Paul Leder (March 25, 1926 – April 9, 1996) was an American film director, writer and producer. He is most famous today for his films '' A*P*E'' and '' I Dismember Mama''. With wife Etyl Leder, he is the father of modern-day producer and director

Mimi Leder Miriam Leder (; born January 26, 1952) is an American film and television director and producer noted for her action films and use of special effects.Hurd, Mary G. Women Directors and Their Films. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007. She was the first f ...

, writer Reuben Leder, and casting director Geraldine Leder. Paul Leder died of lung cancer on April 8, 1996, at age 70.

Early career

Leder launched his career singing through radio on '' The Molly Goldberg Show''. During World War II, Leder was an Army medic who served under

George Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a General (United States), general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, Mediterranean Theater ...

and assisted the survivors of the

Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or s ...

. After the war, Leder hit

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, singing and dancing opposite

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

in '' Top Banana''. More shows followed. He made his feature film debut as an actor in ''The Grass Eater'' (1961), which he also produced. Leder made his first directorial effort in the dismal comedy ''The Marigold Man'' (1970).

Later years

Outside of filmmaking, Leder was a

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

and

nuclear disarmament Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics * Nuclear space * Nucle ...

activist. His last film was the

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

''The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley'' (1995). In addition to his film work, Leder also wrote and directed plays in Los Angeles. Leder died of lung cancer on April 8, 1996. Paul Leder was honored at the end of the '' ER'' episode "Fire in the Belly" (season 2, episode 19), as well as the end of his daughter Mimi Leder's film '' The Peacemaker''. The 1999 short film '' Sentimental Journey'' celebrated the romance of Etyl and Paul Leder.

Filmography

Actor

* ''The Grass Eater'' (1961) starring

Rue McClanahan Eddi-Rue McClanahan (February 21, 1934 – June 3, 2010) was an American actress and comedian best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on '' Maude'' (1972–78), Aunt Fran Crowley on ''Mama's Family'' (1983–84), and Blanche D ...

* '' Five Minutes to Love'' (1963) * ''How to Succeed with Girls'' (1964) * ''The Farmer's Other Daughter'' (1965) * '' Ape'' (1976)

Director

* ''Marigold Man'' (1970) * '' I Dismember Mama'' (1972) aka ''Poor Albert and Little Annie'' * ''My Friends Need Killing'' (1976) * '' Ape'' (1976) a USA/South Korean co-production filmed in 3-D * ''Red Light in the White House'' (1977) * ''The Chinese Caper'' (1978) * ''Sketches of a Strangler'' (1978) * ''I'm Going to Be Famous'' (1983) * ''Vultures'' (1984) * ''The Education of Allison Tate'' (1986) * ''The Eleventh Commandment'' (1986) * ''Body Count'' (1987) * ''Goin' to Chicago'' (1990) * ''Twenty Dollar Star'' (1990) * ''Murder by Numbers'' (1990) * ''Frame Up'' (1991) * ''Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up'' (1992) * '' Exiled in America'' (1992) * ''The Baby Doll Murders'' (1993) * ''Killing Obsession'' (1994) * ''

Molly & Gina ''Molly & Gina'' is a 1994 movie directed by Paul Leder and written by Leder and his son, Reuben. It stars Frances Fisher, Natasha Gregson Wagner, and Peter Fonda. It is also the feature film debut of Elizabeth Berkley. The plot deals with a secret ...

'' (1994) * ''The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley'' (1995) * ''The Killers Within'' (1997)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leder, Paul 1996 deaths 1926 births American film directors American male film actors 20th-century American male actors Jewish American male actors American film producers United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army soldiers Combat medics Deaths from lung cancer in California