Zalman King (born Zalman King Lefkowitz; May 23, 1941 – February 3, 2012) was an American film director, writer, actor and producer. His films are known for incorporating sexuality, and are often categorized as
erotica
Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
.
Acting
Zalman King Lefkowitz dropped his last name at the beginning of his acting career. In 1964, he played a gang member in "Memo from Purgatory", an episode of the television series ''
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...
James Caan
James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Suppo ...
and
Walter Koenig
Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid 1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in ''Star Trek: The Original S ...
. Between 1965 and 1967 King appeared in 5 episodes of the TV show '' Gunsmoke'', once as the title character “Muley” (S12E18).
King played "The Man" in the 3rd episode of the first season of '' Adam-12''. His character was an apparent drug addict who kidnaps an infant at gunpoint and Officer Malloy disarms him by some reverse psychology.
From September 1970 until May 1971, King played attorney Aaron Silverman on the drama ''
The Young Lawyers
''The Young Lawyers'' is an American legal drama that was aired on the ABC network for one season from September 21, 1970, until March 24, 1971. Starring Lee J. Cobb, Zalman King, Judy Pace and Phillip Clark, the show was a part of the network's ...
'', broadcast on the ABC television network. King later contributed a unique delivery to '' Trip with the Teacher'' (1975), portraying the
psychopath
Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...
ic Al, a murderous motorbiker. His film credits included roles in ''
Stranger on the Run
''Stranger on the Run'' is a 1967 American Television film, Made-for-television Western (genre), Western film directed by Don Siegel and starring Henry Fonda, Anne Baxter and Michael Parks. In some countries it premiered in cinemas.
Plot
Form ...
Some Call It Loving
''Some Call It Loving'', also known as ''Sleeping Beauty'' is a 1973 romantic mystery erotic drama film written, produced, and directed by James B. Harris and starring Zalman King, Carol White, Tisa Farrow, and Richard Pryor. It is based on a s ...
The Passover Plot
''The Passover Plot'' is a 1965 book by British biblical scholar Hugh J. Schonfield, who also published a translation of the New Testament from a Jewish perspective.Blue Sunshine'' (1978), and
Lee Grant
Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. She made her film debut in 1951 as a young shoplifter in William Wyler's ''Detective Story'', co-starring Kirk Dougl ...
's directorial debut feature film '' Tell Me a Riddle'' (1980). In 1981 he was featured as Baelon, a rescue team leader in
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...
's cult SF horror film, ''
Galaxy of Terror
''Galaxy of Terror'' is a 1981 science fiction horror film produced by Roger Corman through New World Pictures and directed by Bruce D. Clark. It was distributed by United Artists. It stars Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston and Taaffe O'C ...
''.
Directing
King directed several films, including ''
Two Moon Junction
''Two Moon Junction'' is a 1988 American erotic thriller romance film written and directed by Zalman King and starring Sherilyn Fenn and Richard Tyson. The original music score is composed by Jonathan Elias.
The film is noted for the final film ...
Red Shoe Diaries
''Red Shoe Diaries'' is an American anthology erotic drama series that aired on Showtime cable network from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. It is a spinoff of an earlier film by the same name, also directed by Za ...
'' (1992), which became a long-running television series for Showtime network. It spawned many sequels. He directed and co-wrote the movie '' In God's Hands'' (1998).
He collaborated with director Adrian Lyne on the film ''
9½ Weeks
''9½ Weeks'' is a 1986 American erotic romantic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne, and starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. Basinger portrays a New York City art gallery employee who has a brief yet intense affair with a mysterious Wal ...
'' which starred
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann Basinger ( ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress and former fashion model. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film and television, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Glo ...
and
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films.
During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...
. He produced (and usually directed) the television series and film ''ChromiumBlue.com'' and Showtime series ''Body Language''. He directed the 1995 film ''
Delta of Venus
''Delta of Venus'' is a book of fifteen short stories by Anaïs Nin published posthumously in 1977—though largely written in the 1940s as erotica for a private collector.
In 1994 a film inspired by the book was directed by Zalman King.
Bac ...
Patricia Louisianna Knop
Patricia Louisianna Knop (October 23, 1940 – August 7, 2019) was an American screenwriter, television producer, art collector, and sculptor.
Early life and education
Knop was born in Muskegon, Michigan, the daughter of Albert Ernest Knop and ...
, with whom he collaborated on many projects, including the scripts for ''Wild Orchid'' and ''9½ Weeks''. The couple had two daughters.
He died on February 3, 2012, aged 70, from cancer.
Films
* 1964: ''
The Munsters
''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...
'' Far Out Munsters (1 episode)
* 1969: ''
Land of the Giants
''Land of the Giants'' is a one-hour American science fiction television series that aired on ABC for two seasons, beginning on September 22, 1968 and ending on March 22, 1970. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen. ''Land of the Gi ...
Galaxy of Terror
''Galaxy of Terror'' is a 1981 science fiction horror film produced by Roger Corman through New World Pictures and directed by Bruce D. Clark. It was distributed by United Artists. It stars Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston and Taaffe O'C ...
''
* 1988: ''
Two Moon Junction
''Two Moon Junction'' is a 1988 American erotic thriller romance film written and directed by Zalman King and starring Sherilyn Fenn and Richard Tyson. The original music score is composed by Jonathan Elias.
The film is noted for the final film ...
''
* 1988: ''
Wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...
Red Shoe Diaries
''Red Shoe Diaries'' is an American anthology erotic drama series that aired on Showtime cable network from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. It is a spinoff of an earlier film by the same name, also directed by Za ...
Delta of Venus
''Delta of Venus'' is a book of fifteen short stories by Anaïs Nin published posthumously in 1977—though largely written in the 1940s as erotica for a private collector.
In 1994 a film inspired by the book was directed by Zalman King.
Bac ...
''
* 1992-1996: ''
Red Shoe Diaries
''Red Shoe Diaries'' is an American anthology erotic drama series that aired on Showtime cable network from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. It is a spinoff of an earlier film by the same name, also directed by Za ...