Richard Thorpe
Known for Directing
Details
Birthday: February 24, 1896
Deathday: May 01, 1991
Place of birth: Hutchinson, Kansas, USA
Biography
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
Actor
Director
1970
1967
1967
1965
1964
1963
1963
1961
1957
1957
1955
1955
1955
1954
1954
1952
1952
1951
1951
1951
1951
1950
1950
1949
1949
1949
1949
1948
1947
1947
1945
1943
1943
1942
1942
1942
1941
1941
1940
1940
1940
1939
1938
1938
1938
1938
1937
1937
1937
1937
1936
1935
1934
1934
1934
1934
1934
1934
1933
1933
1933
1933
1933
1933
1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1931
1931
1931
1931
1931
1931
1931
1931
1930
1930
1930
1930
1930
1930
1929
1929
1929
1928
1928
1928
1928
1927
1927
1927
1927
1927
1926
1926
1926
1926
1926
1926
1926
1926
1926
1925
1925
1925
1924
1924
Writer
1928
1928
1927
1927
1927
1927
1926
1925
1925