Donald Leifert
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Donald L. Leifert Jr. (February 27, 1951 – October 23, 2010) was an American science fiction and horror film actor, writer, teacher and film historian.


Early life

Leifert was born on February 27, 1951, to Dolores J. and Donald L. Leifert, Sr., and had a sister, Cheryl J. Young. He later served in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
.


Film career

Leifert, a professionally trained actor, worked with
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
filmmaker
Don Dohler Donald Michael Dohler (January 27, 1946 – December 2, 2006) was an American film director known for making low-budget science fiction and horror films, as well as his work in underground comix and publishing.Vanderbilt, Mike"Don Dohler’s Nigh ...
, a former journalist, on science fiction/horror films including ''
Galaxy Invader ''Galaxy Invader'' is a 1985 American direct-to-video science fiction film directed and co-written by Baltimore filmmaker Don Dohler. The film's plot centers on an alien who is pursued by hillbillies after his spaceship crash-lands on Earth. The ...
'', ''
Nightbeast ''Nightbeast'' is an American 1982 science fiction horror film directed by cult director Don Dohler. The story concerns a small town sheriff who must stop a rampaging alien from killing the residents of Perry Hall, Maryland. Plot A small ali ...
'', and ''
The Alien Factor ''The Alien Factor'' is a 1978 science fiction horror film written, edited, produced, and directed by Don Dohler. The film centers on a small town that is besieged by three aliens that have crash-landed in the nearby forest. A mysterious stran ...
''. He also played Eric Longfellow in the 1980 film '' Fiend'' and Longfellow again in the 1992 film ''Deadly Neighbor''. Leifert, called a "Baltimore horror maven" by
Michael Sragow Michael Sragow (born June 26, 1952) is an American film critic and columnist who has written for ''The Orange County Register'', ''The Baltimore Sun'', ''Film Comment'', the ''San Francisco Examiner'', ''The New Times'', ''The New Yorker'' (where ...
, appeared in several films for Dohler, did the costumes for ''Galaxy Invader'', and was quoted as saying, "if you watch the films was incarefully, they're really saved in the editing room. He would sit and chain-smoke cigarettes and work at that editing machine for months and months and months—no one would see or hear from him."


Later years

Not wanting to resume his acting career, Leifert launched a "literate film appreciation magazine" named ''Movie Club'' with Dohler in 1993, where he managed the editorial side and Dohler the business side, commenting the following year that "it's fun to write about these films, because they're fun films." He earned a law degree and taught at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology (also called the Carver School for the Arts) before leaving in 2000 to teach at
Towson High School Towson High School is a high school#United States of America, high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, founded in 1873. The school's current stone structure was built in 1949. Located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson, ...
in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. His role in ''Crawler'' in 2004, as Zachary, was his last acting role on screen. He also appeared in ''Blood, Boobs and Beast'', a 2006 documentary on the career of Dohler. Leifert became an English and theater arts teacher at Towson and authored the autobiography ''Riggie: A Journey from 5th Street''. He also directed stage shows at Towson, including the play ''Approaching Zanzibar'' in 2005 and ''
Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The play's book was influenced by El ...
'' for the spring musical in 2007.


Personal life

Leifert had a daughter. Leifert died in his sleep on October 23, 2010, after having a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
. His memorial service was held at Grace Fellowship Church in
Timonium, Maryland Timonium is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it has a population of 10,458. Prior to 2010 the area was part of the Luth ...
, and a memorial scholarship fund was set up in his name.


Filmography

*1978: ''
The Alien Factor ''The Alien Factor'' is a 1978 science fiction horror film written, edited, produced, and directed by Don Dohler. The film centers on a small town that is besieged by three aliens that have crash-landed in the nearby forest. A mysterious stran ...
'' – Ben Zachary *1980: '' Fiend'' – Eric Longfellow *1982: ''
Nightbeast ''Nightbeast'' is an American 1982 science fiction horror film directed by cult director Don Dohler. The story concerns a small town sheriff who must stop a rampaging alien from killing the residents of Perry Hall, Maryland. Plot A small ali ...
'' – Drago *1985: ''
Galaxy Invader ''Galaxy Invader'' is a 1985 American direct-to-video science fiction film directed and co-written by Baltimore filmmaker Don Dohler. The film's plot centers on an alien who is pursued by hillbillies after his spaceship crash-lands on Earth. The ...
'' – Frank Custor *1992: ''Deadly Neighbor'' – Eric Longfellow *2004: ''Crawler'' – Zachary


References


External links

*
Baltimore horror mavens: LaMartina, the late Don Leifert
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leifert, Donald 1951 births 2010 deaths American male actors American biographers Schoolteachers from Maryland American film historians American male non-fiction writers Film directors from Maryland Film producers from Maryland American male screenwriters 20th-century writers 21st-century writers 20th-century actors 21st-century actors 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American military personnel of the Vietnam War United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War United States Army soldiers