Oscar Rudolph
| Oscar Rudolph | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 2, 1911 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died |
February 1, 1991 (aged 79) Encino, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | TV/film director, actor and producer |
| Years active | 1925-1976 |
| Known for | Directed over 500 TV show episodes, which include work on such series as The Donna Reed Show, McHale's Navy, and The Phyllis Diller Show |
| Spouse(s) | Sylvia, 1938-1991, his death |
| Children | 2, a daughter and son, director Alan Rudolph |
Oscar Rudolph (April 2, 1911 – February 1, 1991) was an American film and television director, producer and actor. He is the father of film director, screenwriter and producer Alan Rudolph.
Life and career
Rudolph, over the long course of his directorial career in Hollywood, which spapped a period of four decades, from the early 1940s to the mid 1970s. Oscar began his directorial career as an assistant director on numerous film projects throughout the 1940s before transitioning over to the burgeoning genre of television in the 1950s. He directed more than 500 television shows including which included such popular series as The Donna Reed Show, The Lone Ranger, McHale's Navy, The Phyllis Diller Show, My Favorite Martian. Batman and The Brady Bunch.
Rudolph started his Hollywood entertainment career as a bit actor at the age of 14 after he moved from Cleveland, Ohio, where he was born, to Southern California with his family in 1924 and began his Hollywood career as a child actor. His first film was Little Annie Rooney which starred now legendary silent film actress Mary Pickford; he would appear in a total a 36 films, in mostly uncredited or bit roles, from 1925 until 1947, when he appeared in his last role in the film Easy Come, Easy Go, which co-starred actress Diana Lynn and actors Sonny Tufts and Barry Fitzgerald.
His directorial film credits included Rocket Man (1954), Twist Around the Clock (1961) and Don't Knock the Twist (1962).
Death
Rudolph died at Encino Hospital Medical Center in Encino, California of complications following a stroke. He was survived by his wife of 53 years, Sylvia, his son Alan, and a daughter.[1]
References
- ↑ Oscar Rudolph, 79; Versatile Director of TV Series, Movies, Los Angeles Times article (latimes.com), February 11, 1991.