Richard Lester

{{Infobox person

| name = Richard Lester

| image = Richard Lester Bologna 2014 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Lester in 2014

| other_names = Dick Lester

| birth_name = Richard Lester Liebman

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1932|1|19}}

| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = University of Pennsylvania (BA)

| known_for = {{hlist|A Hard Day's Night|Help!|A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum|The Three Musketeers|Superman II|Superman III}}

| occupation = Film director

| years_active = 1959–2006

| spouse = {{marriage|Deirdre Smith|August 28, 1956}}Cf. TCM Profile

| children = 1

}}

Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932){{Cite web |last=Rose |first=Mike |date=January 19, 2023|title=Today's famous birthdays|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/01/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-january-19-2023-includes-celebrities-dolly-parton-jodie-sweetin.html |access-date=January 19, 2023 |website=Cleveland.com}} is a retired American film director, who spent the majority of his professional life in the United Kingdom. He is known for the fast-paced, flamboyant directing he brought to his comedy films, most notably the Beatles' vehicles A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965), and The Knack ...and How to Get It (1965).

Originally from Philadelphia, Lester began his career directing television, moving to the United Kingdom in the mid-1950s. He collaborated with Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan, on The Goon Show and The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film. After breaking into film directing through his Beatles collaborations, he helmed various productions including the superhero films Superman II (1980) and Superman III (1983),{{cite web|url=http://sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/lester|title=Richard Lester|date=June 23, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2012|publisher=Senses of Cinema}} A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), Petulia (1968), The Three Musketeers (1973) and its two sequels, as well as Robin and Marian (1976), and Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979).

A two-time BAFTA Award nominee, Lester is an Honourary Associate of London Film School{{Cite web |date=December 12, 2011 |title=London Film School honours Richard Lester, Rita Tushingham and Philip French at the 2011 Annual Show |url=https://lfs.org.uk/content/london-film-school-honours-richard-lester-rita-tushingham-and-philip-french-2011-annual-show |access-date=June 24, 2020 |website=London Film School}} and a BFI Fellow. According to the British Film Institute, "if any single director can encapsulate the popular image of Britain in the Swinging Sixties, then it is probably Richard Lester. With his use of flamboyant cinematic devices and liking for zany humour, he captured the vitality, and sometimes the triviality, of the period more vividly than any other director."{{Cite web |title=BFI Screenonline: Lester, Richard |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/471198/index.html |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=screenonline.org.uk}}

Early years and career

Richard Lester Liebman was born to a Jewish family{{Cite news |title=Superman, Man of Schlemiel? |language=en |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2013-06-16/ty-article/.premium/superman-man-of-steel-or-schlemiel/0000017f-f84a-d47e-a37f-f97e4d970000 |access-date=2023-03-07}} in Philadelphia. A child prodigy, he graduated from the William Penn Charter School, a Quaker school in Philadelphia, and began studies at the University of Pennsylvania[https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/about-us/fellows/honorary-fellows-2010/richard-lester "Richard Lester : Presented by Professor Frank Sanderson"], Liverpool John Moores University. Given an Honorary Fellowship.{{Cite web|title=About Us|url=https://cinemastudies.sas.upenn.edu/about|access-date=June 23, 2020|website=University of Pennsylvania, Cinema Studies}} at the age of 15, graduating with a degree in clinical psychology in 1951.{{Cite web|last=D.|first=Chris|date=August 2, 2016|title=Richard Lester: Philly to Piccadilly|url=https://thenewbev.com/blog/2016/08/richard-lester-philly-to-piccadilly/|access-date=June 23, 2020|website=New Beverly Cinema - The premier revival theater in Los Angeles|language=en}}Sinyard, Neil (1985). The Films of Richard Lester. London, UK: Croom Helm. Preface, p. viii. {{ISBN|978-0709933472}}

=American television=

Lester started in television in 1950, working as a stage hand, floor manager, assistant director, and eventually a director in less than a year, because no one else was around who knew how to do the work.{{cite web|first=Steven|last=Soderbergh|author-link=Steven Soderbergh|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/Guardian_NFT/interview/0,,110592,00.html

|title=Richard Lester interview|work=The Guardian|date=November 8, 1999|access-date=April 6, 2008}}

