Vernon Zimmerman obit

Vernon Lehr Zimmerman

August 30, 1936 – October 18, 2023

 

He was not on the list.

Vernon Zimmerman was a highly talented and creative writer, director and producer who's contributed in various ways to a handful of highly offbeat and original pictures throughout the years. Vernon made his feature debut as director with the 1962 short "Lemon Heart;" it starred poet, playwright and longtime Andy Warhol associate Taylor Mead. Zimmerman wrote and directed the delightfully down'n'dirty Claudia Jennings roller derby drive-in gem "Unholy Rollers" and the amusingly idiosyncratic comedic road movie romp "Deadhead Miles" (Vernon collaborated on the script with Terrence Malick). Vernon's finest cinematic achievement as writer and director to date was the excellent and inspired horror slasher treat "Fade to Black," a dark and despairing psychological study of an awkward and alienated hardcore film buff who exacts a harsh revenge on his cruel tormentors. Zimmerman received a Saturn Award nomination as Best Director for this terrific picture which basically serves as a precursor to Wes Craven's fairly similar "Scream." Moreover, Vernon wrote the witty and imaginative scripts for the oddball horror-Western curio "Hex," the exciting redneck crime exploitation opus "Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw," the made-for-TV wrestling comedy/drama "Mad Bull," the failed, but funny TV pilot "Shooting Stars," and the amiable fantasy comedy "Teen Witch." Zimmerman's most current film to date was the six minute comic short "Chuck and Wally on the Road." More recently Vernom has been working as a script analyst. He also teaches screen-writing courses at UCLA's Extension and Certificate Program. Zimmerman has even taught classes on both writing feature scripts and directing actors for film and television at the USC School of Cinema and Television. Vernon Zimmerman lives in Los Angeles and drives a Volkswagon car.

He was an American writer and director who made his debut as director with the 1962 short Lemon Hearts starring Taylor Mead. He collaborated with Terrence Malick on the script to his directorial debut, the road movie, Deadhead Miles. Zimmerman wrote and directed the Claudia Jennings roller derby drive-in film Unholy Rollers. He was most well known for his horror slasher film Fade to Black, a dark and despairing psychological study of an awkward and alienated hardcore film buff who exacts a harsh revenge on his cruel tormentors. Zimmerman received a Saturn Award nomination as Best Director for the film, a predecessor to more well-known modern parodies of the horror genre. Vernon also wrote the scripts for the horror-Western Hex (a.k.a. Charmed), the redneck crime exploitation film Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw, the made-for-TV wrestling comedy/drama Mad Bull, the failed TV pilot film Shooting Stars, and the teen fantasy comedy Teen Witch. Zimmerman's last film was the six-minute comic short Chuck and Wally on the Road.

Director

Chuck and Wally on the Road

Short

Director

1995

 

Dennis Christopher in Fade to Black (1980)

Fade to Black

6.1

Director

1980

 

The Unholy Rollers (1972)

The Unholy Rollers

5.4

Director

1972

 

Deadhead Miles (1972)

Deadhead Miles

5.6

Director

1972

 

The College

Director

1964

 

Scarface and Aphrodite

Short

Director

1963

 

To L.A. with Lust

Short

Director

1963

 

Taylor Mead in Lemon Hearts (1962)

Lemon Hearts

Short

Director

1962

 

Writer

Robyn Lively, Dan Gauthier, and Zelda Rubinstein in Teen Witch (1989)

Teen Witch

6.0

written by

1989

 

Shooting Stars (1983)

Shooting Stars

5.3

TV Movie

story

1983

 

Dennis Christopher in Fade to Black (1980)

Fade to Black

6.1

written by

1980

 

Mad Bull (1977)

Mad Bull

5.8

TV Movie

teleplay

1977

 

Lynda Carter and Marjoe Gortner in Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976)

Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw

5.4

written by

1976

 

Hex (1973)

Hex

4.7

story

1973

 

The Unholy Rollers (1972)

The Unholy Rollers

5.4

story

1972

 

Deadhead Miles (1972)

Deadhead Miles

5.6

Writer (uncredited)

1972

 

Scarface and Aphrodite

Short

screenplay

1963

 

Producer

Deadhead Miles (1972)

Deadhead Miles

5.6

producer

1972

 

Cinematographer

The College

Cinematographer

1964

 

Scarface and Aphrodite

Short

Cinematographer

1963

 

Editor

The College

Editor

1964

 

Scarface and Aphrodite

Short

Editor

1963