About
"If I came on to direct a running series it could be a drag because you couldn't change the characters, the lead characters, the sustaining characters. You didn't want to create a whole new visual style because it was established. But the anthologies and pilots I loved doing- on those you could always try something new and different."
In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Richard Donner (1930-2021) talks about his start as an actor in New York and the career-changing moment when director Martin Ritt told him that he should work behind the camera as his assistant. Donner describes his start as a director, working in commercials and documentaries initially for George Blake, then for his own company. He recalls his transition to Los Angeles where he directed commercials with the cast of I Love Lucy. He recounts his work for several studios as a television director in the 1960s on Wanted: Dead or Alive (with Steve McQueen), Wagon Train (in an episode guest-starring Bette Davis), The Loretta Young Show, The Hathaways (a series featuring three chimpanzees), Gilligan's Island, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Fugitive, and, most notably, The Twilight Zone. Donner outlines the challenges of directing the memorable Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," in which William Shatner sees a gremlin on the wing of an airplane. He talks of his early forays into feature filmmaking and his return to television each time, feeling that he was not ready to make the jump. He remembers working on 1970s projects The Banana Splits Hour and the acclaimed television movie Sarah T.— Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic, before his breakthrough success in movies with The Omen. Donner then chronicles the development and casting of hits Superman, The Goonies, and Lethal Weapon. He also describes his later work in television as a producer-director of the television series Tales from the Crypt. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on June 22, 2006 in Beverly Hills, CA.
Highlights
Richard Donner on directing The Loretta Young Show
Richard Donner on the technical challenges of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the practical joke played on him on the set of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" by star William Shatner and Edd Byrnes (actor and husband to "Nightmare" co-star Asa Maynor)
Richard Donner on "sneaking" messages into his movies
Richard Donner on directing Kojak
Richard Donner on advice to aspiring directors
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his acting career; on his first television job
On his military service; on directing commercials; on his memories of live television and his first television set
Chapter 2
On the Hollywood Blacklist; on directing Steve McQueen in Wanted: Dead or Alive
On directing Wagon Train; on directing Have Gun, Will Travel
Chapter 3
On directing The Loretta Young Show; on directing The Hathaways; on how he came to direct The Twilight Zone
On directing the classic Twilight Zone episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet;" on directing various other Twilight Zone episodes
Chapter 4
On the legacy of The Twilight Zone; on making the transition from directing television to directing features
On directing the feature film "The Omen;" on directing Get Smart and Gilligan's Island
Chapter 5
On directing Gilligan's Island and The Banana Splits Adventure Hour; on directing Kojak
On directing various episodic television shows in the '60s and '70s
Chapter 6
On directing Sarah T. Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic; on directing the feature film "The Omen;" on directing the feature film "Superman"
On how his training directing for television helped him in features; on directing the feature films "Inside Moves" and "The Goonies;" on directing the "Lethal Weapon" film franchise
Chapter 7
On directing the feature "Maverick" and producing and directing Tales from the Crypt
On then-current projects; on his wife, Lauren Shuler Donner; on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Banana Splits Adventure Hour, The
Richard Donner on directing the Banana Splits Adventure Hour
Cannon
Richard Donner on various episodic television shows he directed in the '70s
Combat!
Richard Donner on various episodic television shows he directed in the '70s including Combat!