Lester was the music director on Action in the Afternoon, an American western television series that aired live on CBS from February 2, 1953, to January 29, 1954. The series originated from the studios and back lot of CBS' WCAU-TV, which was then in Philadelphia; it was broadcast Monday through Friday regardless of the weather. The half-hour series aired variously at 3:30 pm or 4:00 pm, throughout its run.{{Cite web|last=Wilkinson|first=Gerry|date=2009|title=Action in the Afternoon|url=http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/actionhistory.html|access-date=June 23, 2020|website=Broadcast pioneers of Philadelphia}}

=British television=

In May 1955, after a period spent busking around continental Europe, Lester moved to London and began work as a director in television, working for the low-budget producers the Danziger Brothers on episodes of Mark Saber, a half-hour detective series.

He worked as a writer on Curtains for Harry (1955){{Cite web|title=Curtains for Harry (1955)|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7fc12b7b|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230195648/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7fc12b7b|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 30, 2018|access-date=June 23, 2020|website=BFI (British Film Institute)|language=en}} and for a few weeks, The Barris Beat (1956).{{Cite web | url=http://www.film.queensu.ca/CBC/B.html | first=Blaine | last=Allan | title=The Barris Beat | publisher=Queen's University | year=1996 | access-date=June 24, 2020 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911235410/http://www.film.queensu.ca/CBC/B.html | archive-date=September 11, 2015 | df=dmy-all }}

A variety show he produced caught the eye of Peter Sellers, who enlisted Lester's help in translating The Goon Show to television as The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d (1956). It was a hit as were two follow-up shows: A Show Called Fred (1956) and Son of Fred (1956).{{cite book|last=Scudamore|first=Pauline|title=Spike Milligan: A Biography|year=1985|publisher=Granada|location=London, UK|isbn=0-246-12275-7|pages=169–70}}{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Roger|title=The Life and Death of Peter Sellers|year=1995|publisher=Arrow Books|location=London, UK|isbn=0-09-974700-6}}

Lester recalled that A Show Called Fred was "broadcast live and that's why I went into film directing where you can do a second take!"{{cite book|title=Spike Milligan: His Part in Our Lives|author=Ventham, Maxine|chapter=Richard Lester|year=2002|publisher=Robson|location=London, UK|isbn=1-86105-530-7|page=72}}

He wrote and directed episodes of the TV series After Hours (1958).{{Cite web|title=After hours (1958)|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200158871/|access-date=June 24, 2020|website=Library of Congress}}

=Early films=

Lester received acclaim with The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1959), a short film he made with Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers. He did another short titled The Sound of Jazz (1959).

His first feature as director was It's Trad, Dad! (1962),{{cite book |last=Gelly|first=Dave |author-link=Dave Gelly |title=An Unholy Row |year=2014 |publisher=Equinox|page=135}} a low-budget musical.{{Citation|title=It's Trad, Dad! (1962) - Richard Lester {{!}} Cast and Crew {{!}} AllMovie|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/its-trad-dad!-v108012/cast-crew|language=en-us|access-date=June 24, 2020}} His second was The Mouse on the Moon (1963), produced by Walter Shenson for United Artists starring Margaret Rutherford, a sequel to The Mouse That Roared (1959).{{Cite web|last=Butler|first=Craig|title=The Mouse on the Moon|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-mouse-on-the-moon-v103000/review|access-date=June 25, 2020|website=Allmovie}} He returned to TV, directing episodes of Room at the Bottom (1964).{{Cite web|title=Richard Lester|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/richard_lester/|access-date=June 25, 2020|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB}}

The Beatles

The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film was a favourite of the Beatles, particularly John Lennon. When the band members were contracted to make a feature film, they chose Lester from a list of possible directors. A Hard Day's Night (1964) showed an exaggerated and simplified version of the Beatles' characters and proved to be an effective marketing tool. Many of its stylistic innovations survive as the forerunner of music videos; in particular, the multi-angle filming of a live performance. Lester was sent an award from MTV as "Father of the Music Video".{{Cite web|last=Mansfield|first=Brian|date=July 29, 2015|title='Help!' at 50: Looking back at the Beatles|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/07/29/beatles-help-50th-anniversary/30741421/|access-date=July 4, 2020|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}

