Jerry Thorpe obit

 

Jerry Thorpe, Emmy-Winning Director and Producer of ‘Kung Fu,’ Dies at 92

Jerry Thorpe, an executive at Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's Desilu Productions and a co-creator, director and producer on the David Carradine adventure series 'Kung Fu,' died Sept. 25 in Santa Barbara, his family announced. He was 92.

He was not on the list.

Jerry Thorpe, an executive at Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz‘s Desilu Productions and a co-creator, director and producer on the David Carradine adventure series Kung Fu, died Sept. 25 in Santa Barbara, his family announced. He was 92.

During his four-decade career, the Los Angeles native also worked on David Janssen’s Harry O; Our House, starring Wilford Brimley; and the longtime Jane Wyman CBS primetime soap Falcon Crest.

His father, Richard Thorpe, was a prolific director at MGM whose voluminous credits included Tarzan Escapes (1936), The Crowd Roars (1938), The Thin Man Goes Home (1944), Ivanhoe (1952) and Jailhouse Rock (1957).

Jerry Thorpe directed episodes of the Desilu comedy December Bride starting in 1954 and served as an associate producer on the 1956 feature Forever, Darling, starring Ball and Arnaz. In 1957, he went to work on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, helming the pilot episode, and directed and produced for Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse.

Thorpe eventually rose to head of production at Desilu and produced the second season of the company’s acclaimed cop drama The Untouchables.

Thorpe is credited (with Ed Spielman and Herman Miller) as a co-creator on Kung Fu. He worked on all three seasons of the 1972-75 ABC drama, executive producing or producing 63 episodes and directing another 10. He was nominated for Emmys three times and won for helming a 1972 installment.

Thorpe also produced and directed the films The Venetian Affair (1966), starring Robert Vaughn, and Day of the Evil Gun (1968), starring Glenn Ford.

Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Diane; children Trevor, Tiana, Trish and Tracy; and grandchildren Angelo and Tyler Thorpe.

A graveside service is set for 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 10 at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California. Thorpe resided in nearby Palm Springs for 28 years.

 

Producer

Falcon Crest (1981)

Falcon Crest

6.2

TV Series

executive producer

1989–1990

22 episodes

 

CBS Summer Playhouse (1987)

CBS Summer Playhouse

6.3

TV Series

executive producer

1988

1 episode

 

Our House (1986)

Our House

7.2

TV Series

executive producer

1986–1988

46 episodes

 

Merlin Olsen in Aaron's Way (1988)

Aaron's Way

7.2

TV Series

executive producer

1988

 

Happy Endings (1983)

Happy Endings

6.1

TV Movie

executive producer

1983

 

Rock Hudson and Jack Scalia in The Devlin Connection (1982)

The Devlin Connection

6.9

TV Series

executive producer

1982

4 episodes

 

American Dream (1981)

American Dream

5.4

TV Series

executive producer

1981

4 episodes

 

All God's Children (1980)

All God's Children

6.3

TV Movie

producer

1980

 

Heaven Only Knows (1979)

Heaven Only Knows

6.5

executive producer

1979

 

The Lazarus Syndrome (1979)

The Lazarus Syndrome

5.6

TV Series

producer

1979

1 episode

 

The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove (1979)

The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove

8.3

TV Series

producer

executive producer

1979

3 episodes

 

Louis Gossett Jr. and Ronald Hunter in The Lazarus Syndrome (1978)

The Lazarus Syndrome

5.0

TV Movie

producer

1978

 

A Question of Love (1978)

A Question of Love

7.2

TV Movie

producer

1978

 

Fast Lane Blues (1978)

Fast Lane Blues

TV Movie

producer

1978

 

Stickin' Together (1978)

Stickin' Together

7.0

TV Movie

producer

1978

 

Rafferty (1977)

Rafferty

6.8

TV Series

executive producer

1977

13 episodes

 

The Possessed (1977)

The Possessed

5.3

TV Movie

executive producer

1977

 

Mariel Hemingway in I Want to Keep My Baby! (1976)

I Want to Keep My Baby!

