Richard Lester
Richard Lester Liebman was born on the 19th of January 1932 to a Jewish family in Philadelphia. He graduated from William Penn Charter School at age fifteen and entered the University of Pennsylvania shortly after. By 1950, he had begun working as a stage hand for American television. No one else knew how to do the work, so he became a floor manager within months. He moved quickly through roles until he was directing live shows by 1951. Action in the Afternoon aired live on CBS from February 1953 to January 1954. The series originated from WCAU-TV studios in Philadelphia regardless of weather conditions. Half-hour episodes broadcast Monday through Friday at either 3:30 pm or 4:00 pm.
The Beatles chose Richard Lester from a list of possible directors for their first feature film. A Hard Day's Night opened in 1964 with exaggerated character portrayals that served as an effective marketing tool. Many stylistic innovations survived as forerunners of music videos. Multi-angle filming of live performances defined the visual language of the era. MTV later sent him an award naming him Father of the Music Video. Help! followed in 1965 as a spoof of James Bond spy thrillers. It achieved another huge commercial success alongside its predecessor. The Knack... and How to Get It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 1965. Charles Wood provided screenwriting credits for four of his films during this period.
How I Won the War released in 1967 featured John Lennon and Michael Crawford among its cast. Lester called it an anti-anti-war movie while referencing Vietnam directly through fourth wall breaks. The Bed Sitting Room arrived in 1969 as a post-apocalyptic black comedy based on Spike Milligan's play. Both films performed poorly at the box office despite critical attention. He found himself unable to raise funds for projects including Flashman novel adaptations. Petulia scored by John Barry appeared in 1968 but did not save his career momentum. Television work continued with episodes of After Hours in 1958 before film returns stalled.
Alexander and Ilya Salkind hired Richard Lester to direct The Three Musketeers in 1973. Principal photography completion led producers to split the first film into two parts. The Four Musketeers opened in 1974 after legal agreements avoided attorney fees between cast members. Both movies achieved critical and commercial success simultaneously. Royal Flash followed in 1975 based on George MacDonald Fraser novels. Robin and Marian starred Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn in 1976. Butch and Sundance: The Early Days released in 1979 failed commercially alongside Cuba that same year. Juggernaut thriller production began in 1974 when he replaced another director last minute.
Initial production on Superman II occurred simultaneously with the original Superman film release. Work halted to concentrate on completing the first movie before returning to sequel development. The Salkinds placed Richard Lester behind the camera without informing director Richard Donner. Approximately 75 percent of footage needed for the sequel had already been shot by Donner. Much of his footage was jettisoned or reshot during Lester's time on the project. Gene Hackman refused to return for reshoots so body doubles recorded additional dialogues. Voice impersonators looped Lex Luthor lines onto footage originally captured by Donner. Television versions integrated some of Donner's original scenes while the 2006 Richard Donner Cut restored most of it.
Finders Keepers grossed $1,467,396 domestically upon its 1984 release. Michael O'Keefe starred alongside Louis Gossett Jr. and Beverly D'Angelo in the comedy. Reviews generally praised the film as wonderfully wacky despite pratfall-heavy content. The Return of the Musketeers reunited cast members in Spain during 1988 filming. Actor Roy Kinnear died after falling from a horse mid-production. Richard Lester finished the film then retired from directing permanently. He returned only once more to direct Paul McCartney's concert film Get Back in 1991. The British Film Institute awarded him a Fellowship on March 22nd at the National Film Theatre in 2012.
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Common questions
When was Richard Lester born and where did he grow up?
Richard Lester Liebman was born on the 19th of January 1932 to a Jewish family in Philadelphia. He graduated from William Penn Charter School at age fifteen before entering the University of Pennsylvania shortly after.
What award did MTV give Richard Lester for his work with The Beatles?
MTV sent Richard Lester an award naming him Father of the Music Video. This recognition followed his stylistic innovations in A Hard Day's Night which defined the visual language of the era through multi-angle filming of live performances.
How many films did Charles Wood write for Richard Lester during the 1960s?
Charles Wood provided screenwriting credits for four of Richard Lester's films during this period. These projects included Help! released in 1965 as well as The Knack... and How to Get It which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 1965.
Why did Richard Lester replace Richard Donner on Superman II?
The Salkinds placed Richard Lester behind the camera without informing director Richard Donner while initial production occurred simultaneously with the original film release. Work halted to concentrate on completing the first movie before returning to sequel development so approximately 75 percent of footage needed for the sequel had already been shot by Donner.
When did Richard Lester retire from directing feature films permanently?
Richard Lester finished The Return of the Musketeers then retired from directing permanently after actor Roy Kinnear died following a fall from a horse mid-production in 1988. He returned only once more to direct Paul McCartney's concert film Get Back in 1991.