David L. Wolper
Encyclopedia
David Lloyd Wolper was an American television and film producer, responsible for shows such as Roots
, The Thorn Birds
, North & South
, L.A. Confidential
, and the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
(1971). He also produced numerous documentaries and documentary series like Biography (TV series; 1961–63), The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (TV), Appointment with Destiny (TV series), This is Elvis, Four Days in November
, Imagine: John Lennon, and others. He directed the 1959 documentary The Race for Space
, which was nominated for an Academy Award. His 1971 film (as executive producer) about the study of insects The Hellstrom Chronicle
won an Academy Award.
For his work on television, he had received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
The pre-1968 library is owned by Cube Entertainment (formerly International Creative Exchange), the post-1970 library is owned by Warner Bros.
.
On March 13, 1974, one of his crews filming a National Geographic history of Australopithecus
at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
was killed when the Corvair 440 Sierra Pacific Airlines
plane exploded on take off from Eastern Sierra Regional Airport
in Bishop, California
killing all 35 on board including 31 Wolper crew members. The filmed segment was recovered in the wreckage and was broadcast in the television series Primal Man. The NTSB never determined the cause of the accident and the resort sold the airline.
Wolper died on August 10, 2010 of congestive heart disease and complications of Parkinson's disease at his Beverly Hills home. Wolper was survived by his wife of 36 years Glorida, his 3 children from a previous marriage sons Mark and Michael Wolper and a daughter Leslie. He was also survived by 10 grandchildren.
Roots (TV miniseries)
Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still...
, The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds is a 1977 best-selling novel by Colleen McCullough, an Australian author.In 1983 it was adapted as a television mini-series that, during its television run 27–30 March, became the United States' second highest rated mini-series of all time behind Roots; both series were produced by...
, North & South
North and South (TV miniseries)
North and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
, L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential (film)
L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American film based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same title, the third book in his L.A. Quartet. Both the book and the film tell the story of a group of LAPD officers in the 1950s, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity...
, and the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
(1971). He also produced numerous documentaries and documentary series like Biography (TV series; 1961–63), The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (TV), Appointment with Destiny (TV series), This is Elvis, Four Days in November
Four Days in November
Four Days in November is a 1964 American documentary film directed by Mel Stuart about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.The film includes Dallas radio and television coverage of:...
, Imagine: John Lennon, and others. He directed the 1959 documentary The Race for Space
The Race for Space
The Race for Space is a 1959 documentary film directed by David L. Wolper. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.-Cast:* Esther Goddard - Herself - Interviewee* Holger N. Toftoy - Himself - Interviewee...
, which was nominated for an Academy Award. His 1971 film (as executive producer) about the study of insects The Hellstrom Chronicle
The Hellstrom Chronicle
The Hellstrom Chronicle is an American film released in 1971 which combines elements of documentary and science fiction to present a gripping depiction of the Darwinian struggle for survival between humans and insects. It was conceived and produced by David L...
won an Academy Award.
For his work on television, he had received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
The pre-1968 library is owned by Cube Entertainment (formerly International Creative Exchange), the post-1970 library is owned by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
.
On March 13, 1974, one of his crews filming a National Geographic history of Australopithecus
Australopithecus
Australopithecus is a genus of hominids that is now extinct. From the evidence gathered by palaeontologists and archaeologists, it appears that the Australopithecus genus evolved in eastern Africa around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct...
at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is a large ski resort located in Eastern California, along the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the Inyo National Forest.- Description :...
was killed when the Corvair 440 Sierra Pacific Airlines
Sierra Pacific Airlines
Sierra Pacific Airlines is an American airline based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. It operates passenger charters and sub-charters for other airlines, as well as for the United States Forest Service, United States Military and the United States Marshals Service....
plane exploded on take off from Eastern Sierra Regional Airport
Eastern Sierra Regional Airport
Eastern Sierra Regional Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles east of the central business district of Bishop, in Inyo County, California, United States...
in Bishop, California
Bishop, California
Bishop is a city in Inyo County, California, United States. Though Bishop is the only city and the largest populated place in Inyo County, the county seat is Independence. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of 4147 feet . The population was 3,879 at the...
killing all 35 on board including 31 Wolper crew members. The filmed segment was recovered in the wreckage and was broadcast in the television series Primal Man. The NTSB never determined the cause of the accident and the resort sold the airline.
