17 Movies Directed by Richard Fleischer

The Happy Time

The Happy Time

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1952-12-03

Languages:

English, French

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

94 min

Rated:

APPROVED

IMDB Ratings:

7.1 (345 Reviews)

Genres:

Comedy

Cast:

Writer:

Earl Felton (screenplay)

Robert Fontaine (stories)

Samuel A. Taylor (play)

Fullplot:

Spring inspires lessons in love and life for a French family in 1920s Ottawa, especially for teenage Robert, who's blind to the attentions of an American neighbor girl, because he's infatuated with the beautiful new maid, fleeing life as a magician's assistant. Robert's mother bemoans some of the Bonnard family male role models available to Robert: his party animal grandfather, roguish traveling salesman uncle Desmond, and an uncle who carries a water cooler filled with wine everywhere while his wife does all the work. As Desmond's temporarily off the road, he also targets the maid.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1954-12-23

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

127 min

Rated:

APPROVED

IMDB Ratings:

7.2 (20472 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Earl Felton (screenplay)

Fullplot:

The oceans during the late 1860-92s are no longer safe; many ships have been lost. Sailors have returned to port with stories of a vicious narwhal (a giant whale with a long horn) which sinks their ships. A naturalist, Professor (Pierre) Aronnax, his assistant, Conseil, and a professional whaler, Ned Land, join an US expedition which attempts to unravel the mystery.

The Vikings

The Vikings

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1958-06-28

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

116 min

IMDB Ratings:

7.1 (8733 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Calder Willingham (screenplay)

Dale Wasserman (adaptation)

Edison Marshall (novel)

Fullplot:

Einar and Eric are two Viking half-brothers. The former is a great warrior whilst the other is an ex-slave, but neither knows the true identity of the other. When the throne of Northumbria in Britain becomes free for the taking, the two brothers compete against one another for the prize, but they have very different motives - both involving the princess Morgana, however.

Compulsion

Compulsion

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1959-05-04

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

103 min

Rated:

APPROVED

IMDB Ratings:

7.5 (3493 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Richard Murphy (screenplay)

Meyer Levin (based on the novel by)

Fullplot:

In 1924 Chicago, Artie Strauss and Judd Steiner are friends and fellow law students who both come from wealthy backgrounds. They have few true friends as they believe all their contemporaries are intellectually inferior. Within their relationship, Artie is the dominant and Judd the submissive who says he will do whatever Artie tells him. Although Judd acts intellectually arrogant to others, he also shows signs of weakness and reticence most evident to Artie. Part of their goal in life is to experience how it feels to do everything. As such, they plot to commit what they consider the perfect crime - a kidnapping and murder - not only so that they can experience the sense of killing for killing's sake, but also taunt the law with the knowledge of it and their superiority after the fact. They believe their crime is above the law. Their murder of young Paulie Kessler is not so perfect, with evidence at the scene uncovered by one of their law school colleagues, Sid Brooks, who also works for the Globe newspaper. As Artie and Judd try to manipulate their way out of how the evidence may implicate them, their manipulation ultimately backfires and they are charged with the murder. The most famed trial lawyer in town, Jonathan Wilk, is hired to defend the pair despite his atheism being against the families' sensibilities. Jonathan, renowned for his ability to manipulate juries, has to decide how best to defend his clients in the overwhelming face of evidence against them. The testimony of Ruth Evans, Sid's girlfriend, may have some impact on the trial's outcome.

Barabbas

Barabbas

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1962-10-10

Languages:

English

Countries:

Italy, USA

Runtime:

137 min

Rated:

NOT RATED

IMDB Ratings:

(3529 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Christopher Fry (screenplay)

Pèr Lagerkvist (novel)

Fullplot:

Epic account of the thief Barabbas, who was spared crucifixion when Pilate manipulated the crowd into to pardoning him, rather than Jesus. Struggling with his spirituality, Barabbas goes through many ordeals leading him to the gladiatorial arena, where he tries to win his freedom and confront his inner demons, ultimately becoming a follower of the man who was crucified in his place.

