David L. Wolper
| David L. Wolper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
David Lloyd Wolper January 11, 1928 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
August 10, 2010 (aged 82) Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | television and film Producer |
| Spouse(s) |
Toni Carroll (1953–1955; divorced) Margaret Dawn Richard (1958–1969; divorced; 3 children) Gloria Diane Hill (1974–2010; his death) |
David Lloyd Wolper (January 11, 1928 – August 10, 2010) was an American television and film producer, responsible for shows such as Roots, The Thorn Birds, North & South, L.A. Confidential, and the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). He also produced numerous documentaries and documentary series including Biography (1961–63), The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (TV), Appointment with Destiny (TV series), This is Elvis, Four Days in November, Imagine: John Lennon, Visions of Eight (1973), and others. Wolper directed the 1959 documentary The Race for Space, which was nominated for an Academy Award. His 1971 film (as executive producer) about the study of insects, The Hellstrom Chronicle, won an Academy Award.
Life and career
Wolper was born in New York City, the son of Anna (née Fass) and Irving S. Wolper.[1] For his work on television, he had received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The pre-1968 library is owned by Cube Entertainment (formerly International Creative Exchange), the post-1970 library is owned by Warner Bros.
On March 13, 1974, one of his crews filming a National Geographic history of Australopithecus at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area was killed when the Corvair 440 Sierra Pacific Airlines plane slammed into White Mt. shortly after take off from Eastern Sierra Regional Airport in Bishop, California killing all 35 on board including 31 Wolper crew members. The filmed segment was recovered in the wreckage and was broadcast in the television series Primal Man. The cause of the crash remains unsolved.[2]
In 1988, Wolper was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.[3]
Wolper died on August 10, 2010, of congestive heart disease and complications of Parkinson's disease at his Beverly Hills home. He was survived by his wife of 36 years Gloria Hill, his three children from a previous marriage sons Mark and Michael Wolper and a daughter Leslie. Wolper was also survived by 10 grandchildren.[4]
Productions
His company was involved in the following productions. He was a distributor of the early shows, and became an executive producer with The Race for Space in 1958.[5][6]
| Year | Show |
| 1949 | Funny Bunnies (36 episodes) |
| 1953 | Superman (90 episodes) |
| 1954 | Baseball Hall of Fame (75 episodes) |
| 1954 | O.S.S. (32 episodes) |
| 1954 | Grand Ole Opry (39 episodes) |
| 1955 | Congressional Investigator (26 episodes) |
| 1958 | Men from Boys - The First Eight Weeks |
| 1958 | The Race for Space |
| 1959 | Project: Man in Space |
| 1960 | Hollywood: The Golden Years |
| 1961 | Biography of a Rookie: The Willie Davis Story |
| 1961 | Rafer Johnson Story, TheThe Rafer Johnson Story |
| 1962 | Hollywood: The Great Stars |
| 1962 | Hollywood: The Fabulous Era |
| 1962 | D-Day June 6, 1944 |
| 1962 | Biography |
| 1962–1963 | Story of... |
| 1963 | Hollywood and the Stars |
| 1963 | Escape to Freedom |
| 1963 | Kreboizen and Cancer: Thirteen Years of Bitter Conflict |
| 1963 | Passing Years: Rework of Story of a Year 1927, TheThe Passing Years: Rework of Story of a Year 1927 |
| 1963 | Making of the President, 1960, TheThe Making of the President, 1960 |
| 1963–1964 | Specials for United Artists |
