ and ‘Lethal Weapon’ director, dies at 91
Richard Donner, the prolific filmmaker responsible for Hollywood classics of the 1970s and ’80s including the original “Superman” and “Lethal Weapon,” has died at the age of 91.
The Bronx native was born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1931, and attended NYU, majoring in both business and theater.
Donner was an actor before taking his talents behind the camera. He moved on to become a television director after he realized while working on off-Broadway productions and Martin Ritt’s “Of Human Bondage” that acting wasn’t for him.
“Marty told me I’d never make it as an actor because I couldn’t take direction,” Donner once said, “but he thought I could give it and offered me a job as his assistant.”
Donner would go on to work on his directing abilities while calling the shots for series’ such as Wanted: Dead or Alive,” “The Twilight Zone,” “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and “The Fugitive.”
Along with directing highpaced dramas, Donner also worked for the classic animation company HannaBarbera, directing some episodes of the children’s series “The Banana Splits,” along with a few episodes of “Danger Island.”
In 1961, Donner broke into the film scene with his first movie “X-15,” a lowbudget production starring Charles Bronson. In Europe, Donner directed the British films Salt and Pepper” and “Twinky” (aka “Lola”), and “Child Bride.”
In 1976, Donner made his first feature film, “The Omen.” His work on that film propelled him into one of his most prominent positions, director of the original “Superman” movie in 1978.
Donner worked also on parts of the sequel to “Superman,” but a litigious dispute with the film’s two producers led him to quit before the movie was finished.
After adding many producing credits to his name along with wife Lauren Shuler Donner, Donner would go on to to direct his next box office hit, “The Goonies.” He would follow that up with the first “Lethal Weapon” movie.