Wolper died on August 10, 2010 of congestive heart disease and complications of Parkinson's disease at his Beverly Hills home. Wolper was survived by his wife of 36 years Glorida, his 3 children from a previous marriage sons Mark and Michael Wolper and a daughter Leslie. He was also survived by 10 grandchildren.
Productions
His company in the following productions. He was a distributor in early shows and became an executive producer with The Race for Space in 1958.| Year | Show |
| 1949 | Funny Bunnies Funny Bunnies Funny Bunnies is a comic strip created by American cartoonist Cyrus Oliver II. Funny Bunnies was first published in March 2006 in The Ottawa Herald of Ottawa, Kansas and is now available on the Ottawa Herald's website and on its own official website... (36 Episodes) |
| 1953 | Superman Adventures of Superman (TV series) Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California... (90 Episodes) |
| 1954 | Baseball Hall of Fame (75 Episodes) |
| 1954 | O.S.S. (32 Episodes) |
| 1954 | Grand Ole Opry Grand Ole Opry The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM... (39 Episodes) |
| 1955 | Congressional Investigator (26 Episodes) |
| 1958 | |
| 1958 | Men from Boys - The First Eight Weeks |
| 1959 | Project: Man in Space |
| 1960 | Hollywood: The Golden Years |
| 1961 | Biography of a Rookie: The Willie Davis Story |
| 1961 | |
| 1962 | Hollywood: The Great Stars |
| 1962 | Hollywood: The Fabulous Era Hollywood: The Fabulous Era - Cast :*Lauren Bacall as Herself *Ingrid Bergman as Herself *Humphrey Bogart as Himself *Gary Cooper as Himself *Henry Fonda as Host*Alan Ladd as Himself... |
| 1962 | D-Day June 6, 1944 |
| 1962 | Biography Biography (TV series) Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987... |
| 1962–1963 | Story of... |
| 1963 | Hollywood and the Stars Hollywood and the Stars Hollywood and the Stars was a 1963 American television documentary series produced by David L. Wolper for United Artists Television that was shown on the National Broadcasting Corporation. It was narrated by Joseph Cotten with the theme music and several episodes composed by Elmer Bernstein.Each... |
| 1963 | Escape to Freedom |
| 1963 | Kreboizen and Cancer: Thirteen Years of Bitter Conflict |
| 1963 | |
| 1963 | |
| 1963–1964 | Specials for United Artists |
| 1964 | |
| 1964 | |
| 1964 | |
| 1964 | Men in Crisis |
| 1965 | Four Days in November Four Days in November Four Days in November is a 1964 American documentary film directed by Mel Stuart about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.The film includes Dallas radio and television coverage of:... |
| 1965 | France: Conquest to Liberation |
| 1965 | Korea: The 38th Parallel |
| 1965 | Prelude to War (Beginning of World War II) |
| 1965 | Japan: A New Dawn over Asia (Japan in the 20th Century) |
| 1965 | 007: The Incredible World of James Bond |
| 1965 | Let My People Go (The Story of Israel) |
| 1965 | October Madness: The World Series |
| 1965 | Race for the Moon |
| 1965 | Miss Television U.S.A. |
| 1965 | |
| 1965 | Revolution in Our Time |
| 1965 | |
| 1965 | |
| 1965 | |
| 1965 | |
| 1965 | In Search of Man |
| 1965 | Pro Football: Mayhem On A Sunday Afternoon |
| 1965 | Revolution in the 3 R's |
| 1965 | |
| 1965 | In Search of Man |
| 1965 | Silent Partners |
| 1965–1966 | |
| 1965–1975 | National Geographic Society Specials |
| 1966 | |
| 1966 | Wall Street Where the Money Is |
| 1966 | |
| 1966 | Destination Safety |
| 1966 | China: Roots of Madness |
| 1966–1968 | |
| 1967 | |
| 1967 | |
| 1967 | Untamed World |
| 1967 | |
| 1967 | Movin' with Nancy Movin' With Nancy Movin' With Nancy was a television special featuring Nancy Sinatra in a series of musical vignettes featuring herself and other artists. Produced by Nancy's production company, Boots Enterprises, Inc., and sponsored by Royal Crown Cola, the show was originally broadcast on the NBC television... |
| 1967–1968 | Do Blondes Have More Fun? |
| 1967–1968 | |
| 1968 | Rise and Fall of the Third Reich |
| 1968 | |
| 1968 | California |
| 1968 | With Love, Sophia |