| 1964 | Legend of Marilyn Monroe, TheThe Legend of Marilyn Monroe |
| 1964 | Quest for Peace, TheThe Quest for Peace |
| 1964 | Thousand Days: A Tribute to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, AA Thousand Days: A Tribute to John Fitzgerald Kennedy |
| 1964 | Men in Crisis |
| 1965 | Four Days in November |
| 1965 | France: Conquest to Liberation |
| 1965 | Korea: The 38th Parallel |
| 1965 | Prelude to War (Beginning of World War II) |
| 1965 | Japan: A New Dawn over Asia (Japan in the 20th Century) |
| 1965 | 007: The Incredible World of James Bond |
| 1965 | Let My People Go: The Story of Israel |
| 1965 | October Madness: The World Series |
| 1965 | Race for the Moon |
| 1965 | Miss Television U.S.A. |
| 1965 | Really Big Family: The Duke of Seattle & Their 18 Children, TheThe Really Big Family: The Duke of Seattle & Their 18 Children |
| 1965 | Revolution in Our Time |
| 1965 | Bold Men, TheThe Bold Men |
| 1965 | General, TheThe General |
| 1965 | Teenage Revolution, TheThe Teenage Revolution |
| 1965 | Way Out Men, TheThe Way Out Men |
| 1965 | In Search of Man |
| 1965 | Pro Football: Mayhem On A Sunday Afternoon |
| 1965 | Revolution in the 3 R's |
| 1965 | Thin Blue Line, TheThe Thin Blue Line |
| 1965 | In Search of Man |
| 1965 | Silent Partners |
| 1965–1966 | March of Time, TheThe March of Time |
| 1965–1975 | National Geographic Society Specials |
| 1966 | Making of the President, 1964, TheThe Making of the President, 1964 |
| 1966 | Wall Street Where the Money Is |
| 1966 | Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House, AA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House |
| 1966 | Destination Safety |
| 1966 | China: Roots of Madness |
| 1966–1968 | World of Animals, TheThe World of Animals |
| 1967 | Big Land, TheThe Big Land |
| 1967 | Nation of Immigrants, AA Nation of Immigrants |
| 1967 | Untamed World |
| 1967 | Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Hollywood, AA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Hollywood |
| 1967 | Movin' with Nancy |
| 1967–1968 | Do Blondes Have More Fun? |
| 1967–1968 | Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, TheThe Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau |
| 1968 | Rise and Fall of the Third Reich |
| 1968 | Dangerous Years, TheThe Dangerous Years |
| 1968 | California |
| 1968 | With Love, Sophia |
| 1968 | Monte Carlo: C'est La Rose |
| 1968 | Sophia: A Self Portrait |
| 1968 | Highlights of the Ice Capades 1968, TheThe Highlights of the Ice Capades 1968 |
| 1968 | On the Trail of Stanley and Livingstone |
| 1968 | Hollywood: The Selznick Years |
| 1968 | Devil's Brigade, TheThe Devil's Brigade |
| 1968 | Making of the President, 1968, TheThe Making of the President, 1968 |
| 1969 | Bridge at Remagen, TheThe Bridge at Remagen |
| 1969 | If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium |
| 1969 | Los Angeles: Where It's At |
| 1970 | Unfinished Journey of Robert F. Kennedy, TheThe Unfinished Journey of Robert F. Kennedy |
| 1970 | I Love My Wife |
| 1970–1972 | Plimpton Specials, TheThe Plimpton Specials |
| 1971 | Say Goodbye |
| 1971 | They've Killed President Lincoln |
| 1971 | Hellstrom Chronicle, TheThe Hellstrom Chronicle |
| 1971 | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory |
| 1971–1973 | Appointment With Destiny |
| 1972 | King, Queen, Knave |
| 1972 | One Is a Lonely Number |
| 1972 | Here Comes Tomorrow: The Fear Fighters |
| 1972 | Republican Party Films |
| 1972 | Make Mine Red, White and Blue |
| 1972 | Top of The Month (3 half-hour specials) |
| 1972 | Of Thee I Sing |
| 1972–1973 | The Explorers |
| 1973 | 500 Pound Jerk, TheThe 500 Pound Jerk |
| 1973 | Wattstax |
