Richard Thorpe
Directing
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
Directing149
movieThe Scorpio Letters
1967
Director
movieThe Last Challenge
1967
Director
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 Honeymoon Machine
1961
Director
movieThe Tartars
1961
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
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
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
movieJoe Smith, American
1942
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
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
movieForgotten Women
1931
Director
movieNeck and Neck
1931
Director
movieGrief Street
1931
Director
movieThe Sky Spider
1931
Director
movieWild Horse
1931
Director
movieThe Lady from Nowhere
1931
Director
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 Flyin' Buckaroo
1928
Director
movieThe Vanishing West
1928
Director
movieVultures of the Sea
1928
Director
movieThe Ballyhoo Buster
1928
Director
movieThe Desert of the Lost
1927
Director
movieRoarin' Broncs
1927
Director
movieThe Soda Water Cowboy
1927
Director
movieSkedaddle Gold
1927
Director
movieThe Meddlin' Stranger
1927
Director
movieThe Ridin' Rowdy
1927
Director
movieTearin' Into Trouble
1927
Director
movieBetween Dangers
1927
Director
movieJosselyn's Wife
1926
Director
movieCollege Days
1926
Director
movieThe Interferin' Gent
1926
Director
movieDouble Daring
1926
Director
movieEasy Going
1926
Director
movieThe Desert Demon
1925
Director
movieTearin' Loose
1925
Director
On the Go
1925
Director
movieThundering Romance
1924
Director
movieBringin' Home the Bacon
1924
Director
movieHard-Hittin' Hamilton
1924
Director
movieFast and Fearless
1924
Director
Writing14
movieRoarin' Broncs
1927
Writer
movieSkedaddle Gold
1927
Writer
movieBetween Dangers
1927
Writer
movieDouble Daring
1926
Writer
movieTearin' Loose
1925
Writer
Red Clay
1925
Scenario Writer
Acting3
movieFlames of Desire
1924
Dick Langton
movieThree O'Clock in the Morning
1923
Clayton Webster
movieBurn 'Em Up Barnes
1921
Stephen Thompson
Editing3
Production2
movieThe Scorpio Letters
1967
Producer
movieThe Last Challenge
1967
Producer