A Hard Day's Night was a huge critical and commercial success. Lester then directed the first of several quintessential "swinging" films, the sex comedy The Knack... and How to Get It (1965). It was the first of three of his films with actor Michael Crawford, and the first out of four credited collaborations with screenwriter Charles Wood. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.{{cite news|last1=QUINN|first1=Thomas|title=THE KNACK' WINS TOP CANNES PRIZE|work=The New York Times |date=May 29, 1965 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/05/29/archives/the-knack-wins-top-cannes-prize-british-comedy-called-best-us-film.html|access-date=May 28, 2018}}

Lester followed The Knack... and How to Get It with the Beatles film Help! (1965).Lewis (1995) provides citations for the television shows & films: A Show Called Fred, Son of Fred, Hard Day's Night, Help!, Mouse on the Moon, Running, Jumping Standing Still, and Three Musketeers A spoof of the popular James Bond spy thrillers, it was the second collaboration with screenwriter Charles Wood and another huge commercial success. Lester received a Hollywood offer to direct the film adaptation of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966).

File:Richard Lester.jpg

He then made the darkly surreal, satirical anti-war movie How I Won the War (1967) co-starring Crawford and Lennon, which Lester referred to as an "anti-anti-war movie". He explained that anti-war movies still took the concept of war seriously, contrasting "bad" war crimes with wars fought for "good" causes like the liberation from Nazism or, at that time, Communism, whereas with screenwriter Charles Wood, Lester set out to show war as fundamentally opposed to humanity.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}} Although set in World War II, the film serves as an oblique reference to the Vietnam War, and at one point, breaking the fourth wall, references this directly.

He made Petulia (1968) with Julie Christie and George C. Scott, and a score by John Barry (who had also scored The Knack).{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2671/year/1968.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Petulia |access-date=April 4, 2009|work=festival-cannes.com}} He returned to his anti-war theme with the post-apocalyptic black comedy The Bed Sitting Room (1969),{{Cite news|last=French|first=Philip|date=June 20, 2009|title=Philip French's classic DVD: The Bed Sitting Room|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jun/21/bed-sitting-room-film-review|access-date=June 23, 2020|issn=0261-3077}} based on a play by Spike Milligan and John Antrobus.{{Cite web|title=Plays by John Antrobus|url=http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsA/antrobus-john.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022171720/http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsA/antrobus-john.html|archive-date=October 22, 2007|access-date=June 23, 2020|website=Doollee}} The screenplay was the fourth credited collaboration between Lester and Charles Wood, but Wood provided uncredited production rewrites for more films of Lester.

How I Won the War and Bed Sitting Room performed poorly at the box office; Lester found himself unable to raise funds for a series of projects, including an adaptation of the Flashman novels.{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Diabolique|title=Trying to Make a Case for Royal Flash|date=May 18, 2020|url=https://diaboliquemagazine.com/trying-to-make-a-case-for-royal-flash/}}

Swashbucklers and Adventurers

Lester's career revived when he was hired by Alexander and Ilya Salkind to do a version of The Three Musketeers (1973), based on a script by George MacDonald Fraser. The producers decided to split the first film into two after principal photography was completed, the second titled The Four Musketeers (1974). Many of the cast principals complained to the Salkinds, stating that they were only contracted to make one film, and they arrived at an agreement to avoid attorneys' fees.{{Cite news|last=Salmans|first=Sandra|date=July 17, 1983|title=Film View; the Salkind Heroes Wear Red and Fly High|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/17/movies/film-view-the-salkind-heroes-wear-red-and-fly-high.html|access-date=June 25, 2020|issn=0362-4331}} Both movies were critically and commercially successful.{{Cite web|last=Sobczynski|first=Peter|date=August 5, 2015|title=Keep Moving!: The Films of Richard Lester. {{!}} Features {{!}}|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/features/keep-moving-the-films-of-richard-lester|access-date=June 25, 2020|website=Roger Ebert.com|language=en}}

He was called in at the last minute as a replacement director on Juggernaut (1974), a thriller set on a cruise liner. The success of the Musketeers films enabled Lester to raise the finances for Royal Flash (1975), based on the second of the Flashman novels by George MacDonald Fraser. Lester followed Royal Flash with Robin and Marian (1976) which was adapted from a script by James Goldman and starred Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn. He then made The Ritz (1976) which was based on a play by Terrence McNally.

