Oscar Rudolph
Oscar Rudolph (April 2, 1911 – February 1, 1991) was an American film and television director, producer, and actor.
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 |
Life and career
Rudolph was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and in 1924 moved to Southern California with his family. He started his Hollywood entertainment career as a bit actor at the age of 14. His first film was Little Annie Rooney (1925), which starred legendary silent film actress Mary Pickford. He appeared in a total of 36 films in mostly uncredited or bit roles from 1925 to 1947, when he appeared in his last role in the film Easy Come, Easy Go.
Rudolph was a director from the early 1940s to the mid 1970s. He began as an assistant director on a number of films throughout the 1940s and then made the transition to the burgeoning genre of television in the 1950s. He directed episodes of more than 500 television shows, including The Donna Reed Show, The Lone Ranger, McHale's Navy, The Phyllis Diller Show, My Favorite Martian. Batman, and The Brady Bunch. His film credits as director 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; son Alan Rudolph, a film director, screenwriter and producer; and a daughter.[1]
Partial filmography
- Little Annie Rooney (1925)
- So This Is College (1929)
- Their Own Desire (1929)
- Divorce in the Family (1932)
- This Day and Age (1933)
- College Scandal (1935)
- The Rocket Man (1954)
- Twist Around the Clock (1961)
- Don't Knock the Twist (1962)
- The Wild Westerners (1962)