John Rich (director)

John Rich
Born	July 6, 1925 Rockaway Beach, New York, U.S.
Died	January 29, 2012 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Occupation	Television/Film director, producer
Years active	1951–2009

John Rich (July 6, 1925 – January 29, 2012) was an American film and television director. He directed such television shows as Colonel Humphrey Flack, I Married Joan, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Where's Raymond?, Mister Ed, The Dick Van Dyke Show, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, Good Times, Barney Miller, Newhart, Benson, The Brady Bunch, and Gilligan's Island. His feature film credits include Wives and Lovers, Boeing Boeing, Roustabout and Easy Come, Easy Go (the latter two starring Elvis Presley). He also participated in the live telecast of the opening-day ceremonies of Disneyland in 1955.

He won an Emmy for The Dick Van Dyke Show, two Emmys for All in the Family, and two Golden Globes and an N.A.A.C.P. Image Award for All in the Family.^[1]

In the 1980s, Rich and Henry Winkler formed a production company called Henry Winkler/John Rich Productions and together they produced MacGyver for Paramount Television.

Rich studied at the University of Michigan earning both a B.A. and an M.A. degree in English.

Mr. Rich died on January 29, 2012 after a brief illness, he was survived by his wife of 22 years, the former Patricia Dodds; a daughter, Catherine Rich (with dancer/choreographer Sylvia Lewis); two sons, Anthony Rich (Television Director, "The Big Bang Theory") and Robert Rich; three stepdaughters, Megan Lewis, Kimberly Beres, and Dana Benton; and eight grandchildren.^[2]

References

1. John Rich: Warm Up the Snake, University of Michigan Press
2. John Rich dies at 86; director of landmark sitcoms, Los Angeles Times, January 29, 2012

External links

• John Rich at the Internet Movie Database
• John Rich Interview with Joe Krein at Elvis2001.net
• John Rich Interview at The Archive of American Television