Earl Bellamy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Earl Arthur Bellamy March 11, 1917 |
| Died | November 30, 2003 (aged 86) |
| Occupation(s) | television director, film director |
| Years active | 1953—91 |
Earl Arthur Bellamy (March 11, 1917 – November 30, 2003) was an American television and film director.
Bellamy was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was also known as Earl J. Bellamy, or Earl J. Bellamy, Jr.[1][2] His father was Richard James Bellamy. He moved to Hollywood in 1920 with his parents; his father was a railroad engineer. (The preceding information is from his obituary and is incorrect. He was the biological child of George Wachsmuth and Lillie Stophilbeen. When they divorced, he was raised by his grandparents, John, who changed his surname from Stophilbeen to Bellamy, and Lillie Bellamy. John was a stationery engineer, not a railroad engineer.)[3] After graduating from Hollywood High School in 1935, Bellamy received a degree from Los Angeles City College[4] and took a job as a messenger for Columbia Studios. Within four years, Bellamy had worked his way up to second assistant director before taking time off to serve in the U.S. Navy's photographic unit during World War II.
When Bellamy returned to Hollywood, he became a well-respected TV director who was particularly adept at Westerns. Although he directed nearly two dozen feature films, Bellamy was best known for his work on The Lone Ranger, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, Rawhide, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, The Virginian and Tales of Wells Fargo.
Family fare was his forte in the 1950s. He directed shows like Jungle Jim, Lassie, Leave It to Beaver and The Donna Reed Show. In the 1960s, he focused on sitcoms like Bachelor Father, Get Smart, 'The Andy Griffith Show, 'The Munsters, McHale's Navy, and the final season of My Three Sons. Medical dramas, like Marcus Welby, M.D. and Trapper John M.D., as well as sitcoms such as M*A*S*H and The San Pedro Beach Bums, kept him busy in the 1970s. Before retiring in 1986, Bellamy directed the science fiction miniseries, V, and many episodes of Fantasy Island and Hart to Hart.
After his retirement, Bellamy and his wife moved to New Mexico. The state had provided him with many different filming locations.
In 2002, the Motion Picture and Television Fund gave him the prestigious Golden Boot Award.
Bellamy died on November 30, 2003, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the age of 86. It is reported that he died of a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
He had three children, Michael, Earl Jr, and Karen. His first wife died 9 years after Earl Jr was born. His second wife (mother of Karen) committed suicide.
