Richard Thorpe
Directing
🎂 1896-02-24
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
Cast credits(3)
Directing (141)
Director
1951
Special Guest Director
1962
Director
1952
Director
1957
Director
1944
Director
1936
Director
1953
Director
1942
Director
1952
Director
1963
Director
1939
Director
1954
Director
1953
Director
1948
Director
1951
Director
1945
Director
1951
Director
1941
Director
1951
Director
1954
Director
1967
Director
1959
Director
1949
Director
1939
Director
1944
Director
1949
Director
1938
Director
1943
Director
1950
Director
1955
Director
1943
Director
1926
Director
1950
Director
1953
Director
1945
Director
1934
Director
1937
Director
1961
Director
1955
Director
1965
Director
1965
Director
1952
Director
1947
Director
1949
Director
1942
Director
1940
Director
1934
Director
1959
Director
1931
Director
1949
Director
1937
Director
1963
Director
1930
Director
1948
Director
1942
Director
1942
Director
1941
Director
1955
Director
1938
Director
1936
Director
1932
Director
1940
Director
1938
Director
1940
Director
1934
Director
1938
Director
1961
Director
1925
Director
1932
Director
1924
Director
1957
Director
1933
Director
1937
Director
1957
Director
1941
Director
1926
Director
1967
Director
1934
Director
1927
Director
1933
Director
1931
Director
1947
Director
1928
Director
1931
Director
1962
Director
1934
Director
1930
Director
1924
Director
1930
Director
1931
Director
1932
Director
1931
Director
1932
Director
1938
Director
1933
Director
1927
Director
1932
Director
1932
Director
1934
Director
1931
Director
1931
Director
1924
Director
1964
Director
1932
Director
1929
Director
1930
Director
1932
Director
1926
Director
1943
Director
1938
Director
1926
Director
1933
Director
1929
Director
1935
Director
1937
Director
1926
Director
1928
Director
1925
Director
1932
Director
1926
Director
1930
Director
1929
Director
1945
Director
1931
Director
1926
Director
1928
Director
1928
Director
1930
Director
1927
Director
1933
Director
1933
Director
1932
Director
1926
Director
1931
Director
1932
Director
Director
1934
Director
1933
Director
1929
Director
1928
Director
1927