Rod Amateau (original) (raw)

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American screenwriter, film and television director (1923–2003)

Rod Amateau
Born Rodney Amateau(1923-12-20)December 20, 1923New York City, New York, U.S.
Died June 29, 2003(2003-06-29) (aged 79)Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names Rodney Amateau
Occupation(s) Film and television screenwriter, director, and producer
Years active 1950–1989
Spouses Coleen Gray ​ ​(m. 1945; div. 1949)​ Joane Andre ​ ​(m. 1950; div. 1959)​ Sandra Burns ​ ​(m. 1959; div. 1962)​
Children 1

Rodney Amateau (December 20, 1923 – June 29, 2003) was an American film and television screenwriter, director, and producer.

Among the programs that he directed were The Dennis Day Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Mister Ed, Gilligan's Island, The Bob Cummings Show and The New Phil Silvers Show. He produced My Mother the Car and Supertrain, and wrote the story for the 1988 film Sunset. Amateau also directed a few episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard, and appeared in a handful of episodes as an actor as well.

In 1987, he directed, produced and co-wrote The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, which is considered to be one of the worst films ever made.

From 1945 to 1949, he was married to actress Coleen Gray, who sued him for child support in 1955.[1] Amateau was then married to actress and screenwriter Joane Andre from 1950 to 1959. Together, they had one daughter.[2] From 1959 to 1962, he was married to Sandra Burns, daughter of George Burns and Gracie Allen.[3]

Retirement and death

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Amateau retired from directing in 1989. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage in 2003 in Los Angeles, aged 79.[4]

Year Title Director Producer Writer
1952 The Bushwhackers ☒N ☒N
Monsoon ☒N
1969 Hook, Line & Sinker ☒N
1970 Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You ☒N ☒N
1971 The Statue ☒N
1972 Where Does It Hurt? ☒N ☒N
1975 The Wilby Conspiracy ☒N
1976 Drive-In ☒N ☒N
1978 The Seniors ☒N
1979 Son of Hitler ☒N
1984 Lovelines ☒N
1987 The Garbage Pail Kids Movie ☒N ☒N ☒N
1988 Sunset ☒N
Year Title
1955–1959 The Bob Cummings Show
1956–1958 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
1959–1963 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1961–1966 Mister Ed
1963–1964 The New Phil Silvers Show
1965–1966 My Mother the Car
1965–1966 O.K. Crackerby
1979–1985 The Dukes of Hazzard
1979 Supertrain (season 1, episode 2: "And a Cup of Kindness, Too")
1983 High School U.S.A.
  1. ^ "Coleen Gray profile". Tv.yahoo.com. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  2. ^ McLellan, Dennis (July 2, 2003). "Rod Amateau, 79; Writer, Director, Producer of Sitcoms, Feature Films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  3. ^ Sandra Burns profile, imdb.com; accessed April 6, 2017.
  4. ^ McLellan, Dennis (July 2, 2003). "Rod Amateau, 79; Writer, Director, Producer of Sitcoms, Feature Films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2015.