6.7

TV Movie

executive producer

1976

 

Kim Hunter and John Anderson in The Dark Side of Innocence (1976)

The Dark Side of Innocence

7.2

TV Movie

executive producer

1976

 

David Janssen in Harry O (1973)

Harry O

7.6

TV Series

executive producer

producer

1973–1976

45 episodes

 

Kung Fu (1972)

Kung Fu

7.6

TV Series

executive producer

producer

1972–1975

63 episodes

 

Antonio and the Mayor (1975)

Antonio and the Mayor

8.9

TV Movie

producer

1975

 

The Healers (1974)

The Healers

6.2

TV Movie

executive producer

1974

 

Smile Jenny, You're Dead (1974)

Smile Jenny, You're Dead

6.7

TV Movie

producer

1974

 

The Little People (1972)

The Little People

8.0

TV Series

executive producer

1972

1 episode

 

The Chicago Teddy Bears (1971)

The Chicago Teddy Bears

7.0

TV Series

producer

1971

1 episode

 

Company of Killers (1970)

Company of Killers

5.6

TV Movie

producer

1970

 

Day of the Evil Gun (1968)

Day of the Evil Gun

6.4

producer

1968

 

Boris Karloff, Robert Vaughn, and Elke Sommer in The Venetian Affair (1966)

The Venetian Affair

5.3

producer

1966

 

Vacation Playhouse (1963)

Vacation Playhouse

7.7

TV Series

executive producer

producer

1963–1966

7 episodes

 

Pat Crowley, Jeff Fithian, Mark Miller, Brian Nash, Joe Fithian, and Lord Nelson in Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1965)

Please Don't Eat the Daisies

6.9

TV Series

producer

1965

1 episode

 

Jack Palance, Tuesday Weld, and Russ Tamblyn in The Greatest Show on Earth (1963)

The Greatest Show on Earth

7.7

TV Series

executive in charge of production

executive producer

1963–1964

4 episodes

 

Maggie Brown

TV Movie

producer

1963

 

Swingin' Together

6.7

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1963

 

Kraft Mystery Theater (1961)

Kraft Mystery Theater

7.8

TV Series

producer

1962

3 episodes

 

Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni, and Robert Stack in The Untouchables (1959)

The Untouchables

8.0

TV Series

executive producer

1960–1961

32 episodes

 

The Tom Ewell Show (1960)

The Tom Ewell Show

7.2

TV Series

producer

1960

1 episode

 

Guestward Ho! (1960)

Guestward Ho!

7.6

TV Series

producer

1960

1 episode

 

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

8.0

TV Series

producer

1958–1960

8 episodes

 

Forever, Darling (1956)

Forever, Darling

6.0

associate producer

1956

 

Director

One West Waikiki (1994)

One West Waikiki

6.8

TV Series

Director

1994–1995

4 episodes

 

James Earl Jones and Richard Crenna in Pros and Cons (1991)

Pros and Cons

6.7

TV Series

Director

1991

1 episode

 

Greg Evigan and Connie Sellecca in P.S.I. Luv U (1991)

P.S.I. Luv U

7.4

TV Series

Director

1991

1 episode

 

Falcon Crest (1981)

Falcon Crest

6.2

TV Series

Director

1989

1 episode

 

CBS Summer Playhouse (1987)

CBS Summer Playhouse

6.3

TV Series

Director

1988

1 episode

 

Our House (1986)

Our House

7.2

TV Series

Director

1986–1987

2 episodes

 

Blood & Orchids (1986)

Blood & Orchids

6.5

TV Movie

Director

1986

 

Dirty Work

TV Movie

Director

1985

 

Happy Endings (1983)

Happy Endings

6.1

TV Movie

Director

1983

 

Maud Adams, Dennis Franz, Craig T. Nelson, Daniel Hugh Kelly, and Richard Lawson in Chicago Story (1982)

Chicago Story

7.4

TV Series

Director

1982

2 episodes

 

American Dream (1981)

American Dream

5.4

TV Series

Director

1981

1 episode

 

All God's Children (1980)

All God's Children

6.3

TV Movie

Director

1980

 

Heaven Only Knows (1979)

Heaven Only Knows

6.5

Director

1979

 

The Lazarus Syndrome (1979)

The Lazarus Syndrome

5.6

TV Series

Director

1979

1 episode

 

The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove (1979)

The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove

8.3

TV Series

Director

1979

3 episodes

 

Louis Gossett Jr. and Ronald Hunter in The Lazarus Syndrome (1978)

The Lazarus Syndrome

5.0

TV Movie

Director

1978

 

A Question of Love (1978)

A Question of Love

7.2

TV Movie

Director

1978

 

Fast Lane Blues (1978)

Fast Lane Blues

TV Movie

Director

1978

 

Stickin' Together (1978)

Stickin' Together

7.0

TV Movie

Director

1978

 

The Possessed (1977)

The Possessed

5.3

TV Movie

Director

1977

 

Yesterday's Child (1977)

Yesterday's Child

7.2

TV Movie

Director

1977

 

Mariel Hemingway in I Want to Keep My Baby! (1976)

I Want to Keep My Baby!

