- Known For
- Directing
- Born
- February 24, 1896
- Place of Birth
- Hutchinson, Kansas, USA
- Died
- May 1, 1991
Richard Thorpe
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…
Filmography
movieThe Scorpio Letters
1967 · Director, Producer
movieThe Last Challenge
1967 · Director, Producer
movieThat Funny Feeling
1965 · Director
movieThe Truth About Spring
1965 · Director
movieThe Golden Head
1964 · Director
movieFun in Acapulco
1963 · Director
movieFollow the Boys
1963 · Director
movieHow the West Was Won
1962 · Special Guest Director
movieThe Horizontal Lieutenant
1962 · Director
movieThe Honeymoon Machine
1961 · Director
movieThe Tartars
1961 · Director
movieThe House of the Seven Hawks
1959 · Director
movieKillers of Kilimanjaro
1959 · Director
movieTip on a Dead Jockey
1957 · Director
movieTen Thousand Bedrooms
1957 · Director
movieJailhouse Rock
1957 · Director
movieQuentin Durward
1955 · Director
movieThe Prodigal
1955 · Director
movieBedevilled
1955 · Director
movieAthena
1954 · Director
movieThe Student Prince
1954 · Director
movieKnights of the Round Table
1953 · Director
movieAll the Brothers Were Valiant
1953 · Director
movieThe Girl Who Had Everything
1953 · Director
movieThe Prisoner of Zenda
1952 · Director
movieIvanhoe
1952 · Director
movieCarbine Williams
1952 · Director
movieIt's a Big Country
1951 · Director
movieThe Unknown Man
1951 · Director
movieThe Great Caruso
1951 · Director
movieVengeance Valley
1951 · Director
movieThree Little Words
1950 · Director
movieBlack Hand
1950 · Director
movieMalaya
1949 · Director
movieChallenge to Lassie
1949 · Director
movieThe Sun Comes Up
1949 · Director
movieBig Jack
1949 · Director
movieA Date with Judy
1948 · Director
movieOn an Island with You
1948 · Director
movieThis Time for Keeps
1947 · Director
movieFiesta
1947 · Director
movieWhat Next, Corporal Hargrove?
1945 · Director
movieHer Highness and the Bellboy
1945 · Director
movieThrill of a Romance
1945 · Director
movieThe Thin Man Goes Home
1944 · Director
movieTwo Girls and a Sailor
1944 · Director
movieCry 'Havoc'
1943 · Director
movieAbove Suspicion
1943 · Director
movieThree Hearts for Julia
1943 · Director
movieWhite Cargo
1942 · Director
movieApache Trail
1942 · Director
movieTarzan's New York Adventure
1942 · Director
movieJoe Smith, American
1942 · Director
movieTarzan's Secret Treasure
1941 · Director
movieBarnacle Bill
1941 · Director
movieThe Bad Man
1941 · Director
movieWyoming
1940 · Director
movie20 Mule Team
1940 · Director
movieThe Earl of Chicago
1940 · Director
movieTarzan Finds a Son!
