History Creator / RichardLester

Lester moved into full-length film afterwards, doinglower budget comedies, but ''Goon Show'' fan Music/JohnLennon had seen and loved ''The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film'' and that – along with an earlier music-themed movie Lester had directed called ''It's Trad, Dad'' (1962; also known as ''Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!'') – got him the job directing Music/TheBeatles' first film, ''Film/AHardDaysNight'', and the rest is history. The fast editing and cheeky humor Lester (along with screenwriter Alun Owen and the Beatles themselves) was able to bring out proved to be a major influence on music videos over a decade later.

Lester moved into full-length film afterwards, specializing in lower budget comedies, but ''Goon Show'' fan Music/JohnLennon had seen and loved ''The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film'' and that – along with an earlier music-themed movie Lester had directed called ''It's Trad, Dad'' (1962; also known as ''Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!'') – got him the job directing Music/TheBeatles' first film, ''Film/AHardDaysNight'', and the rest is history. The fast editing and cheeky humor Lester (along with screenwriter Alun Owen and the Beatles themselves) was able to bring out proved to be a major influence on music videos over a decade later.

He started out working in American television in the 1950's, as a TV director for a station in Philadelphia. Soon after, he moved to Europe, and eventually landed in London, where he made short films and commercials (sometimes shot by Creator/NicolasRoeg, back when Roeg was a cinematographer). Those films eventually caught the eye of Creator/PeterSellers, who hired him to shoot short film segments for ''Radio/TheGoonShow''. One short film he did with Sellers, ''Film/TheRunningJumpingAndStandingStillFilm'', caught the eye of Music/JohnLennon, a fan of the Goon Show, and that – along with an earlier music-themed movie Lester had directed called ''It's Trad, Dad'' (1962; also known as ''Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!'') – got him the job directing Music/TheBeatles' first film, ''Film/AHardDaysNight'', and the rest is history. The fast editing and cheeky humor Lester (along with screenwriter Alun Owen and the Beatles themselves) was able to bring out proved to be a major influence on music videos over a decade later.

In 1999, Creator/StevenSoderbergh published a book called ''Getting Away with It'', a book length conversation between him and Lester (also including Soderbergh's diary at the time, and ruminations on his own life and career).

After establishing his name with the Beatles via ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' and ''Film/{{Help}}'', Lester gained a reputation for visually impressive, cinematically unorthodox films, working in a variety of genres, with several gaining CultClassic status. His highest-profile projects later in his career were ''Film/SupermanII'', the sequel to ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' (which Lester controversially took over after original director Creator/RichardDonner was fired), and ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'', a popular adaptation of the novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas. The latter spawned two sequels - ''The Four Musketeers'' (1974) and ''The Return of the Musketeers'' (1989). However, during the making of the third Musketeer movie, Creator/RoyKinnear, an actor and close friend of Lester's who had appeared in several of his films, died, and with the exception of a concert film he director for Music/PaulMcCartney, Lester retired from directing.

After establishing his name with the Beatles via ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' and ''Film/{{Help}}'', Lester gained a reputation for visually impressive, cinematically unorthodox films, working in a variety of genres, with several gaining CultClassic status. His highest-profile projects later in his career were ''Film/SupermanII'', the sequel to the first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie (which Lester controversially took over after original director Creator/RichardDonner was fired), and ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'', a popular adaptation of the novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas. The latter spawned two sequels - ''The Four Musketeers'' (1974) and ''The Return of the Musketeers'' (1989). However, during the making of the third Musketeer movie, Creator/RoyKinnear, an actor and close friend of Lester's who had appeared in several of his films, died, and with the exception of a concert film he director for Music/PaulMcCartney, Lester retired from directing.

He started out working in American television in the 1950's, as a TV director for a station in Philadelphia. Soon after, he moved to Europe, and eventually landed in London, where he made short films and commercials (sometimes shot by Creator/NicolasRoeg, back when Roeg was a cinematographer). Those films eventually caught the eye of Creator/PeterSellers, who hired him to shoot short film segments for ''Radio/TheGoonShow''. One short film he did with Sellers, ''Film/TheRunningJumpingAndStandingStillFilm'', caught the eye of Music/JohnLennon, a fan of the Goon Show, and that, along with an earlier music-themed movie Lester had directed called ''It's Trad, Dad'' (1962 - also known as ''Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!''), got him the job directing Music/TheBeatles' first film, ''Film/AHardDaysNight'', and the rest is history. The fast editing and cheeky humor Lester (along with screenwriter Alun Owen and the Beatles themselves) was able to bring out proved to be a major influence on music videos over a decade later.

Richard Lester (born January 19, 1932 in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}},UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}) is an American director who lives in the UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom.

After establishing his name with the Beatles via ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' and ''Film/{{Help}}'', Lester gained a reputation for visually impressive, cinematically unorthodox films, working in a variety of genres, with several gaining CultClassic status. His highest-profile projects later in his career were ''Film/SupermanII'', the sequel to the first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie (which Lester controversially took over after original director Creator/RichardDonner was fired), and ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'', a popular adaptation of the novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas. The latter spawned two sequels - ''The Four Musketeers'' (1974) and ''The Return of the Musketeers'' (1989). However, during the making of the third Musketeer movie, Roy Kinnear, an actor and close friend of Lester's who had appeared in several of his films, died, and with the exception of a concert film he director for Music/PaulMcCartney, Lester retired from directing.

* ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973''

Richard Lester (born January 19, 1932) is an American director who lives in the United Kingdom. He started out working in American television in the 1950's, as a TV director for a station in Philadelphia. Soon after, he moved to Europe, and eventually landed in London, where he made short films and commercials (sometimes shot by Creator/NicolasRoeg, back when Roeg was a cinematographer). Those films eventually caught the eye of Creator/PeterSellers, who hired him to shoot short film segments for ''Radio/TheGoonShow''. One short film he did with Sellers, ''Film/TheRunningJumpingAndStandingStillFilm'', caught the eye of Music/JohnLennon, a fan of the Goon Show, and that, along with an earlier music-themed movie Lester had directed called ''It's Trad, Dad'' (1962 - also known as ''Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!''), got him the job directing Music/TheBeatles' first film, ''Film/AHardDaysNight'', and the rest is history. The fast editing and cheeky humor Lester (along with screenwriter Alun Owen and the Beatles themselves) was able to bring out proved to be a major influence on music videos over a decade later.

* ''Film/SupermanIII'' (1983)

Along with the two films he did with the Beatles (''Film/AHardDaysNight'' and ''Film/{{Help}}''), Lester is probably best remembered today for ''Film/SupermanII'', the sequel to the first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie, and ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'', a popular adaptation of the novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas. The latter spawned two sequels - ''The Four Musketeers'' (1974) and ''The Return of the Musketeers'' (1989). However, during the making of the third Musketeer movie, Roy Kinnear, an actor and close friend of Lester's who had appeared in several of his films, died, and with the exception of a concert film he director for Music/PaulMcCartney, Lester retired from directing.

* ''Film/{{Juggernaut}}'' (1974)

* ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'' (1973)

* ''Film/{{Help))'' (1965)

Along with the two films he did with the Beatles (''Film/AHardDaysNight'' and ''Film/{{Help}}''), Lester is probably best remembered today for ''Film/SupermanII'', the sequel to the first ''Film/Superman1977'' movie, and ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'', a popular adaptation of the novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas. The latter spawned two sequels