Lester also directed Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) and Cuba (1979) with Connery; neither film was successful commercially.

=''Superman''=

Lester's next film, Superman II, was a huge success. Production on Superman II began before Superman was completed, and had to be halted to concentrate on getting the first movie completed. After the first film was released in late 1978, the Salkinds went back into production on Superman II without informing Superman director Richard Donner and placed Lester behind the camera to complete the remaining 25 percent of the film. Although Donner had shot 75 percent, a majority of what was planned for the film, much of his footage was jettisoned or reshot during Lester's time on the project.{{Cite web|title=The Story Behind Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut Is All About Superegos|url=https://www.amc.com/talk/2010/04/superman-ii-richard-donner-cut|access-date=July 4, 2020|website=AMC|language=en-US}}

Gene Hackman, who played Lex Luthor, refused to return for the reshoots, so Lester instead used a body double to insert the character into new scenes, as well as a voice impersonator to record additional dialogues and occasionally loop Luthor's lines onto footage of Hackman shot by Donner.{{cite book|last=Weldon|first=Glen|author-link=Glen Weldon|title=Superman: The Unauthorized Biography|year=2013|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-1118341841|page=200}} Some of Donner's original footage was integrated into television versions of the film. In November 2006, Donner's footage was re-edited into Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, consisting primarily of his footage with Lester's footage used only for scenes not shot during Donner's principal photography of the movie.

Richard Lester directed Superman III (1983), but this third installment was not as well received as its predecessors.{{Cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|date=July 17, 1983|title=Superman III movie review & film summary (1983)|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/superman-iii-1983|access-date=July 4, 2020|language=en}} Nonetheless, it was considered a box office success, ranking 14th in that year's worldwide box office.{{Cite web|title=1983 Worldwide Box Office|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1983/|access-date=July 4, 2020|website=Box Office Mojo}}

Later films and retirement

In 1984, Lester directed the comedy Finders Keepers, starring Michael O'Keefe, Louis Gossett Jr., and Beverly D'Angelo.{{Cite web |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57080-FINDERS-KEEPERS?cxt=filmography |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218235149/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57080-FINDERS-KEEPERS?cxt=filmography |archive-date=December 18, 2022 |access-date=December 18, 2022 |website=catalog.afi.com}} It had a domestic total gross of $1,467,396.{{Cite web |title=Finders Keepers |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2857600513/weekend/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Box Office Mojo}} The film generally received good reviews.{{cite book |last=Monaco |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s7MUAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA251 |title=The Movie Guide |publisher=Perigee Books |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-399-51780-8 |pages=251–}}{{cite news |author=Canby, Vincent |date=May 18, 1984 |title=Film: 'Finders Keepers,' Comedy Directed By Richard Lester |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/18/movies/film-finders-keepers-comedy-directed-by-richard-lester.html |newspaper=The New York Times}}{{cite web |author= |date=December 31, 1983 |title=Finders Keepers |url=https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/finders-keepers-2-1200426095 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927032819/https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/finders-keepers-2-1200426095/ |archive-date=September 27, 2018}}{{Cite news |last=Fristoe |first=Roger |date=May 19, 1984 |title=Caper movie, 'Finders Keepers', begin runs |work=The Courrier-Journal |pages=B 6}}{{Cite news |last=Laubach |first=David |date=June 6, 1984 |title=Finders Keepers, Winners, Sleepers |work=Valley Advocate Springfield |pages=20}}{{Cite news |last=Wolf |first=William |date=May 19, 1984 |title='Finders Keepers' is a real gem |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=A-13}} Richard Freedman in his review published in The Montana Standard found the film to be "wonderfully wacky" and concluded that "a movie consisting almost entirely of pratfalls and sight gags can wear you down after a while, but everybody involved in Finders Keepers ensures, that this is one comedy that makes nobody in the audience a loser or a weeper."{{Cite news |last=Freedman |first=Richard |date=May 19, 1984 |title=Finders Keepers wonderfully wacky |work=The Montana Standard |pages=Time Out: 4}}

In 1988, he reunited most of the Three Musketeers cast to film The Return of the Musketeers, released the following year. During filming in Spain, actor Roy Kinnear, a close friend of Lester, died after falling from a horse. Lester finished the film, then retired from directing. He returned only once more to direct Paul McCartney's concert film Get Back (1991).