1939 · Director
movieThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
1939 · Director
movieThree Loves Has Nancy
1938 · Director
movieThe Crowd Roars
1938 · Director
movieThe Toy Wife
1938 · Director
movieThe First Hundred Years
1938 · Director
movieLove Is a Headache
1938 · Director
movieMan-Proof
1938 · Director
movieDouble Wedding
1937 · Director
movieLest We Forget
1937 · Director
movieNight Must Fall
1937 · Director
movieDangerous Number
1937 · Director
movieTarzan Escapes
1936 · Director
movieThe Voice of Bugle Ann
1936 · Director
movieLast of the Pagans
1935 · Director
movieSecret of the Chateau
1934 · Director
movieStrange Wives
1934 · Director
movieCheating Cheaters
1934 · Director
movieGreen Eyes
1934 · Director
movieCity Park
1934 · Director
movieStolen Sweets
1934 · Director
movieThe Quitter
1934 · Director
movieMurder on the Campus
1933 · Director
movieRainbow Over Broadway
1933 · Director
movieA Man of Sentiment
1933 · Director
movieNotorious But Nice
1933 · Director
movieStrange People
1933 · Director
movieI Have Lived
1933 · Director
movieForgotten
1933 · Director
movieThe Secrets of Wu Sin
1932 · Director
movieWomen Won't Tell
1932 · Director
movieSlightly Married
1932 · Director
movieThe King Murder
1932 · Director
movieThrill of Youth
1932 · Director
movieBeauty Parlor
1932 · Director
movieThe Midnight Lady
1932 · Director
movieEscapade
1932 · Director
movieProbation
1932 · Director
movieMurder at Dawn
1932 · Director
movieCross-Examination
1932 · Director
movieThe Devil Plays
1931 · Director, Editor
movieForgotten Women
1931 · Director
movieNeck and Neck
1931 · Director
movieGrief Street
1931 · Director, Editor
movieThe Sky Spider
1931 · Director
movieWild Horse
1931 · Director
movieThe Lady from Nowhere
1931 · Director, Editor
movieThe Lawless Woman
1931 · Director
movieKing of the Wild
1931 · Director
movieThe Utah Kid
1930 · Director
movieUnder Montana Skies
1930 · Director
movieThe Thoroughbred
1930 · Director
movieWings of Adventure
1930 · Director
movieThe Dude Wrangler
1930 · Director
movieThe Lone Defender
1930 · Director
movieThe King of the Kongo
1929 · Director
movieBorder Romance
1929 · Director
movieThe Bachelor Girl
1929 · Director
movieThe Fatal Warning
1929 · Director
movieThe Shady Lady
1928 · Story
movieThe Flyin' Buckaroo
1928 · Director, Writer
movieThe Vanishing West
1928 · Director
movieVultures of the Sea
1928 · Director
The Valley Of Hunted Men
movieThe Valley Of Hunted Men
1928 · Director, Writer
movieThe Ballyhoo Buster
1928 · Director, Writer
movieThe Desert of the Lost
1927 · Director, Writer
movieRoarin' Broncs
1927 · Director, Writer
The Obligin' Buckaroo
movieThe Obligin' Buckaroo
1927 · Director, Writer
movieThe Soda Water Cowboy
1927 · Director
movieSkedaddle Gold
1927 · Director, Writer
movieThe Meddlin' Stranger
1927 · Director
movieThe Ridin' Rowdy
1927 · Director, Writer
movieTearin' Into Trouble
1927 · Director
movieBetween Dangers
1927 · Director, Writer
movieJosselyn's Wife
1926 · Director
movieCollege Days
1926 · Director
movieThe Interferin' Gent
1926 · Director
Twisted Triggers
movieTwisted Triggers
1926 · Director
movieDouble Daring
1926 · Director, Writer
movieEasy Going
1926 · Director
Ridin' Rivals
movieRidin' Rivals
1926 · Director
The Fighting Cheat
movieThe Fighting Cheat
1926 · Director
The Roaring Rider
movieThe Roaring Rider
1926 · Director
movieThe Desert Demon
1925 · Director
movieTearin' Loose
1925 · Writer, Director
Red Clay
movieRed Clay
1925 · Scenario Writer
On the Go
movieOn the Go
1925 · Director, Writer
movieThundering Romance
1924 · Director
movieFlames of Desire
1924 · Dick Langton
movieBringin' Home the Bacon
1924 · Director
movieHard-Hittin' Hamilton
1924 · Director
movieFast and Fearless
1924 · Director
movieThree O'Clock in the Morning
1923 · Clayton Webster
movieBurn 'Em Up Barnes
1921 · Stephen Thompson
The Bonanza Buckaroo
movieThe Bonanza Buckaroo
— · Director