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Richard Fleischer

Richard Fleischer

Director, also producer and writer · Died March 25, 2006, aged 89 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Richard Owen Fleischer (December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director. Fleischer was born in Brooklyn, the son of Essie (née Goldstein) and animator/producer Max Fleischer. After graduating from Brown University, he went to Yale School of Drama, where he met his future wife, Mary Dickson. His film career began in 1942 at the RKO studio, directing shorts, documentaries, and compilations of forgotten silent features. Fleischer moved to Los Angeles and was assigned his first feature, Child of Divorce (1946). In 1954, he was chosen by Walt Disney (his father's former rival as a cartoon producer) to direct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starring Kirk Douglas. In 1955 Fox signed Fleischer to a long term contract. He would work for that studio for the next fifteen years. His first film under his new contract with Fox was The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955). Kirk Douglas hired Fleischer to make The Vikings (1958), which was another big hit. He then moved to Paris where he directed two stories for Darryl F. Zanuck starring Greco. Fleischer then signed a contract with Dino de Laurentiis to make Barabbas (1962). Back in Hollywood, Richard Zanuck had become head of production at Fox and offered Fleischer Fantastic Voyage (1966). It was a success and resurrected his Hollywood career. Che! (1969), a biopic of Che Guevera that starred Omar Sharif, was an expensive flop, as was an account of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). This was his last film for 20th Century Fox. Fleischer travelled to England, where he directed an acclaimed thriller, 10 Rillington Place. See No Evil (1971) with Mia Farrow was another thriller. In Hollywood, he made The New Centurions (1972). At MGM, he made a science-fiction film, Soylent Green (1973), with Charlton Heston. He was reunited with De Laurentiis for the popular, if controversial, Mandingo (1975). The Prince and the Pauper (1977) was a version of the Mark Twain novel that featured Heston, Harrison and Scott in its cast. Fleischer was then hired on Ashanti (1979), starring Michael Caine, which turned out to be a flop. Tough Enough (1983) was about the Toughman Contest starring Dennis Quaid. He made three more for de Laurentiis. His final theatrical feature was Million Dollar Mystery (1987). Fleischer was chairman of Fleischer Studios, which today handles the licensing of Betty Boop and Koko the Clown. In June 2005, he released his memoirs of his father's career in Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution. Fleischer's 1993 autobiography, Just Tell Me When to Cry, described his many difficulties with actors, writers and producers. Description above from the Wikipedia article Richard O. Fleischer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 8, 1916
Died
March 25, 2006 (aged 89)
From
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Director, also producer and writer
Titles
38 on MovieCove · 55 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 11% in 30 days

What are Richard Fleischer's films like?

Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Action12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
20%
Morality
19%
Self
18%
Bonds
17%
Power
15%
Society
9%
Ideas
4%
Justice11 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival9 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition6 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 36 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 14 · Dark 16

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 13 · Intense 20

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 24 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 27 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 26 · Relentless 4

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 20 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 14 · Affecting 14 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 32 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
28
Melancholic
14
Thrilling
13
Dread
11
Contemplative
7
Other
23

How their films linger

Fun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet13
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Richard Fleischer's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 38 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Richard Fleischer's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

55 credits, 38 with a MovieCove page; 11 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Betty Boop's Hollywood Mystery(1989)

    Creative Consultant

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Call from Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit(1988)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Million Dollar Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director

  • Red Sonja(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Conan the Destroyer(1984)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Amityville 3-D(1983)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Tough Enough(1983)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Jazz Singer(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Ashanti(1979)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Crossed Swords(1977)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Incredible Sarah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director

  • Mandingo(1975)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Mr. Majestyk(1974)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Spikes Gang(1974)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Don Is Dead(1973)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Soylent Green(1973)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The New Centurions(1972)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • See No Evil(1971)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Last Run(1971)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • 10 Rillington Place(1971)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Tora! Tora! Tora!(1970)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Che!(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Boston Strangler(1968)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Doctor Dolittle(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Fantastic Voyage(1966)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Barabbas(1961)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Big Gamble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Crack in the Mirror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • These Thousand Hills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Compulsion(1959)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Vikings(1958)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Between Heaven and Hell(1956)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Bandido! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Violent Saturday(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea(1954)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Arena(1953)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Happy Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Director

  • The Narrow Margin(1952)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • His Kind of Woman(1951)

    Director · Additional Writing · Writer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Armored Car Robbery(1950)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Trapped(1949)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Make Mine Laughs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director

  • Follow Me Quietly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director

  • The Clay Pigeon(1949)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Bodyguard(1948)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Design for Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Director

  • So This Is New York(1948)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Banjo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Director

  • Mr. Bell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Director

  • Child of Divorce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Director

  • Make Mine Memories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Director

  • Memo for Joe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • Flicker Flashbacks #2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 55 titles from 1943 to 1989.

Biggest box office

Conan the Destroyer (1984)

$31M worldwide

Highest rated

The Narrow Margin (1952)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 55: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting52 of 55: 48 only directing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndWriting2 of 55: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing3 of 55: 0 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew3 of 55: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

55 titles, 4 with more than one role.

By decade

1940s13 · 1 acting · 13 crew1950s13 · crew1960s7 · crew1970s13 · crew1980s9 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Richard Fleischer's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 38; across their 36 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Reach · how many have seen their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Midcredits score across 38 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 38 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · director

Che! (1969)

83rd percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

The Narrow Margin (1952)

Midcredits 94th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 67/100 and the pacing 49/100 in their films, across 35 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Richard Fleischer's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most films and profanity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles39–77 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles7–50 · median 26 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles8–69 · median 22 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles15–39 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles40–64 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Richard Fleischer work with?

People who share at least 2 of Richard Fleischer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Earl Felton shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers