Richard L. O’Connor obit

Richard L. O’Connor Dies: Emmy-Winning Producer, Exec In Charge Of ‘On Golden Pond’, ‘Muppet Movie’ Was 96

 

He was not on the list.

Richard L. O’Connor, an Emmy-winning TV producer and a studio executive in charge of production on such films as On Golden Pond, The Muppet Movie and Raise The Titanic, died July 22 in Palm Desert. He was 96.

His death was announced by his family. A cause was not disclosed.

A long-time resident of the Mendocino Coast, O’Connor won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program for producing the 1989 NBC TV movie A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story starring Alfre Woodard.

Born in San Francisco with his twin brother Don on January 7, 1930, O’Connor and his twin served together in the United States Marine Corps in the Korean War from 1950-1951, and after college Richard began pursuing a career in Hollywood. He landed a job in the mail room at CBS Television City, the start of a career in show business that would eventually including producing and working as a studio executive.

His four-decade studio production career includes such TV and movie credits as On Golden Pond (1981); The Muppet Movie (1979); Movie, Movie (1978); Friendly Fire (1979); and Raise The Titanic (1980).

As a producer, O’Connor’s credits include TV movies and episodes of such TV series and limited series as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993), Amerika (1987), A Death in California (1985), Fatal Vision (1984) and Angels in the Endzone (1997), among others.

He is survived by wife Brona; daughters Kathleen, Triglia and Karen; stepchildren Kate, Marc and Matt; four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandaughter.

Producer

Scott Baio, James Wilder, Krista Allen, and Sandra Hess in Face Value (2001)

Face Value

4.5

TV Movie

co-executive producer (as Dick O'Connor)

2001

 

George Dzundza, Marc Singer, and Veronica Hamel in Determination of Death (2001)

Determination of Death

5.3

TV Movie

producer

2001

 

Angels in the Endzone (1997)

Angels in the Endzone

4.7

TV Movie

producer

1997

 

Peri Gilpin and Jere Burns in The Secret She Carried (1996)

The Secret She Carried

5.6

TV Movie

producer

1996

 

Voice from the Grave (1996)

Voice from the Grave

5.5

TV Movie

producer

1996

 

Visitors of the Night (1995)

Visitors of the Night

4.9

TV Movie

executive producer

1995

 

OP Center (1995)

OP Center

5.8

TV Mini Series

producer

1995

 

Children of the Dark (1994)

Children of the Dark

6.5

TV Movie

producer

1994

 

Les audacieux (1993)

Les audacieux

4.8

TV Movie

producer

1993

 

Lethal Exposure (1993)

Lethal Exposure

4.2

TV Movie

producer

1993

 

Jane Seymour, Chad Allen, Erika Flores, Joe Lando, and Shawn Toovey in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993)

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

6.9

TV Series

producer

1993

1 episode

 

Wild Texas Wind (1991)

Wild Texas Wind

5.9

TV Movie

producer

1991

 

Shades of LA (1990)

Shades of LA

7.1

TV Series

producer (as Dick O'Connor)

1990–1991

 

Kevin Spacey and Bernadette Peters in Fall from Grace (1990)

Fall from Grace

5.8

TV Movie

producer

1990

 

A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story (1989)

A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story

6.9

TV Movie

producer

1989

 

Lane Smith in The Final Days (1989)

The Final Days

7.0

TV Movie

producer

1989

 

Sandy Duncan, Jill Eikenberry, and Judith Light in My Boyfriend's Back (1989)

My Boyfriend's Back

5.7

TV Movie

producer

1989

 

The People Across the Lake (1988)

The People Across the Lake

5.4

TV Movie

producer

1988

 

John Lithgow and Ralph Macchio in Distant Thunder (1988)

Distant Thunder

5.8

executive producer

1988

 

Sadie and Son (1987)

Sadie and Son

6.2

TV Movie

producer

1987

 

Amerika (1987)

Amerika

6.1

TV Mini Series

producer

1987

7 episodes

 

A Death in California (1985)

A Death in California

6.3

TV Mini Series

producer

1985

2 episodes

 

The Notebook (1985)

The Notebook

6.8

TV Movie

producer

1985

 

Fatal Vision (1984)

Fatal Vision

7.7

TV Mini Series

producer

1984

2 episodes

 

Michael Beck, Joseph Bottoms, and Ben Masters in Celebrity (1984)

Celebrity

7.5

TV Mini Series

co-producer

1984

3 episodes

 

Rage of Angels (1983)

Rage of Angels

6.1

TV Movie

producer

1983

 

NBC Special Treat (1975)

NBC Special Treat

7.1

TV Series

producer (as Dick O'Connor)

1976

1 episode

 

Arch Whiting in Run, Joe, Run (1974)

Run, Joe, Run

7.4

TV Series

producer (as Dick O'Connor)

1975

12 episodes

 

Korg: 70,000 B.C. (1974)

Korg: 70,000 B.C.

6.9

TV Series

producer (as Dick O'Connor)

1974

1 episode

 

Production Management

Skeezer (1982)

Skeezer

7.6

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1982

 

Gary Busey and Willie Nelson in Barbarosa (1982)

Barbarosa

6.3

executive in charge of production

1982

 

Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, and Doug McKeon in On Golden Pond (1981)

On Golden Pond

7.6

executive in charge of production

1981

 

Red Flag: The Ultimate Game (1981)

Red Flag: The Ultimate Game

5.4

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1981

 

Klinton Spilsbury in The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981)

The Legend of the Lone Ranger

5.0

executive in charge of production

1981

 

Kim Basinger, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Tanya Tucker in Hard Country (1981)

Hard Country

5.6

executive in charge of production

1981

 

Oliver Clark, Peter Cook, Dana Hill, and Mimi Kennedy in The Two of Us (1981)

The Two of Us

6.9

TV Series

in charge of production

1981

1 episode

 

Omnibus (1980)

Omnibus

6.6

TV Series

executive in charge of production

1980

2 episodes

 

Pleasure Palace (1980)

Pleasure Palace

5.3

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1980

 

Rodeo Girl (1980)

Rodeo Girl

6.0

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1980

 

Raise the Titanic (1980)

Raise the Titanic

5.3

executive in charge of production

1980

 

Charles Bronson in Borderline (1980)

Borderline

6.0

executive in charge of production

1980

 

The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd (1980)

The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd

7.1

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1980

 

All Quiet on the Western Front (1979)

All Quiet on the Western Front

7.1

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1979

 

Orson Welles, Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, James Coburn, Frank Oz, Milton Berle, Dom DeLuise, Elliott Gould, Jim Henson, Bob Hope, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Richard Pryor, Telly Savalas, Edgar Bergen, and Paul Williams in The Muppet Movie (1979)

The Muppet Movie

7.6

executive in charge of production

1979

 

Sanctuary of Fear (1979)

Sanctuary of Fear

6.0

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1979

 

Friendly Fire (1979)

Friendly Fire

7.2

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1979

 

Movie Movie (1978)

Movie Movie

6.4

executive in charge of production

1978

 

Anthony Quinn, Paul Benjamin, and Anthony Franciosa in Across 110th Street (1972)

Across 110th Street

7.0

executive in charge of production

1972

 

Hickey & Boggs (1972)

Hickey & Boggs

6.3

executive in charge of production

1972

 

Clint Walker in Hardcase (1972)

Hardcase

6.1

TV Movie

executive in charge of production (as Dick O'Connor)

1972

 

Additional Crew

Cheryl Barldinger, Danny Lee Clark, Raye Hollitt, Michael M. Horton, Deron McBee, and Marisa Pare in American Gladiators (1989)

American Gladiators

6.6

TV Series

homebase coordinatorassistant to producer (as Rich O'Connor, as Richard O'Connor)

1989–1992

9 episodes

 

Frank Oz, Charles Grodin, Jim Henson, Diana Rigg, and Dave Goelz in The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

The Great Muppet Caper

7.1

production executive

1981

 

Harry's Battles (1981)

Harry's Battles

7.4

TV Movie

executive in charge of production

1981

 

Sam Elliott in Evel Knievel (1974)

Evel Knievel

6.2

TV Movie

production executive

1974

 

Getting Away from It All (1972)

Getting Away from It All

5.8

TV Movie

production executive: Film Guarantors (as Dick O'Connor)

1972

 

Director

Shades of LA (1990)

Shades of LA

7.1

TV Series

Director

1991

1 episode

 

Actor

Lane Smith in The Final Days (1989)

The Final Days

7.0

TV Movie

TV Director (as Dick O'Connor)

1989

 

Editorial Department

Cheryl Barldinger, Danny Lee Clark, Raye Hollitt, Michael M. Horton, Deron McBee, and Marisa Pare in American Gladiators (1989)

American Gladiators

6.6

TV Series

post-production coordinator (as Richard O'Connor)

1990–1991

12 episodes