Fantastic Voyage

Fantastic Voyage

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1966-08-24

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

100 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

6.9 (12272 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Harry Kleiner (screenplay)

David Duncan (adaptation)

Otto Klement (story)

Jerome Bixby (story)

Fullplot:

Scientist Jan Benes, who knows the secret to keeping soldiers shrunken for an indefinite period, escapes from behind the Iron Curtain with the help of CIA agent Grant. While being transferred, their motorcade is attacked. Benes strikes his head, causing a blood clot to form in his brain. Grant is ordered to accompany a group of scientists as they are miniaturized. The crew has one hour to get in Benes's brain, remove the clot and get out.

Doctor Dolittle

Doctor Dolittle

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1967-12-19

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

152 min

Rated:

APPROVED

IMDB Ratings:

6.2 (5818 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Hugh Lofting (novels)

Leslie Bricusse (screenplay)

Fullplot:

Doctor Dolittle is a world-renowned veterinarian who speaks a wide array of animal languages. He sets off from his home in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, England, in search of the Great Pink Sea Snail. In so doing, he and his friends meet such exotic creatures as the Pushme-Pullyu and the Giant Lunar Moth. This musical is the source of the hit song, "If I Could Talk To The Animals."

The Boston Strangler

The Boston Strangler

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1968-10-16

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

116 min

Rated:

APPROVED

IMDB Ratings:

7.1 (5589 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Edward Anhalt (screenplay)

Gerold Frank (book)

Fullplot:

Boston is being terrorized by a series of seemingly random murders of women. Based on the true story, the film follows the investigators path through several leads before introducing the Strangler as a character. It is seen almost exclusively from the point of view of the investigators who have very few clues to build a case upon.

Tora! Tora! Tora!

Tora! Tora! Tora!

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1970-09-23

Languages:

English, Japanese

Countries:

USA, Japan

Runtime:

144 min

Rated:

G

IMDB Ratings:

7.5 (23560 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Larry Forrester (screenplay)

Hideo Oguni (screenplay)

Ryèzè Kikushima (screenplay)

Gordon W. Prange (based on "Tora! Tora! Tora!")

Ladislas Farago (based on "The Broken Seal")

Fullplot:

In 1941 the Japanese are at odds with the United States on a number of issues which they are attempting to resolve via their Washington embassy. In case this diplomacy fails, the military are hatching plans for a surprise early Sunday morning air attack on the U.S. base at Pearl Harbour. American intelligence is breaking the Japanese diplomatic messages but few high-ups are prepared to believe that an attack is likely, let alone where or how it might come.

See No Evil

See No Evil

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1971-09-02

Languages:

English

Countries:

UK

Runtime:

89 min

Rated:

GP

IMDB Ratings:

6.6 (1759 Reviews)

Fullplot:

Sarah is a blind girl who has returned to her home, a country manor in which all of the occupants are dead. She unknowingly sleeps overnight, among a houseful of corpses, arising the next morning to quietly creep out of bed, in order not to awaken the other members of the household.

Soylent Green

Soylent Green

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1973-05-09

Languages:

English, Spanish

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

97 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

7.1 (41099 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Stanley R. Greenberg (screenplay)

Harry Harrison (novel)

Fullplot:

In 2022, Earth is overpopulated and totally polluted; the natural resources have been exhausted and the nourishment of the population is provided by Soylent Industries, a company that makes a food consisting of plankton from the oceans. In New York City, when Soylent's member of the board William R. Simonson is murdered apparently by a burglar at the Chelsea Towers West where he lives, efficient Detective Thorn is assigned to investigate the case with his partner Solomon "Sol" Roth. Thorn comes to the fancy apartment and meets Simonson's bodyguard Tab Fielding and the "furniture" (woman that is rented together with the flat) Shirl and the detective concludes that the executive was not victim of burglary but executed. Further, he finds that the Governor Santini and other powerful men want to disrupt and end Thorn's investigation. But Thorn continues his work and discovers a bizarre and disturbing secret of the ingredient used to manufacture Soylent Green.

