Director Richard Fleischer, 89
Posted: Monday, March 27th, 2006 11:32 pm
Richard Fleischer, a film director who never became a household name despite working with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars on hits like “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and “Fantastic Voyage,” died early Saturday at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 89. …
After directing a string of B-movie thrillers and “The Happy Time,” a 1952 comedy about coming of age in Quebec, Mr. Fleischer was asked by Walt Disney to direct a big-budget movie based on Jules Verne’s novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
The decision was not a simple one. Mr. Fleischer’s father, Max Fleischer, and Max’s siblings were pioneers in the early days of animation, gaining fame with their Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor shorts in the 1930’s. Disney, their main rival, was not a popular name in the Fleischer household, and Mr. Fleischer told Disney he would have to ask his father’s permission first. His father told him that he should of course take the job. …
Though his movies were often hits, they were not always so popular with critics. … Read full obituary