| 1968 | Monte Carlo C'est la Rose |
| 1968 | Sophia: A Self Portrait |
| 1968 | |
| 1968 | On the Trail of Stanley and Livingstone |
| 1968 | Hollywood: The Selznick Years |
| 1968 | |
| 1968 | |
| 1969 | |
| 1969 | If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium is a 1969 romantic comedy film made by Wolper Pictures and released by United Artists. It was directed by Mel Stuart, filmed on location throughout Europe, and features many cameo appearances from various stars.... |
| 1969 | Los Angeles: Where It's At |
| 1970 | |
| 1970 | I Love My Wife I Love My Wife I Love My Wife is a musical with a book and lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, based on a play by Luis Rego.A satire of the sexual revolution of the 1970s, the musical takes place on Christmas Eve in suburban Trenton, New Jersey, where two married couples who have been close friends... |
| 1970–1972 | |
| 1971 | Say Goodbye Say Goodbye (film) Say Goodbye is a 1971 documentary film about the relationship between man and nature, directed by David H. Vowell. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.... |
| 1971 | They've Killed President Lincoln |
| 1971 | |
| 1971 | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy... |
| 1971–1973 | Appointment With Destiny |
| 1972 | King, Queen, Knave King, Queen, Knave (film) King, Queen, Knave is a 1972 German comedy film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski, based on the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov. It was entered into the 1972 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Gina Lollobrigida as Martha Dreyer... |
| 1972 | One Is a Lonely Number One Is a Lonely Number One Is a Lonely Number is a 1972 film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Trish Van Devere, Janet Leigh and Melvyn Douglas. The story was written by Rebecca Morris and David Seltzer.-Plot:... |
| 1972 | Here Comes Tomorrow: The Fear Fighters |
| 1972 | Republican Party Films |
| 1972 | Make Mine Red, White and Blue |
| 1972 | Top of The Month (3 half-hour specials) |
| 1972 | Of Thee I Sing Of Thee I Sing Of Thee I Sing is a musical with a score by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical lampoons American politics; the story concerns John P. Wintergreen, who runs for President of the United States on the "love" platform... |
| 1972–1973 | Explorers |
| 1973 | |
| 1973 | Wattstax Wattstax Wattstax is a 1973 documentary film by Mel Stuart that focused on the 1972 Wattstax music festival and the African American community of Watts in Los Angeles, California. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974... |
| 1973 | Visions of Eight Visions of Eight Visions of Eight is a 1973 documentary film offering a stylized look at the 1972 Summer Olympics, directed by eight different directors. It was screened at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, but wasn't entered into the main competition.... |
| 1973–1974 | Primal Man Specials |
| 1973–1975 | |
| 1974 | This Week In The NBA (Series of 20 half-hours) |
| 1974 | NBA Game of the Week Featurettes |
| 1974 | Get Christie Love! Get Christie Love! Get Christie Love! is a 1974 made-for-television film starring Teresa Graves as an undercover female police detective who is determined to overthrow a drug ring. This film is based on Dorothy Uhnak's crime-thriller novel, The Ledger... |
| 1974 | Judgment Specials |
| 1974 | |
| 1974 | Unwed Father |
| 1974 | Men of the Dragon |
| 1974 | |
| 1974 | Love from A to Z |
| 1974 | Birds Do It, Bees Do It Birds Do It, Bees Do It Birds Do It, Bees Do It is a 1974 documentary film covering sexuality in the animal kingdom. It was directed by Nicolas Noxon and Irwin Rosten, and co-produced by David L. Wolper.... |
| 1974 | |
| 1974 | Yes Virgina, There Is A Santa Claus |
| 1974–1975 | Get Christie Love! Get Christie Love! Get Christie Love! is a 1974 made-for-television film starring Teresa Graves as an undercover female police detective who is determined to overthrow a drug ring. This film is based on Dorothy Uhnak's crime-thriller novel, The Ledger... |
