Rod Amateau
Rodney Amateau (December 20, 1923 – June 29, 2003) was an American film and television screenwriter, director, and producer.
Rod Amateau | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rodney Amateau December 20, 1923 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 29, 2003 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Rodney Amateau |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television screenwriter, director, and producer |
| Years active | 1950–1989 |
| Spouses | Joane Andre
(m. 1950; div. 1959)Sandra Burns
(m. 1959; div. 1962) |
| Children | 1 |
Career
Among the programs that he directed were The Dennis Day Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Mister Ed, Gilligan's Island, The Bob Cummings Show and The New Phil Silvers Show. He produced My Mother the Car and Supertrain, and wrote the story for the 1988 film Sunset. Amateau also directed a few episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard, and appeared in a handful of episodes as an actor as well.
In 1987, he directed, produced and co-wrote The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, which is considered to be one of the worst films ever made.
Personal life
From 1945 to 1949, he was married to actress Coleen Gray, who sued him for child support in 1955.[1] Amateau was then married to actress and screenwriter Joane Andre from 1950 to 1959. Together, they had one daughter.[2] From 1959 to 1962, he was married to Sandra Burns, daughter of George Burns and Gracie Allen.[3]
Retirement and death
Amateau retired from directing in 1989. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage in 2003 in Los Angeles, aged 79.[4]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | The Bushwhackers |  |
| |
| Monsoon | |
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| 1969 | Hook, Line & Sinker | | ||
| 1970 | Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You | |
| |
| 1971 | The Statue | |
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| 1972 | Where Does It Hurt? | |
| |
| 1975 | The Wilby Conspiracy | | ||
| 1976 | Drive-In | |
| |
| 1978 | The Seniors | |
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| 1979 | Son of Hitler | |
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| 1984 | Lovelines | |
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| 1987 | The Garbage Pail Kids Movie | |
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| 1988 | Sunset | |
TV
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1955–1959 | The Bob Cummings Show |
| 1956–1958 | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show |
| 1959–1963 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis |
| 1961–1966 | Mister Ed |
| 1963–1964 | The New Phil Silvers Show |
| 1965–1966 | My Mother the Car |
| 1965–1966 | O.K. Crackerby |
| 1979–1985 | The Dukes of Hazzard |
| 1979 | Supertrain |
| 1983 | High School U.S.A. |
References
- "Coleen Gray profile". Tv.yahoo.com. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
- McLellan, Dennis (July 2, 2003). "Rod Amateau, 79; Writer, Director, Producer of Sitcoms, Feature Films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- Sandra Burns profile, imdb.com; accessed April 6, 2017.
- McLellan, Dennis (July 2, 2003). "Rod Amateau, 79; Writer, Director, Producer of Sitcoms, Feature Films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2015.