Richard Thorpe
- Known for
- Directing
- Born
- February 24, 1896
- Died
- May 1, 1991
- Birthplace
- Hutchinson, Kansas, USA
Richard Thorpe (February 24, 1896 - May 1, 1991) was an American film director. Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas, he began his entertainment career performing in vaudeville and onstage. In 1921 he began in motion pictures as an actor and directed his first silent film in 1923. He went on to direct more than one hundred and eighty films. The first full length motion picture he directed for MGM was Last of the Pagans (1935) starring Ray Mala. After directing The Last Challenge in 1967, he retired from the film industry. He died in Palm Springs, California in 1991. Thorpe is also known as the original director of The Wizard of Oz. He was fired after two weeks of shooting, because it was felt that his scenes did not have the right air of fantasy about them. Thorpe notoriously gave Judy Garland a blonde wig and cutesy "baby-doll" makeup that made her look like a girl in her late teens rather than an innocent Kansas farm girl of about thirteen. Both makeup and wig were discarded at the suggestion of George Cukor, who was brought in temporarily. Stills from Thorpe's work on the film survive today. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Thorpe has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Blvd. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Filmography
That's Entertainment, Part II 1976
Thanks
The Scorpio Letters 1967
Producer, Director
The Last Challenge 1967
Producer, Director
That Funny Feeling 1965
Director
The Truth About Spring 1965
Director
The Golden Head 1964
Director
Fun in Acapulco 1963
Director
Follow the Boys 1963
Director
How the West Was Won 1962
Special Guest Director
The Horizontal Lieutenant 1962
Director
The Honeymoon Machine 1961
Director
The Tartars 1961
Director
The House of the Seven Hawks 1959
Director
Killers of Kilimanjaro 1959
Director
Tip on a Dead Jockey 1957
Director
Ten Thousand Bedrooms 1957
Director
Jailhouse Rock 1957
Director
Quentin Durward 1955
Director
The Prodigal 1955
Director
Bedevilled 1955
Director
Athena 1954
Director
The Student Prince 1954
Director
Knights of the Round Table 1953
Director
All the Brothers Were Valiant 1953
Director
The Girl Who Had Everything 1953
Director
The Prisoner of Zenda 1952
Director
Ivanhoe 1952
Director
Carbine Williams 1952
Director
It's a Big Country 1951
Director
The Unknown Man 1951
Director
The Great Caruso 1951
Director
Vengeance Valley 1951
Director
Three Little Words 1950
Director
Black Hand 1950
Director
Malaya 1949
Director
Challenge to Lassie 1949
Director
The Sun Comes Up 1949
Director
Big Jack 1949
Director
A Date with Judy 1948
Director
On an Island with You 1948
Director
This Time for Keeps 1947
Director
Fiesta 1947
Director
What Next, Corporal Hargrove? 1945
Director
Her Highness and the Bellboy 1945
Director
Thrill of a Romance 1945
Director
The Thin Man Goes Home 1944
Director
Two Girls and a Sailor 1944
Director
Cry 'Havoc' 1943
Director
Above Suspicion 1943
Director
Three Hearts for Julia 1943
Director
White Cargo 1942
Director
Apache Trail 1942
Director
Tarzan's New York Adventure 1942
Director
Joe Smith, American 1942
Director
Tarzan's Secret Treasure 1941
Director
Barnacle Bill 1941
Director
The Bad Man 1941
Director
Wyoming 1940
Director
20 Mule Team 1940
Director
The Earl of Chicago 1940
Director
Tarzan Finds a Son! 1939
Director