| 1974–1975 | Smithsonian Specials |
| 1974–1975 | Sandburg's Lincoln |
| 1974–1976 | Chico and the Man Chico and the Man Chico and the Man is an American sitcom which ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974 to July 21, 1978. It stars Jack Albertson as Ed Brown , the cantankerous owner of a run down garage in an East Los Angeles barrio, and Freddie Prinze as Chico Rodriguez, an upbeat, optimistic Chicano... |
| 1975 | Death Stalk |
| 1975 | I Will Fight No More Forever I Will Fight No More Forever I Will Fight No More Forever is a 1975 made-for-television movie starring James Whitmore as General Oliver O. Howard and Ned Romero as Chief Joseph. It is a dramatization of Chief Joseph's resistance to the U.S. government's forcible move of his Nez Perce Indian tribe to a reservation in Idaho... |
| 1975–1976 | Welcome Back, Kotter Welcome Back, Kotter Welcome Back, Kotter was an American television sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan and featuring a young John Travolta.It originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979.-Premise:... |
| 1976 | Brenda Starr |
| 1976 | Collision Course |
| 1976 | Celebration: The American Spirit |
| 1976 | |
| 1976 | Victory At Entebbe Victory at Entebbe Victory at Entebbe is a made-for-television film from 1976 based on an actual event: Operation Entebbe and the freeing of Israeli hostages at Entebbe Airport in Uganda... |
| 1976 | Mysteries of the Great Pyramids |
| 1977 | Roots Roots (TV miniseries) Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still... |
| 1978 | Roots: One Year Later |
| 1978 | Roots: The Next Generations Roots: The Next Generations Roots: The Next Generations is a 1979 television miniseries that continues the story of the family of Alex Haley from the 1880s, and their life in Henning, Tennessee, to the 1960s, with Haley researching his family history and his travels to Africa to learn of his ancestor, Kunta Kinte... |
| 1980 | |
| 1980 | Moviola Moviola A Moviola is a device that allows a film editor to view film while editing. It was the first machine for motion picture editing when it was invented by Iwan Serrurier in 1924.-History:... |
| 1980 | |
| 1981 | This Is Elvis This Is Elvis This Is Elvis is a 1981 documentary film directed by Andrew Solt and Malcolm Leo, based on the life of Elvis Presley. It combined archival footage with reenactments, and narration by pop singer Ral Donner. It was screened out of competition at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival... |
| 1981 | Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter |
| 1981 | Small World |
| 1981 | Murder Is Easy Murder is Easy Murder is Easy is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on June 5, 1939 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in September of the same year under the title of Easy to Kill... |
| 1982 | |
| 1982 | Casablanca Casablanca Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture... |
| 1984 | XXIIIrd Olympiad, Los Angeles 1984 |
| 1984 | His Mistress |
| 1985 | North And South - Book I |
| 1986 | North And South - Book II |
| 1986 | Liberty Weekend Liberty Weekend Liberty Weekend was the celebration of the restoration and centenary of the Statue of Liberty in New York City, New York. It began on Thursday, July 3 and ended on Sunday, July 6, 1986.-Opening Ceremonies:... |
| 1987 | |
| 1987 | Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story |
| 1988 | What Price Victory |
| 1988 | Imagine: John Lennon Imagine: John Lennon Imagine: John Lennon is a soundtrack album of popular music composed by John Lennon for the 1988 documentary film, Imagine: John Lennon... |
| 1988 | Roots: The Gift Roots: The Gift Roots: The Gift is a 1988 television film. It is the third installment of the Roots series, which traces the maternal family history of African American author Alex Haley, starting with his fourth great-grandfather Kunta Kinte. The film premiered on ABC on December 11, 1988, with AT&T as the sole... |
| 1989 | |
