Richard Franklin (director)

Infobox Actor
bgcolour = silver
name = Richard Franklin


birthdate = birth date|1948|7|15
location = flagicon|Australia Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
deathdate = Death date and age|2007|7|11|1948|7|15
deathplace = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
birthname =
spouse =
yearsactive = 1975 - 2003
afiawards = Best Screenplay (Adapted)
1995 "Hotel Sorrento"

Richard Franklin (15 July 1948 – 11 July 2007) was an Australian-born film director.cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22065571-16947,00.html |work=The Australian |first=Sandy |last=George |title=Australian thriller director dies |date=2007-07-13]

Early life and career

Franklin was born and grew up in Brighton, Melbourne [cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/people/a-passionate-witty-precise-filmmaker/2007/07/19/1184559953321.html |first=Brian |last=McFarlane |title=A passionate, witty, precise filmmaker |format=obituary |work=The Age |date=2007-07-20] and was educated at Haileybury College. In the 1960s, Franklin was the drummer in the Melbourne band The Pink Finks, which also featured Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford, later of Daddy Cool. The band released several singles none of which had any significant chart success. [cite web |url=http://www.milesago.com/Artists/pinkfinks.htm |title=The Pink Finks |work=MILESAGO: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964-1975]

Franklin later studied film at The University of Southern California alongside other notable directors George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis and John Carpenter. He invited Alfred Hitchcock to give a lecture at his university and subsequently became good friends with him.

Directing career

In the 1970s Franklin became a successful feature film director; his Australian directing credits include "The True Story of Eskimo Nell", "Fantasm", "Roadgames" and "Patrick". "Roadgames" starring Jamie Lee Curtis was the most expensive Australian movie ever made at the time of its release in 1981.

After moving to Hollywood he directed "Psycho II", "Cloak & Dagger", "Link" and "".

He later returned to Australia where he filmed "Hotel Sorrento" and "Brilliant Lies" in the 1990s.

Franklin's most recent film, "Visitors", was shot in 2003. [cite episode |title=Richard Franklin: Visitors |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/deepend/stories/2003/997656.htm |series=The Deep End |credits=Julie Rigg |network=ABC Radio National |airdate=2003-11-26] He lectured at Swinburne School of Film and Television in Australia until his death.

Franklin died of prostate cancer on 11 July 2007, four days before his 59th birthday.

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0002207|name=Richard Franklin