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1939
Director
Three Loves Has Nancy 1938
Director
The Crowd Roars 1938
Director
The Toy Wife 1938
Director
The First Hundred Years 1938
Director
Love Is a Headache 1938
Director
Man-Proof 1938
Director
Double Wedding 1937
Director
Lest We Forget 1937
Director
Night Must Fall 1937
Director
Dangerous Number 1937
Director
Tarzan Escapes 1936
Director
The Voice of Bugle Ann 1936
Director
Last of the Pagans 1935
Director
Secret of the Chateau 1934
Director
Strange Wives 1934
Director
Cheating Cheaters 1934
Director
Green Eyes 1934
Director
City Park 1934
Director
Stolen Sweets 1934
Director
The Quitter 1934
Director
Murder on the Campus 1933
Director
Rainbow Over Broadway 1933
Director
A Man of Sentiment 1933
Director
Notorious But Nice 1933
Director
Strange People 1933
Director
I Have Lived 1933
Director
Forgotten 1933
Director
The Secrets of Wu Sin 1932
Director
Women Won't Tell 1932
Director
Slightly Married 1932
Director
The King Murder 1932
Director
Thrill of Youth 1932
Director
Beauty Parlor 1932
Director
The Midnight Lady 1932
Director
Escapade 1932
Director
Probation 1932
Director
Murder at Dawn 1932
Director
Cross-Examination 1932
Director
The Devil Plays 1931
Director, Editor
Forgotten Women 1931
Director
Neck and Neck 1931
Director
The Sky Spider 1931
Director
Grief Street 1931
Director, Editor
Wild Horse 1931
Director
The Lady from Nowhere 1931
Director, Editor
The Lawless Woman 1931
Director
King of the Wild 1931
Director
The Utah Kid 1930
Director
Under Montana Skies 1930
Director
The Thoroughbred 1930
Director
Wings of Adventure 1930
Director
The Dude Wrangler 1930
Director
The Lone Defender 1930
Director
The King of the Kongo 1929
Director
Border Romance 1929
Director
The Bachelor Girl 1929
Director
The Fatal Warning 1929
Director
The Shady Lady 1928
Story
The Flyin' Buckaroo 1928
Director, Writer
The Vanishing West 1928
Director
Vultures of the Sea 1928
Director
- The Valley Of Hunted Men
The Valley Of Hunted Men 1928
Writer, Director
- The Cowboy Cavalier
The Cowboy Cavalier 1928
Director, Story
The Ballyhoo Buster 1928
Writer, Director
The Desert of the Lost 1927
Director, Writer
Roarin' Broncs 1927
Director, Writer
- The Obligin' Buckaroo
The Obligin' Buckaroo 1927
Director, Writer
The Soda Water Cowboy 1927
Director
Skedaddle Gold 1927
Director, Writer
The Meddlin' Stranger 1927
Director
The Ridin' Rowdy 1927
Director, Writer
Tearin' Into Trouble 1927
Director
Between Dangers 1927
Director, Writer
- The Cyclone Cowboy
The Cyclone Cowboy 1927
Director
Josselyn's Wife 1926
Director
College Days 1926
Director
The Interferin' Gent 1926
Director
- The Bonanza Buckaroo
The Bonanza Buckaroo 1926
Director
- Twisted Triggers
Twisted Triggers 1926
Director
Double Daring 1926
Director, Writer
Easy Going 1926
Director
- Ridin' Rivals
Ridin' Rivals 1926
Director
- The Fighting Cheat
The Fighting Cheat 1926
Director
- The Roaring Rider
The Roaring Rider 1926
Director
- Galloping On
Galloping On 1925
Director, Scenario Writer
The Desert Demon 1925
Director
Tearin' Loose 1925
Writer, Director
- Red Clay
Red Clay 1925
Scenario Writer
- On the Go
On the Go 1925
Director, Writer
Thundering Romance 1924
Director
Flames of Desire 1924
as Dick Langton
Bringin' Home the Bacon 1924
Director
Hard-Hittin' Hamilton 1924
Director
Fast and Fearless 1924
Director
Three O'Clock in the Morning 1923
as Clayton Webster
Burn 'Em Up Barnes 1921
as Stephen Thompson
Credits from TMDB.