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After working in vaudeville, on the stage and in early movies, Richard Thorpe launched his directing career in 1923. After directing dozens of low-budget comedies and westerns, his talents were recognized in the mid-'30s when he went to work for MGM. Studio chief 'Louis B. Mayer' valued efficiency in his directors, and Thorpe prided himself on bringing a production in under budget--that would be key to his remarkable longevity in Hollywood. He had no particular style, directing mechanically on the premise of keeping the camera rolling until an actor blew a line--or a scene suffered a mechanical malfunction--and then going back and completing it with a close-up or reaction shot. Mechanical or not, his technique worked. Though he never directed any blockbusters, he was solid and dependable, directing hundreds of movies of all genres for over four decades. He retired in 1967.
Father of Jerry Thorpe.
Thorpe was a favorite at MGM because he always came in under production schedule. He would often start with a long shot and keep filming until one of the actors fluffed, then he would move in for a closer setup and shoot until the next hold-up and so on until he finished with just close-ups. He very rarely reshot anything.
Uncredited director of the Roman galley scenes in Ben-Hur .