In 1993, he presented Hollywood U.K., a five-part series on British cinema in the 1960s for the BBC.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475046/ Hollywood U.K.], IMDB. Accessed July 22, 2019

Director Steven Soderbergh is among many who have called for a reappraisal of Lester's work and influence. He wrote Getting Away with It, published in 1999 about Lester's career;{{Citation|author=Soderbergh, Steven|title=Getting away with it, or, The further adventures of the luckiest bastard you ever saw|date=1999|publisher=Faber and Faber|edition=2nd|isbn=978-0-571-19025-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/gettingawaywithi00sode}} the book consists of interviews with Lester.

In 2012, the British Film Institute awarded Lester a Fellowship, the British film industry's highest honour, in recognition of his work. The award was presented in a public ceremony on March 22 at the National Film Theatre, and was followed by a screening of Lester's Robin and Marian. The citation for his fellowship recognises that "Richard Lester has created a unique body of work which has enriched the lives of millions with his brilliantly surreal humour and innovative style. Although born in the US, he has lived in Britain for 60 years and created some of the most enduring and influential creations of British cinema."{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-press-release-bfi-fellowship-for-richard-lester-2012-03-23.pdf|title=Lester Awarded BFI Fellowship|date=March 23, 2012|website=Bfi.org.uk}}

Personal life

In Soderbergh's book Getting Away with It, Lester reveals that he is a committed atheist and debates with Soderbergh (who was then an agnostic), largely based on the arguments of Richard Dawkins. While Lester studied at the University of Pennsylvania, he was a member of the Beta Rho Chapter of the Sigma Nu fraternity.{{Cite book|url=https://archives.upenn.edu/media/2017/06/1950record.pdf|title=The 1950 record. University of Pennsylvania|publisher=Campus Publishing|editor-last=Cramer|editor-first=Arthur A. Jr.|volume=LXXVIII|pages=240–241|chapter=Sigma Nu. Class of 1951}}

Filmography

The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1959) (short)
It's Trad, Dad! (1962)
The Mouse on the Moon (1963)
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
The Knack ...and How to Get It (1965)
Help! (1965)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
How I Won the War (also producer, 1967)
Petulia (1968)
The Bed Sitting Room (also producer, 1969)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
Juggernaut (1974)
The Four Musketeers (1974)
Royal Flash (1975)
Robin and Marian (1976)
The Ritz (1976)
Superman (producer uncredited, 1978)
Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979)
Cuba (1979)
Superman II (1980)
Superman III (1983)
Finders Keepers (1984)
The Return of the Musketeers (1989)
Get Back (1991)
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (director uncredited, re-edited director's cut of Superman II, 2006)

References

External links

{{IMDb name|id=0504513|name=Richard Lester}}
{{tcmdb name|id=112581%7C130142|name=Richard Lester}}
{{Screenonline name|id=471198|name=Richard Lester}}
[http://www.salon.com/people/rewind/1999/06/26/lester/ Richard Lester: A hard day's life]
[http://www.wsr.org.uk/beatles.htm The Beatles in West Somerset in 1964]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110520010055/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/99442/Richard-Lester/biography NYT biog]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090121233711/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/81795?view=credit BFI film database]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20041227173101/http://www.mtv.com/movies/person/87883/personmain.jhtml MTV biog]
[http://www.beatles.com/hub/article.php?page=hardDay&menuItem=the%20films TheBeatles.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060322003604/http://www.beatles.com/hub/article.php?page=hardDay&menuItem=the%20films |date=March 22, 2006 }}