Richard Fleischer, the director of some of the most memorable scifi/fantasy films of the 20th Century died on Saturday. He was 89.
If you have seen any wartime film made after 1970 about the attack on Pearl Harbor, then it is almost guaranteed that footage from Fleischer’s classic “Tora, Tora, Tora” has been included in it.
Moviemaking was in his genes. His father was the famous director dating back to the silent film era, Max Fleischer and his well-known uncles Dave and Louis Fleischer practically invented the animated shorts. The older Fleischers were most noted for their Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons and Richard cut his teeth early on celluloid.
Some of Richard’s better known films of note were “Fantastic Voyage,” a real chiller starring Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda called “The Boston Strangler,” the original “Doctor Dolittle” with Rex Harrison, and other 1970’s and 1980’s scifi hits that included “Soylent Green,” Schwarzenegger’s “Conan the Destroyer” and the Conan spinoff flick “Red Sonja,” and probably his most famous, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” starring Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre.
Upon hearing of his death, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released a statement saying Fleischer was “a true Hollywood legend” and “a man of great talent and an extraordinary director who leaves behind a legacy of amazing films.”
His list of films are remarkable. To see and appreciate his library visit IMDb to see this man’s remarkable film achievements.