A Legacy That Is Second To None

Richard Donner
1930 - 2021

A true legend of television and film passed away yesterday at 91.  He began his directing career in television with work on dozens of shows, including Gilligan's Island, Route 66, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason, Kojak, Get Smart and The Twilight Zone.  He was the director of Nightmare At 20,000 Feet, which is one of the most iconic episodes of the Rod Serling classic in which a young William Shatner sees a gremlin tearing apart the airplane that he and his wife are riding on.

Mr. Donner moved on to direct Hollywood feature films in 1976 and hit a home run immediately with one of the creepiest and most intense horror movies of all time: The Omen.  He followed this up with a series of classic films that few other directors could match, including Superman, The Toy, The Goonies, Scrooged, Maverick and the Lethal Weapon series.

This is not at all a complete accounting of Mr. Donner's work.  He was a phenomenally talented man who will continue entertaining the world for a very long time after his passing.  Rest in peace, sir.