Michael Ritchie

Biography

Michael Ritchie (1938-2001) was an American director and producer known for satirical comedies, sports films and a handful of broad comedies in the 1980s. He worked mainly within commercial Hollywood during the 1970s and 1980s, and his films sit between personal filmmaking and mainstream entertainment.

Raised in Berkeley, California, the son of an experimental psychology professor, he went on to Harvard, where he directed a student production of an Arthur Kopit play. After working on television series he made his film debut in 1969 with Downhill Racer. His ironic approach took shape with The Candidate (1972), loosely based on the Senate campaign of John V. Tunney, which Ritchie had worked on. Smile (1975) and The Bad News Bears (1976) followed, and in the 1980s he turned to more conventional comedies such as Fletch (1985) and Wildcats (1986).

Critics have noted the uneven quality of his career, though others have praised the consistency of his outlook. He also wrote a book on the prehistory of television. He died in 2001 from complications of prostate cancer, and his work is remembered for its sharp, observant tone.

Key films

• Downhill Racer (1969): his film debut, a drama about competitive skiing.
• The Candidate (1972): political satire starring Robert Redford, inspired by a real campaign.
• Smile (1975): a sharp ensemble comedy about a teen beauty pageant.
• The Bad News Bears (1976): a sports comedy about a children's baseball team with an unlikely coach.
• Fletch (1985): a detective comedy starring Chevy Chase, one of his most popular films.