Fugitive, The
Richard Donner on various episodic television shows he directed in the '70s
Get Smart
Richard Donner on directing Get Smart and Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Richard Donner on directing Get Smart and Gilligan's Island
Richard Donner on directing Gilligan's Island
Richard Donner on the importance of television theme songs
Hathaways, The
Richard Donner on directing The Hathaways
Have Gun - Will Travel
Richard Donner on directing Have Gun, Will Travel
Kojak
Richard Donner on directing Kojak
Loretta Young Show, The
Richard Donner on directing The Loretta Young Show
Lucas Tanner
Richard Donner on various episodic television shows he directed in the '70s
Man From U.N.C.L.E., The
Richard Donner on directing The Man From U.N.C.L.E (Donner incorrectly identifies Jill Ireland as Jill St. John)
Perry Mason (1957-66)
Richard Donner on various episodic television shows he directed in the '70s
Rifleman, The
Richard Donner on various episodic television shows he directed in the '70s
Route 66
Richard Donner on various episodic television shows he directed in the '70s
Tales from the Crypt
Richard Donner on producing and directing Tales from the Crypt for HBO
Texaco Star Theater
Richard Donner on his first memory of television, watching Texaco Star Theater
Twilight Zone, The
Richard Donner on how he came to direct for MGM and The Twilight Zone
Richard Donner on the short shooting schedule of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the technical challenges of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the practical joke played on him on the set of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" by star William Shatner and Edd Byrnes (actor and husband to "Nightmare" co-star Asa Maynor)
Richard Donner on working with actor William Shatner on The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the potential he saw in the script of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," and his own style of creating a reality for his work
Richard Donner on working with actor Wally Cox on The Twilight Zone's "From Agnes — with Love"
Richard Donner on directing various Twilight Zone episodes
Richard Donner on the legacy of The Twilight Zone
Richard Donner on directing various episodes of The Twilight Zone
Twilight Zone, The: "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the short shooting schedule of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the technical challenges of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the practical joke played on him on the set of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" by star William Shatner and Edd Byrnes (actor and husband to "Nightmare" co-star Asa Maynor)
Richard Donner on working with actor William Shatner on The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the potential he saw in the script of The Twilight Zone's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," and his own style of creating a reality for his work
Richard Donner on the legacy of The Twilight Zone
Wagon Train
Richard Donner on directing the series Wagon Train
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Richard Donner on directing Wanted: Dead or Alive and his relationship with Steve McQueen
Richard Donner on working with Steve McQueen on Wanted: Dead or Alive
Richard Donner on shooting stunts for Wanted: Dead or Alive
Topics
Classic TV Series Episodes
Richard Donner on directing the classic Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Hollywood Blacklist
Richard Donner on the Hollywood Blacklist and Martin Ritt
Industry Crossroads
Richard Donner on the Hollywood Blacklist and Martin Ritt
Pop Culture
Richard Donner on directing the classic Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on the importance of television theme songs
Technological Innovation
Richard Donner on technology's affect on film and television
TV Theme Songs
Richard Donner on the importance of television theme songs
TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)
Richard Donner on his experience in live television
Professions
Directors
Richard Donner on the short shooting schedule and technical challenges of directing The Twilight Zone 's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Richard Donner on making the transition from directing television to directing features
Richard Donner on how directing for television helped him shoot "Superman" and "Superman II" simultaneously
Richard Donner on advice to aspiring directors
Genres
Adventure/Espionage Series
Richard Donner on directing The Man From U.N.C.L.E (Donner incorrectly identifies Jill Ireland as Jill St. John)
Children's Programming
Richard Donner on directing The Banana Splits Adventure Hour
Classic Anthology Series
Richard Donner on directing The Loretta Young Show
Richard Donner on directing The Twilight Zone
Richard Donner directing The Twilight Zone
Richard Donner on producing and directing Tales from the Crypt for HBO
Comedy Series
Richard Donner on directing Get Smart and Gilligan's Island
Richard Donner on directing Gilligan's Island
Commercials
Richard Donner on opening his own commercial company
Cop/Detective/Mystery Series
Richard Donner on directing Kojak
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Richard Donner on directing the made-for-television movie Sarah T. Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic
Western Series
Richard Donner on directing Wanted: Dead or Alive
Richard Donner on directing the series Wagon Train
Richard Donner on directing Have Gun, Will Travel
People
Don Adams
Richard Donner on directing Get Smart and Gilligan's Island
Desi Arnaz
Richard Donner on opening his own commercial company
Lucille Ball
Richard Donner on opening his own commercial company
Milton Berle
Richard Donner on his first memory of television
Wally Cox
Richard Donner on working with actor Wally Cox on The Twilight Zone 's "From Agnes — with Love"
Bette Davis
Richard Donner on directing the series Wagon Train
Bob Denver
Richard Donner on directing Get Smart and Gilligan's Island
Peter Falk
Richard Donner on directing the pilot of The Trials of O'Brien with Peter Falk
Jodie Foster
Richard Donner on directing the feature film "Maverick"
Mel Gibson
Richard Donner on directing the "Lethal Weapon" series of feature films and working with Mel Gibson
Richard Donner on directing the feature film "Maverick"
Alan Hale, Jr.
Richard Donner on directing Get Smart and Gilligan's Island
Cloris Leachman
Richard Donner on his experience in live television
Steve McQueen
Richard Donner on directing Wanted: Dead or Alive and his relationship with Steve McQueen
Richard Donner on working with Steve McQueen on Wanted: Dead or Alive
Richard Donner on shooting stunts for Wanted: Dead or Alive
Christopher Reeve
Richard Donner on directing the feature film "Superman" and working with Christopher Reeve
Martin Ritt
Richard Donner on the Hollywood Blacklist and Martin Ritt
Telly Savalas
Richard Donner on directing Kojak
William Shatner
Richard Donner on working with actor William Shatner on The Twilight Zone 's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Steven Spielberg
Richard Donner on directing the feature film "The Goonies"