Lee Rich
Lee Rich (December 19, 1918 – May 24, 2012) was an American film and television producer, who won the 1973 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy award for The Waltons as the producer. He is also known as the co-founder and former chairman of Lorimar Television.[1]
Lee Rich | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 19, 1918 Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Died | May 24, 2012 (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Ohio University |
| Occupation | Film and television producer |
| Known for | The Waltons and Dallas producer |
| Spouse(s) | Angela Rich (m. 19??; ??) |
| Children | 5 |
| Awards | Emmy Award |
Among the five Emmy nominated programs Rich produced were the series Dallas and Knots Landing.
Early life and education
Rich was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 19, 1918. He earned a marketing degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.[2][3]
Career
Rich began his career in advertising and ultimately became an industry executive.
He served in the Navy as a lieutenant in World War II, and then returned to advertising in New York, where he rose to senior vice president and a member of the board of Benton & Bowles .
As the ad agency middleman between product company sponsors and television producers, he was involved with The Andy Griffith Show, Make Room for Daddy, The Edge of Night, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Rich left Benton & Bowles in 1965 to partner with the Mirisch Co. and form Mirisch-Rich Productions. There he produced The Rat Patrol.
In 1969, he, Merv Adelson, and Irwin Molasky formed Lorimar Productions. Its first production was The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971), a television film which led to Lorimar producing the series it inspired, The Waltons, featuring the same characters. The series ran on CBS from 1972 to 1981. Rich also co-produced the short-lived 1977 CBS espionage drama Hunter. Lorimar's biggest hit was the primetime soap Dallas, which ran from 1978-91. In regards to the famous Dallas storyline “Who shot J.R.?” in which Larry Hagman’s character is fired upon in the 1979-80 season finale in March and the assailant is not revealed until the following November, only Rich and writer-director Leonard Katzman knew which of three previously shot endings would be used.
After leaving Lorimar in 1986, Rich joined MGM/UA Communications. For two years he was the chairman and chief executive of MGM.[4]
Personal life
Rich married American actress Pippa Scott in 1964, having three children together before they divorced in 1983,[5] though they maintained a friendship until his death.[2] Later Rich had two other children with his second wife, Angela Rich.
Death
Rich died on May 24, 2012, at the age of 93 in Los Angeles, California from lung cancer.[2][6]
Filmography
All films, he was producer unless otherwise noted.
Film
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Sporting Club | |
| 1972 | The Man | |
| 1977 | The Choirboys | |
| 1978 | Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? | Executive producer |
| 1990 | Hard to Kill | Executive producer |
| 1992 | Innocent Blood | |
| Passenger 57 | ||
| 1995 | Just Cause | |
| The Amazing Panda Adventure | ||
| 1996 | Big Bully | |
| 1998 | Desperate Measures | |
| 1999 | Gloria | |
| 2001 | The Score | Final film as a producer |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Rat Patrol | Executive producer |
| Sheriff Who | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1971 | Aesop's Fables | Television film Executive producer |
| Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate | Television film Executive producer | |
| The Good Life | Executive producer | |
| The Homecoming: A Christmas Story | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1972 | The Crooked Hearts | Television film Executive producer |
| Pursuit | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1973 | The Girls of Huntington House | Television film Executive producer |
| Dying Room Only | Television film Executive producer | |
| Don't Be Afraid of the Dark | Television film Executive producer | |
| The Blue Knight | Television film Executive producer | |
| A Dream for Christmas | Television film Executive producer | |
| Pomroy's People | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1974 | Police Headquarters | Television film Executive producer |
| The Stranger Within | Television film Executive producer | |
| Bad Ronald | Television film Executive producer | |
| Apple's Way | Executive producer | |
| 1973−74 | Doc Elliot | Executive producer |
| 1975 | The Runaway Barge | Television film Executive producer |
| The Runaways | Television film Executive producer | |
| Returning Home | Television film Executive producer | |
