Richard Thorpe
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1896-02-24
Day of Death
1991-05-01 (95 years old)
Place of Birth
Hutchinson, Kansas, USA
Richard Thorpe
Biography
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
Known For
Acting
(1924)
Flames of Desire
as Dick Langton
(1923)
Three O'Clock in the Morning
as Clayton Webster
(1921)
Burn 'Em Up Barnes
as Stephen Thompson
Crew
The Bonanza Buckaroo
Director
(1967)
The Last Challenge
Producer, Director
(1967)
The Scorpio Letters
Producer, Director
(1965)
That Funny Feeling
Director
(1965)
The Truth About Spring
Director
(1964)
The Golden Head
Director
(1963)
Fun in Acapulco
Director
(1963)
Follow the Boys
Director
(1962)
The Horizontal Lieutenant
Director
(1962)
How the West Was Won
Special Guest Director
(1961)
The Honeymoon Machine
Director
(1961)
The Tartars
Director
(1959)
The House of the Seven Hawks
Director
(1959)
Killers of Kilimanjaro
Director
(1957)
Jailhouse Rock
Director
(1957)
Tip on a Dead Jockey
Director
(1957)
Ten Thousand Bedrooms
Director
(1955)
Quentin Durward
Director
(1955)
Bedevilled
Director
(1955)
The Prodigal
Director
(1954)
The Student Prince
Director
(1954)
Athena
Director
(1953)
Knights of the Round Table
Director
(1953)
The Girl Who Had Everything
Director
(1953)
All the Brothers Were Valiant
Director
(1952)
Ivanhoe
Director
(1952)
The Prisoner of Zenda
Director
(1952)
Carbine Williams
Director
(1951)
Vengeance Valley
Director
(1951)
The Unknown Man
Director
(1951)
It's a Big Country
Director
(1951)
The Great Caruso
Director
(1950)
Black Hand
Director
(1950)
Three Little Words
Director
(1949)
Challenge to Lassie
Director
(1949)
Malaya
Director
(1949)
The Sun Comes Up
Director
(1949)
Big Jack
Director
(1948)
On an Island with You
Director
(1948)
A Date with Judy
Director
(1947)
This Time for Keeps
Director
(1947)
Fiesta
Director
(1945)
Thrill of a Romance
Director
(1945)
Her Highness and the Bellboy
Director
(1945)
What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
Director
(1944)
The Thin Man Goes Home
Director
(1944)
Two Girls and a Sailor
Director
(1943)
Above Suspicion
Director
(1943)
Cry 'Havoc'
Director
(1943)
Three Hearts for Julia
Director
(1942)
Tarzan's New York Adventure
Director
(1942)
Joe Smith, American
Director
(1942)
White Cargo
Director
(1942)
Apache Trail
Director
(1941)
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
Director
(1941)
The Bad Man
Director
(1941)
Barnacle Bill
Director
(1940)
The Earl of Chicago
Director
(1940)
Wyoming
Director
(1940)
20 Mule Team
Director
(1939)
Tarzan Finds a Son!
Director
(1939)
(1938)
Three Loves Has Nancy
Director
(1938)
The Toy Wife
Director
(1938)
Man-Proof
Director
(1938)
Love Is a Headache
Director
(1938)
The First Hundred Years
Director
(1938)
The Crowd Roars
Director
(1937)
Double Wedding
Director
(1937)
Night Must Fall
Director
(1937)
Dangerous Number
Director
(1937)
Lest We Forget
Director
(1936)
Tarzan Escapes
Director
(1936)
The Voice of Bugle Ann
Director
(1935)
Last of the Pagans
Director
(1934)
Green Eyes
Director
(1934)
Secret of the Chateau
Director
(1934)
City Park
Director
(1934)
Stolen Sweets
Director
(1934)
Strange Wives
Director
(1934)
The Quitter
Director
(1934)
Cheating Cheaters
Director
(1933)
Forgotten
Director
(1933)
Murder on the Campus
Director
(1933)
Notorious But Nice
Director
(1933)
Rainbow Over Broadway
Director
(1933)
A Man of Sentiment
Director
(1933)
I Have Lived
Director
(1933)
Strange People
Director
(1932)
Cross-Examination
Director
(1932)
Murder at Dawn
Director
(1932)
The King Murder
Director
(1932)
The Midnight Lady
Director
(1932)
Probation
Director
(1932)
Women Won't Tell
Director
(1932)
Slightly Married
Director
(1932)
Beauty Parlor
Director
(1932)
The Secrets of Wu Sin
Director
(1932)
Thrill of Youth
Director
(1932)
Escapade
Director
(1931)
King of the Wild
Director
(1931)
Wild Horse
Director
(1931)
Grief Street
Director, Editor
(1931)
The Lady from Nowhere
Director, Editor
(1931)
Forgotten Women
Director
(1931)
The Devil Plays
Director, Editor
(1931)
Neck and Neck
Director
(1931)
The Sky Spider
Director
(1931)
The Lawless Woman
Director
(1930)
The Lone Defender
Director
(1930)
The Utah Kid
Director
(1930)
Wings of Adventure
Director
(1930)
Under Montana Skies
Director
(1930)
The Thoroughbred
Director
(1930)
The Dude Wrangler
Director
(1929)
Border Romance
Director
(1929)
The King of the Kongo
Director
(1929)
The Fatal Warning
Director
(1929)
The Bachelor Girl
Director
(1928)
The Vanishing West
Director
(1928)
The Ballyhoo Buster
Writer, Director
(1928)
Vultures of the Sea
Director
(1928)
The Valley Of Hunted Men
Writer, Director
(1928)
The Flyin' Buckaroo
Director, Writer
(1927)
The Desert of the Lost
Director, Writer
(1927)
The Ridin' Rowdy
Director, Writer
(1927)
Tearin' Into Trouble
Director
(1927)
The Meddlin' Stranger
Director
(1926)
College Days
Director
(1926)
Easy Going
Director
(1926)
Josselyn's Wife
Director
(1926)
The Roaring Rider
Director
(1926)
The Fighting Cheat
Director
(1926)
Double Daring
Director, Writer
(1926)
Twisted Triggers
Director
(1926)
Ridin' Rivals
Director
(1925)
Tearin' Loose
Writer, Director
(1925)
On the Go
Director, Writer
(1925)
Red Clay
Scenario Writer
(1924)
Thundering Romance
Director
(1924)
Fast and Fearless
Director
(1924)
Bringin' Home the Bacon
Director