| 1973 | Visions of Eight |
| 1973–1974 | Primal Man Specials |
| 1973–1975 | American Heritage Specials, TheThe American Heritage Specials |
| 1974 | This Week In The NBA (Series of 20 half-hours) |
| 1974 | NBA Game of the Week Featurettes |
| 1974 | Get Christie Love! |
| 1974 | Judgment Specials |
| 1974 | Morning After, TheThe Morning After |
| 1974 | Unwed Father |
| 1974 | Men of the Dragon |
| 1974 | First Woman President, TheThe First Woman President |
| 1974 | Love from A to Z |
| 1974 | Birds Do It, Bees Do It |
| 1974 | Animal Within, TheThe Animal Within |
| 1974 | Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus |
| 1974–1975 | Get Christie Love! |
| 1974–1975 | Smithsonian Specials |
| 1974–1975 | Sandburg's Lincoln |
| 1974–1976 | Chico and the Man |
| 1975 | Death Stalk |
| 1975 | I Will Fight No More Forever |
| 1975–1976 | Welcome Back, Kotter |
| 1976 | Brenda Starr |
| 1976 | Collision Course |
| 1976 | Celebration: The American Spirit |
| 1976 | Unexplained, TheThe Unexplained |
| 1976 | Victory At Entebbe |
| 1976 | Mysteries of the Great Pyramids |
| 1977 | Roots |
| 1978 | Roots: One Year Later |
| 1978 | Roots: The Next Generations |
| 1980 | Man Who Saw Tomorrow, TheThe Man Who Saw Tomorrow |
| 1980 | Moviola |
| 1980 | Thorn Birds, TheThe Thorn Birds |
| 1981 | This Is Elvis |
| 1981 | Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter |
| 1981 | Small World |
| 1981 | Murder Is Easy |
| 1982 | Mystic Warrior, TheThe Mystic Warrior |
| 1982 | Casablanca |
| 1984 | XXIIIrd Olympiad, Los Angeles 1984 |
| 1984 | His Mistress |
| 1985 | North and South |
| 1986 | North and South: Book II |
| 1986 | Liberty Weekend |
| 1987 | Betty Ford Story, TheThe Betty Ford Story |
| 1987 | Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story |
| 1988 | What Price Victory |
| 1988 | Imagine: John Lennon |
| 1988 | Roots: The Gift |
| 1989 | Plot to Kill Hitler, TheThe Plot to Kill Hitler |
| 1989 | Murder in Mississippi |
| 1990 | Warner Bros. Celebration of Tradition, June 2, 1990 |
| 1990 | Dillinger |
| 1990 | When You Remember Me |
| 1991 | Best of the Worst |
| 1991 | Bed of Lies |
| 1992 | Celebrations |
| 1992 | Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald |
| 1993 | Celebration of a Life: Steven J. Ross Chairman of Time Warner |
| 1993 | River of Rage: The Texas Flood Tragedy - The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children? |
| 1994 | Heaven and Hell: North and South Book III |
| 1994 | On Trial |
| 1994 | Golf - The Greatest Game |
| 1994 | Heroes of the Game |
| 1994 | Without Warning |
| 1994 | Murder in the First |
| 1995 | Prince for a Day |
| 1996 | Thorn Birds: The Missing Years, TheThe Thorn Birds: The Missing Years |
| 1996 | Surviving Picasso |
| 1997 | L.A. Confidential |
| 1998 | Terror at the Mall |
| 1998 | Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary Show |
| 1998 | Will of Their Own, AA Will of Their Own |
| 1998 | Confirmation |
| 1998 | Legends, Icons and Superstars |
| 1999 | To Serve and Protect |
| 1999 | Celebrate the Century |
References
- ↑ http://www.filmreference.com/film/44/David-L-Wolper.html
- ↑ "'Primal Man' Crash". Check-six.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ "Television Hall of Fame Honorees: Complete List".
- ↑ "David Wolper, producer of 'Roots,' has died". Associated Press. 2010-08-11. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
- ↑ "Filmography". David L. Wolper. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ David L. Wolper at the Internet Movie Database
External links
- Official website
- David L. Wolper at the Internet Movie Database
- David L. Wolper interview video at the Archive of American Television