| 1989 | Murder In Mississippi Murder in Mississippi Murder in Mississippi is a 1990 television movie which dramatized the last weeks of civil rights activists Michael "Mickey" Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney, and the events leading up to their disappearance and subsequent murder in the summer of 1964. It starred Tom Hulce as Schwerner,... |
| 1990 | Warner Bros. Celebration of Tradition, June 2, 1990 |
| 1990 | Dillinger Dillinger -Films:*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger... |
| 1990 | When You Remember Me When You Remember Me When You Remember Me is a 1990 fact-based television movie based on the story of Mike Mills, a teen with muscular dystrophy, who is placed in a state nursing home by his destitute single mother... |
| 1991 | Best of the Worst Best of the Worst Best of the Worst is a show aired by Fox Broadcasting Company as a part of its 1991-92 schedule.Best of the Worst, hosted by Greg Kinnear, was a lighthearted celebration of the worst elements of life — the worst movies, the worst places to get married, the worst museums, the worst airline... |
| 1991 | Bed of Lies Bed of Lies Bed of Lies is a fact-based 1992 made-for-ABC television docudrama starring Susan Dey and Chris Cooper.-Plot:Based on the true story, Bed of Lies tells the story of Vicky Moore , a low born Texas waitress, marries Marion Price Daniel Jr., the son of Texas governor Marion Price Daniel, Sr., thinking... |
| 1992 | Celebrations Celebrations Celebrations are a chocolate collection made by Mars, Incorporated, comprising miniature versions of Mars-produced chocolate bars. After the success of Celebrations, Cadbury UK released their own version, Miniature Heroes.-Contents:... |
| 1992 | Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald is a 1993 television film directed by Robert Dornhelm and starring Helena Bonham Carter and Frank Whaley .-Plot:... |
| 1993 | Celebration of a Life: Steven J. Ross Chairman of Time Warner |
| 1993 | River of Rage: The Texas Flood Tragedy - The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children? |
| 1993 | Heaven And Hell: North And South Book III |
| 1994 | On Trial On Trial On Trial is an early talking drama film produced and distributed by Warner Brothers and directed by Archie Mayo. The picture stars Pauline Frederick, Lois Wilson, Bert Lytell, Holmes Herbert and Jason Robards. Obviously a film where many a silent player was crossing over to sound for the first... |
| 1994 | Golf - The Greatest Game |
| 1994 | Heroes of the Game |
| 1994 | Without Warning |
| 1994 | Murder in the First Murder in the First Murder in the First is a largely fictitious 1995 film, directed by Marc Rocco, about a petty criminal named Henri Young who is put on trial for murder in the first degree.-Plot:... |
| 1995 | Prince for a Day |
| 1996 | |
| 1996 | Surviving Picasso Surviving Picasso Surviving Picasso is a 1996 Merchant Ivory Film starring Anthony Hopkins as the painter Pablo Picasso. It was shot in Paris and southern France.It was directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant and David L. Wolper... |
| 1997 | L.A. Confidential L.A. Confidential L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American film based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same title, the third book in his L.A. Quartet. Both the book and the film tell the story of a group of LAPD officers in the 1950s, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity... |
| 1998 | Terror at the Mall |
| 1998 | Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary Show |
| 1998 | |
| 1998 | Confirmation |
| 1998 | Legends, Icons and Superstars |
| 1999 | To Serve and Protect To Serve and Protect To Serve and Protect is a Canadian documentary television series which airs on A-Channel, SUN TV, Men TV, and Mystery TV. It is very similar to the American series COPS.... |
| 1999 | Celebrate the Century Celebrate the Century Celebrate the Century is the name of a series of postage stamps made by the United States Postal Service featuring images recalling various important events in the 20th century in the United States.... |