Richard Lester Biography (1932-)

Born January 19, 1932, in Philadelphia, PA, son of Elliott (a teacher and playwright) and Ella (a nurse; maiden name, Young) Lester; married Deirdre Vivian Smith (a choreographer), August 28, 1956; children: Dominic, Claudia. Addresses: Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA, 90212-1825.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Director, producer, composer
Birth Details
January 19, 1932
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Director
  • (As Dick Lester) The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film (short film), 1959
  • It's Trad, Dad (also known as Ring-a-Ding Rhythm), Columbia, 1961
  • The Mouse on the Moon, United Artists, 1963
  • A Hard Day's Night, United Artists, 1964
  • The Knack ... and How to Get It (also known as The Knack),United Artists, 1964
  • Help!, United Artists, 1965
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, United Artists, 1966
  • How I Won the War, United Artists, 1967
  • (British sequences) Mondo Teeno (documentary; also known as Larivolta dei teenagers), 1967
  • Petulia, Warner Bros., 1968
  • The Bed-Sitting Room, United Artists, 1969
  • The Three Musketeers (also known as The Three Musketeers: The Queen's Diamonds and Los tres mosqueteros), Twentieth Century-Fox,1974
  • Juggernaut, United Artists, 1974
  • The Four Musketeers (also known as The Revenge of Milady, The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge, and Los cuatro mosqueteros), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975
  • Royal Flash, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975
  • Robin and Marian, Columbia, 1976
  • The Ritz, Warner Bros., 1977
  • Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979
  • Cuba, United Artists, 1979
  • Superman II, Warner Bros., 1981
  • Superman III, Warner Bros., 1983
  • Finders Keepers, Warner Bros., 1984
  • The Return of the Musketeers (also known as El regreso de los mosqueteros), Universal, 1989
  • Get Back (documentary), Seven Arts, 1991
  • Film Producer
  • It's Trad, Dad (also known as Ring-a-Ding Rhythm), Columbia, 1961
  • How I Won the War, United Artists, 1967
  • (With others) The Bed-Sitting Room, United Artists, 1969
  • (With others) Robin and Marian, Columbia, 1976
  • (Uncredited) Superman (also known as Superman: The Movie),Warner Bros., 1978
  • Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979
  • (With others), Alex's Apartment, Bayshore Productions, 1992
  • Film Work
  • Other
  • (As Dick Lester) Cinematographer and coeditor, The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film (short film), 1959
  • Executive producer, Finders Keepers, Warner Bros., 1984
  • Film Appearances
  • (As Dick Lester) Painter, The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film (short film), 1959
  • Man in the street, The Knack ... and How to Get It (also known asThe Knack), United Artists, 1964
  • La route, 1972
  • (In archive footage; uncredited) The Compleat Beatles, 1982
  • Himself, The Making of "A Hard Day's Night" (also known as YouCan't Do That! The Making of "A Hard Day's Night"), 1995
  • Richard Lester! (documentary), E Films, 1998
  • Television Director
  • Episodic
  • The Goon Shows, Associated Rediffusion (England), 1956
  • Directed episodes of Idiot Weekly, Price 2d, A Show Called Fred, Son of Fred, and The Vise (also known as Saber of London and Uncovered).
  • Television Work
  • Other
  • Director, Downbeat (series), Associated Rediffusion (England), 1954
  • Producer, Watching the Detectives (special), Arts and Entertainment, 1991
  • Television Appearances
  • Specials
  • Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, 1987
  • Spike, 1996
  • Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970), AmericanMovie Classics, 2000
  • Other
  • Y usted ... De que re rie? (also known as El gag ... y como conseguirlo), 2000
  • Appeared in the series The Dick Lester Show.
  • WRITINGS
  • Film
  • (As Dick Lester) Author and composer, The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film (short film), 1959
  • Also author of Mildred.
  • Television Episodes
  • Writer for episodes of the series Idiot Weekly, Price 2d, A Show Called Fred, and Son of Fred.
  • Other Television Writing
  • Author of Curtains for Harry (musical special), Associated Rediffusion (England); scriptwriter for CBC (Canada); composer (with Reg Owen), Sea War Series (England).
  • Other
  • (With Steven Soderbergh) Getting Away with It: Or, the Further Adventures of the Luckiest Bastard You Ever Saw, Faber & Faber (London), 2000
  • Contributor to periodicals, including Action and Films and Filming.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books
    • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 1996
    • Rosenfeldt, Diane, Richard Lester: A Guide to Reference and Resources, [Boston, MA], 1978
    • Sinyard, Neil, The Films of Richard Lester, [London], 1985
    • Yule, Andrew, The Man who "Framed" the Beatles: A Biography of RichardLester, D. I. Fine (New York City), 1994

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