Biography

Under-rated producer and director of the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1960s he directed episodes of several cult TV shows including one episode of The Twilight Zone.

In the 1970s he got caught up in the disaster movie craze by putting out atleast five disaster films, four for TV and one feature (The Concorde...Airport '79).

Horror At 37,000 Feet (1973) combined a flight disaster with supernatural events and wonderful over-acting from William Shatner.

The Runaway Train (1973) may have looked too studio-bound but solid acting from stars such as Vera Miles and Martin Milner held viewers for the whole film.

Adventures Of The Queen (1975), in this film set on The Queen Mary, Rich directed it while Irwin Allen - "The Master Of Disaster" - produced it. The direction of the whole cast seemed very strong and powerful, mainly of Bradford Dillman as the villain.

SST: Death Flight (1977) saw Rich return to an airplane disaster film and the quality acting from Horror At 37,000 Feet is here as well. Also, Martin Milner from The Runaway Train was in this.

The Concorde...Airport '79 (1979) was Rich's first disaster film for theaters and it failed at the box office. In fact, it not only failed but was actually laughed off the screen by many as it was viewed as being just so bad. It ended the Airport movie series.

However, all the above films, including The Concorde...Airport '79, are fun to watch and, unlike some other films of the disaster genre, were never boring. Rich really had a talent for directing actors and getting the most out of them.

- IMDb mini biography by: StuOz