| Eric | Television film Executive producer | |
| Conspiracy of Terror | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1976 | Widow | Television film Executive producer |
| Helter Skelter | Television film Executive producer | |
| You're Just Like Your Father | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1975−76 | The Blue Knight | Executive producer |
| 1977 | Green Eyes | Television film Executive producer |
| Bravo Two | Television film Executive producer | |
| Killer on Board | Television film Executive producer | |
| Bunco | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1978 | A Question of Guilt | Television film Executive producer |
| The Wilds of Ten Thousand Islands | Television film Executive producer | |
| The Young Pioneers | Executive producer | |
| The Waverly Wonders | Executive producer | |
| Desperate Women | Television film Executive producer | |
| Long Journey Back | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1979 | Some Kind of Miracle | Television film Executive producer |
| Mr. Horn | Television film Executive producer | |
| Studs Lonigan | Executive producer | |
| Married: The First Year | Executive producer | |
| Big Shamus, Little Shamus | Executive producer | |
| Young Love, First Love | Television film Executive producer | |
| Mary and Joseph: A Story of Faith | Television film Executive producer | |
| A Man Called Intrepid | Executive producer | |
| 1978−79 | Kaz | Executive producer |
| 1980 | Marriage Is Alive and Well | Television film Executive producer |
| Skag | Executive producer | |
| The Waltons: A Decade of the Waltons | Television film Executive producer | |
| Reward | Television film Executive producer | |
| Willow B: Women in Prison | Television film Executive producer | |
| Joshua's World | Television film Executive producer | |
| A Perfect Match | Television film Executive producer | |
| Secrets of Midland Heights | Executive producer | |
| 1971−80 | The Waltons | Co-executive producer Executive producer |
| 1978−80 | Dallas | Executive producer |
| 1981 | A Matter of Life and Death | Television film Executive producer |
| Our Family Business | Television film Executive producer | |
| Killjoy | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1977−81 | Eight Is Enough | Executive producer |
| 1982 | King's Crossing | Executive producer |
| A Wedding on Walton's Mountain | Television film Executive producer | |
| Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain | Television film Executive producer | |
| This Is Kate Bennett... | Television film Executive producer | |
| Two Guys from Muck | Television film Executive producer | |
| Two of a Kind | Television film Executive producer | |
| A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1980−82 | Flamingo Road | Executive producer |
| 1983 | Dusty | Television film Executive producer |
| One Cooks, the Other Doesn't | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1990 | The Face of Fear | Television film Executive producer |
| 1993 | Killer Rules | Television film Executive producer |
| Against the Grain | Executive producer | |
| A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion | Television film Executive producer | |
| 1994 | Island City | Television film Executive producer |
| 1995 | A Walton Wedding | Television film Executive producer |
| 1996 | Dallas: J.R. Returns | Television film Executive producer |
| 1997 | A Walton Easter | Television film Executive producer Final TV project |
- Production manager
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1966−67 | The Rat Patrol | Executive in charge of production |
| Hey, Landlord | In charge of production | |
| 1976 | Sybil | Production supervisor |
References
- Fink, Nikki (2012-05-25). "R.I.P. Television Mogul Lee Rich". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
- Vitello, Paul (May 30, 2012). "Lee Rich Dies at 93; Helped Create Both J.R. and John-Boy". New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- McLellan, Dennis (May 26, 2012). "Lee Rich dies at 93; advertising executive became a top TV producer". Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- "Lee Rich, Co-Founder of Legendary Production Company Lorimar, Dies at 93". The Hollywood Reporter.
- https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118054663?refCatId=14 variety.com
- "TV mogul Lee Rich dies at 91: Exec co-founded Lorimar, headed MGM/UA 859-803-3649". Chicago Tribune. May 25, 2012.
External links
- Lee Rich on IMDb
- Lee Rich at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- Image of Robert L. Jacks, Michael Learned, Richard Thomas and Lee Rich with their Emmys for "The Waltons," Los Angeles, California, 1973. Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
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