Bert I. Gordon
Bert I. Gordon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Bert Ira Gordon September 24, 1922 Kenosha, Wisconsin,U.S. |
| Died | March 8, 2023(aged 100) |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 4, includingSusan |
| Website | www.bertigordon.com |
Bert Ira Gordon(September 24, 1922 – March 8, 2023) was an American filmmaker andvisual effectsartist. He is best known for screenwriting and producing and/or directingscience fictionandhorrorB-moviessuch asKing Dinosaur(1955),The Amazing Colossal Man(1957),Earth vs. the Spider(1958),Village of the Giants(1965), andEmpire of the Ants(1977).[1][2]
Most of Gordon's work is in the idiom of giant monster films, for which he usedrear-projectionto create the special effects. He was nicknamed "Mr. B.I.G." byForrest J Ackerman,a reference to both his initials and his films' tendency to feature super-sized creatures.[3]
Career
[edit]Gordon was born inKenosha, Wisconsin,on September 24, 1922,[4][5]the son of Sadeline (Barnett) and Charles Abraham Gordon.[6]He began making home movies in16mmafter his aunt gave him a camera for his 13th birthday. He dropped out of college to join theArmy Air ForcesinWorld War II.After the war, he married and he and his wife began making television commercials. He later edited British feature films to fit half-hour time slots and became a production assistant onRacket Squadand camera man onSerpent Island(1954).[7]
In 1955, Gordon made his first feature,King Dinosaur,followed byThe Cyclopsin 1957, which co-starred Lon Chaney Jr. and Gloria Talbot. In 1957, he began his prolific association withAmerican International Pictures,beginning withThe Amazing Colossal Manand its 1958 sequel,War of the Colossal Beast.[8]AIP distributed some of his other late-50s opuses, such asEarth vs the Spider,Beginning of the End(featuringPeter Graves),[9]andAttack of the Puppet People.
In October 1960 Gordon sued AIP for fraud over four films they made together.[10]
After filmingTormented(1960), he wrote, produced and directedThe Boy and the Pirates,starring active and popular child star of the timeCharles Herbertand Gordon's own daughter,Susan Gordon(who died in 2011 from thyroid cancer). All three appeared together in the celebrity lineup at the 2006 Monster Bash, held June 23–25 at thePittsburgh International AirportFour Points Hotel. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released aMidnite MoviesdoubleDVDset with the rarely seenThe Boy and the Pirates,andCrystalstone(1987), on June 27, 2006.[11]
Gordon held a degree from theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison.[12]
In 2012, he hosted and moderated a screening ofThe Amazing Colossal ManinDallas,Texas.[13]
Personal life and death
[edit]Gordon was married from 1945 to 1979 to Flora Lang (1925–2016); the two divorced in 1979. They had three daughters:Susan(who predeceased her parents), Carol, and Patricia.[14]Gordon had a fourth daughter, Christina, with his second wife, Eva.[6][15]
Gordon died inLos Angeleson March 8, 2023, at the age of 100.[6]
Filmography
[edit]As director-producer. Source for credits, years and primary titles:[16]
| Year | Title | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Serpent Island | Producer, screenwriter, and co-director with Tom Gries[17] |
| 1955 | King Dinosaur | |
| 1957 | The Cyclops | Also screenwriter, special effects |
| The Amazing Colossal Man | Also screenwriter, special effects | |
| Beginning of the End | Also special effects | |
| 1958 | Earth vs. the Spider | a.k.a.The Spider[18] |
| War of the Colossal Beast | a.k.a.Terror Strikes.Also screenwriter, special effects | |
| Attack of the Puppet People | Also screenwriter | |
| 1960 | Tormented | Also special effects |
| The Boy and the Pirates | ||
| 1962 | The Magic Sword | |
| 1965 | Village of the Giants | Based on "The Food of the Gods"byH. G. Wells.Also special effects |
| 1966 | Picture Mommy Dead | a.k.a.Color Mommy Dead[19] |
| 1970 | How to Succeed with Sex | Director and screenwriter only |
| 1972 | The Witching | a.k.a.Necromancy.[20]Also screenwriter. |
| The Mad Bomber | a.k.a.Detective Geronimo,The Police Connection[21] | |
| 1976 | The Food of the Gods | Also screenwriter. Based on "The Food of the Gods" byH. G. Wells |
| 1977 | Empire of the Ants | Also screenwriter, special effects. |
| 1981 | Burned at the Stake | a.k.a.The Coming.[22]Director only |
| 1982 | Let's Do It! | Director only |
| 1985 | The Big Bet | Also screenwriter |
| 1990 | Satan's Princess | a.k.a.Heat from Another Sun,Princess of Darkness,Malediction.[23]Also producer |
| 2014 | Secrets of a Psychopath | Also screenwriter |
Legacy
[edit]Of these titles,King Dinosaur,The Amazing Colossal Man,Earth Vs. The Spider,War of the Colossal Beast,The Magic Sword,Tormented,Beginning of the End,andVillage of the Giantswere featured on the film-spoofing seriesMystery Science Theater 3000.[24]Later,Attack of the Puppet Peoplewas featured on the spin-off toMST3K,Rifftrax,as was a redux ofThe Magic Sword.[25][26]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Bartlett, Rhett (2023-03-09)."Bert I. Gordon, Director of Cult (and Cheap) Sci-Fi Classics, Dies at 100".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved2024-03-14.