6.7

TV Movie

Director

1976

 

Kim Hunter and John Anderson in The Dark Side of Innocence (1976)

The Dark Side of Innocence

7.2

TV Movie

Director

1976

 

David Janssen in Harry O (1973)

Harry O

7.6

TV Series

Director

1973–1976

7 episodes

 

Antonio and the Mayor (1975)

Antonio and the Mayor

8.9

TV Movie

Director

1975

 

Kung Fu (1972)

Kung Fu

7.6

TV Series

Director

1972–1974

8 episodes

 

Smile Jenny, You're Dead (1974)

Smile Jenny, You're Dead

6.7

TV Movie

Director

1974

 

Crosscurrent (1971)

Crosscurrent

5.8

TV Movie

Director

1971

 

Kam Fong, Al Harrington, Jack Lord, and James MacArthur in Hawaii Five-O (1968)

Hawaii Five-O

7.4

TV Series

Director

1971

1 episode

 

Lock, Stock and Barrel (1971)

Lock, Stock and Barrel

6.9

TV Movie

Director

1971

 

Men at Law (1970)

Men at Law

6.0

TV Series

Director

1971

1 episode

 

The Interns (1970)

The Interns

7.5

TV Series

Director

1970

1 episode

 

Company of Killers (1970)

Company of Killers

5.6

TV Movie

Director

1970

 

Chelsea Brown and Vince Edwards in Dial Hot Line (1970)

Dial Hot Line

7.4

TV Movie

Director

1970

 

Day of the Evil Gun (1968)

Day of the Evil Gun

6.4

Director

1968

 

Boris Karloff, Robert Vaughn, and Elke Sommer in The Venetian Affair (1966)

The Venetian Affair

5.3

Director

1966

 

Pat Crowley, Jeff Fithian, Mark Miller, Brian Nash, Joe Fithian, and Lord Nelson in Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1965)

Please Don't Eat the Daisies

6.9

TV Series

Director

1965

1 episode

 

The Sound and the Fidelity

TV Movie

Director

1962

 

Kraft Mystery Theater (1961)

Kraft Mystery Theater

7.8

TV Series

Director

1962

3 episodes

 

Fair Exchange (1962)

Fair Exchange

8.0

TV Series

Director

1962

1 episode

 

The Tom Ewell Show (1960)

The Tom Ewell Show

7.2

TV Series

Director

1960

1 episode

 

Guestward Ho! (1960)

Guestward Ho!

7.6

TV Series

Director

1960

1 episode

 

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

8.0

TV Series

Director

1958–1960

9 episodes

 

The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957)

The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour

8.3

TV Series

Director

1957–1959

10 episodes

 

Rory Calhoun in The Texan (1958)

The Texan

7.6

TV Series

Director

1958

1 episode

 

Colgate Theatre (1958)

Colgate Theatre

7.7

TV Series

Director

1958

1 episode

 

Walter Winchell in The Walter Winchell File (1957)

The Walter Winchell File

6.9

TV Series

Director

1957

4 episodes

 

December Bride (1954)

December Bride

8.0

TV Series

Director

1954–1957

29 episodes

 

The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955)

The 20th Century-Fox Hour

7.3

TV Series

Director

1956

1 episode

 

Production Manager

Jack Palance, Tuesday Weld, and Russ Tamblyn in The Greatest Show on Earth (1963)

The Greatest Show on Earth

7.7

TV Series

executive in charge of production

1963

2 episodes

 

Maggie Brown

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1963

 

Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni, and Robert Stack in The Untouchables (1959)

The Untouchables

8.0

TV Series

production executive

executive in charge of production

1961–1963

58 episodes

 

Fair Exchange (1962)

Fair Exchange

8.0

TV Series

executive in charge of production

1963

1 episode