Mandingo

Mandingo

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1975-07-25

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

127 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

6.1 (2238 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Kyle Onstott (novel)

Jack Kirkland (play)

Norman Wexler (screenplay)

Fullplot:

Slave owner Warren Maxwell insists that his son, Hammond, who is busy bedding the slaves he buys, marry a white woman and father him a son. While in New Orleans, he picks up a wife, Blanche, a "bed wench," Ellen, and a Mandingo slave, Mede, whom he trains to be a bare-knuckle fighting champion. Angered that Hammond is spending too much time with his slaves, Blanche beds down Mede.

The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1980-12-19

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

115 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

5.7 (2819 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Samson Raphaelson (play)

Herbert Baker (screenplay)

Stephen H. Foreman (adaptation)

Fullplot:

Neil Diamond stars in this motion picture as Yussel Rabinovitch, a young Jewish cantor who strives to make a career outside the synagogue in popular music as Jess Robin. Against the wishes of his rigid father and his loving wife, Yussel travels from New York City to Los Angeles to play his music. Swept up by the excitement, he meets a spunky manager who believes in his talent and shares his dream. He grows apart from his family, and becomes confused about what he should ultimately do with his life.

Amityville 3-D

Amityville 3-D

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1983-11-18

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

105 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

3.9 (3918 Reviews)

Fullplot:

A man who is separated from his wife moves into the infamous Amityville House. Their daughter dies in a boating accident (after being told that she is not allowed to go to the house) and now the mother sees her deceased daughter "alive" in the house. Mr. Baxtor calls a paranormal investigator in to help and the investigator finds out the source of the household problems.

Conan the Destroyer

Conan the Destroyer

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1984-06-29

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

103 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

5.8 (57584 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Robert E. Howard (character)

Roy Thomas (story)

Gerry Conway (story)

Stanley Mann (screenplay)

Fullplot:

The wandering barbarian, Conan, alongside his goofy rogue pal, Malak, are tasked with escorting Queen Taramis' virgin niece, Princess Jehnna and her bodyguard, Bombaata, to a mystical island fortress. They must retrieve a magical crystal that legends say can awaken the god of dreams, Dagoth. Along the way, Conan reunites with the wise wizard, Akiro and befriends the fierce female fighter, Zula. Together the heroes face ancient traps, powerful Wizards, plots of betrayal, and even the dream god, Dagoth, himself!

Red Sonja

Red Sonja

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1985-07-03

Languages:

English

Countries:

Netherlands, USA

Runtime:

89 min

Rated:

PG-13

IMDB Ratings:

4.9 (27903 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Robert E. Howard (character)

Clive Exton

George MacDonald Fraser

Fullplot:

The tyrant Gedren seeks the total power in a world of barbarism. She attacks and kills the keepers of a powerful talisman just before it is destroyed. Gedren then uses the power of the talisman in her raid of the city Hablac. Red Sonja, sister of the keeper, sets out with her magic sword to overthrow Gedren. The talisman's master Kalidor follows to protect her. Of course they fall in love - however Red Sonja's power bases on the oath to never give herself to any man...

Million Dollar Mystery

Million Dollar Mystery

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1987-06-12

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

95 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

4.8 (275 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Rudy De Luca

Tim Metcalfe

Miguel Tejada-Flores

Fullplot:

A disparate group of travelers is eating in an isolated restaurant when a man drops dead of a heart attack. Before he dies, they discover that he is wanted for stealing several million dollars, and he tells them that he has hidden a million dollars in each of four different locations, and gives them clues as to where the locations are. They all then take off and try to get to the hidden treasure before any of the others do.

Become a Movie Insider

Join our mailing list and get access to expert analysis, trivia, and recommendations that will elevate your movie-watching experience.

View our privacy policy.