- ^"Bert I. Gordon | Director, Producer, Writer".IMDb.Retrieved2024-03-14.
- ^Don Glut (18 June 2007).I Was a Teenage Movie Maker: The Book.McFarland. p. 94.ISBN978-0-7864-3041-3.
- ^Dixon, Wheeler W.Lost in the Fifties: Recovering Phantom Hollywood.SIU Press.pp. 119–.ISBN978-0-8093-8844-8.
- ^"Bert I. Gordon".Turner Classic Movies.Archivedfrom the original on April 23, 2015.RetrievedSeptember 26,2017.
- ^abcMcFadden, Robert D. (8 March 2023)."Bert I. Gordon, Auteur of Mutant Monster Movies, Dies at 100".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 8,2023.
- ^McGee, Mark (1996).Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures.McFarland & Co.p. 105.
- ^DVD of the Week: "War of the Colossal Beast|The New Yorker
- ^DVD Savant Review: Beginning of the End - DVD Talk
- ^"Bert I Gordon Sues Nicholson, Arkoff".Variety.26 October 1960. p. 13.
- ^kiddiematinee.com / The Boy and the PiratesArchived2005-12-18 at theWayback Machine
- ^Bert I. Gordonfrom Gary Westfahl Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Films
- ^Dallas! "AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN" in 35mm and meet fantasy film legend Bert I. Gordon tonight!ArchivedSeptember 15, 2012, at theWayback Machine
- ^Barnes, Mike (January 28, 2016)."Flora Gordon, Wife of Sci-Fi Director Bert I. Gordon, Dies at 90".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on February 15, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 3,2016.
- ^Dennis Fischer (17 June 2011).Science Fiction Film Directors, 1895–1998.McFarland. p. 248.ISBN978-0-7864-8505-5.
- ^"Bert I. Gordon Filmography".AllMovie.com.RetrievedFebruary 15,2016.Note: Source erroneously lists Gordon as co-screenwriter ofThe One and Only,solely written bySteve Gordon.
- ^Serpent IslandCast & CrewatAllMovie.com.Retrieved on February 15, 2016.
- ^Earth vs. the Spiderat AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016.
- ^Picture Mommy Deadat AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016.
- ^The WitchesReleasesat AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016.
- ^The Mad Bomber(1972)at AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016.
- ^Burned at the Stakeat AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016.
- ^Variety Television Reviews, Vol. 17 (1991-92).Routledge.1994. p. 19, Title Index.ISBN978-0824037963.
- ^"Ranking Every MST3K Episode, From Worst to Best - Paste".Archived fromthe originalon 2022-06-14.Retrieved2021-07-12.
- ^The Magic Sword|Rifftrax
- ^Attack of the Puppet People|Rifftrax
External links
[edit]
- 1922 births
- 2023 deaths
- American men centenarians
- American male screenwriters
- Film directors from Wisconsin
- Film producers from Wisconsin
- American horror film directors
- Horror film producers
- Military personnel from Wisconsin
- People from Kenosha, Wisconsin
- American science fiction film directors
- Screenwriters from Wisconsin
- Special effects people
- United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
- University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni