Karen Arthur

Last updated

Karen Arthur
Born (1941-08-24) August 24, 1941 (age 84)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
OccupationsDirector, producer, actress
Years active1966–2008

Karen Arthur (born August 24, 1941) is an American television and film director, producer, and actress. She directed more than 40 feature and made-for-television movies, miniseries, and television series. In 1985 she become the first woman to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series.

Contents

Arthur began her career as an actress, appearing in the 1967 romantic comedy film A Guide for the Married Man , and later co-starred in the drama film Winning (1969). She made several guest-starring appearances on television series before making her directorial debut with the 1975 crime drama film, Legacy , which received a special prize at the Locarno Film Festival. She later directed feature films The Mafu Cage (1978) and Lady Beware (1987).

Early life and education

Karen Arthur was born on August 24, 1941 [1] in Omaha, Nebraska. [2]

Career

Arthur made her television debut appearing in an episode of NBC sitcom The Monkees in 1966 and the following year featured in the romantic comedy film A Guide for the Married Man . In 1969, Arthur played a supporting role in the drama film Winning opposite Paul Newman. She also made more than 15 guest-starring appearances on television series such as The Wild Wild West , The Big Valley , That Girl , Get Smart , The Doris Day Show , Mannix , Ironside and The Streets of San Francisco .[ citation needed ]

In 1975, Arthur made her directorial debut with the crime drama film Legacy starring Joan Hotchkis. She later directed three more feature films, including Lady Beware (1987) and The Mafu Cage (1978), [1] but the majority of her work has been in television, where she has had a long and prolific career directing television movies and series. In 1976 she directed one of episodes of Rich Man, Poor Man Book II and in 1979 directed her first made-for-television movie Charleston. In 1983 she directed Australian miniseries Return to Eden , the mini-series was a huge ratings success. [3] [4]

She worked as an episodic director on Hart to Hart , Remington Steele , Emerald Point N.A.S. and most notable Cagney & Lacey (8 episodes).[ citation needed ] In 1985, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (for an episode of Cagney & Lacey ), [1] [5] becoming the first woman to do so. [6]

Arthur directed many various made-for-television movies and miniseries, such as Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story (1984), A Bunny's Tale (1985), The Rape of Richard Beck (1985), Bridge to Silence (1989), Fall from Grace (1990), Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story (1995), Dead By Sunset (1995), True Women (1997) and A Will of Their Own (1998).[ citation needed ]

As of 2008 she was a resident of the town of Springfield, Vermont. [7]

Partial filmography

List of film and television works
TitleYearNotes
The Christmas Blessing 2005TV movie
Judging Amy TV series
The Locket 2002TV movie
The Song of the Lark2001TV movie, based on The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
The Lost Child2000TV movie
The Staircase 1998TV movie
Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story 1995TV movie
The Jacksons: An American Dream 1992TV miniseries
The Secret 1992TV movie
Shadow of a Doubt 1991TV movie
Blue Bayou1990TV movie
Lady Beware 1987Film
Crossings 1986TV miniseries
Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story 1984TV movie
Cagney & Lacey TV series
Remington Steele TV series
Hart to Hart 1979TV series
The Mafu Cage 1978Film
Legacy1975Film
Like It Is (re-released as
Not My Daughter)		1970 / 1971Film, final big screen appearance, co-starring in 1970 exploitation film [8] [9] whose 1971 straight-to-drive-in re-release was advertised as "A TRUE STORY DESCRIBED IN THE LURID LANGUAGE KNOWN ONLY BY TODAY'S YOUTH" [10] [11] [12]
Mannix 1970TV series, Season 4 Ep. 11 "Bang Bang, You Are Dead"
Get Smart 1969TV series, Season 5 Ep.7 "And Baby Makes Four Part.1"
The Wild Wild West 1967TV series, Season 3 Ep.15 "The Night of the Running Death"

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hal Erickson (2015). "Karen Arthur". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on April 27, 2015.
  2. ↑ Film Directors: A Complete Guide, Volume 9 . Los Angeles: Lone Eagle Publishing. p. 63. ISBN   9780943728469.
  3. ↑ Hall, Carla (August 1, 1982). "Director of the Wide Spectrum". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Oct 11, 1992, page 47 - The Sydney Morning Herald at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Mills, Nancy (November 18, 1986). "ROUGH GOING IN TV FOR WOMEN DIRECTORS". Los Angeles Times.
  6. ↑ Roberts, Jerry (May 12, 2009). "Encyclopedia of television film directors". Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press – via Internet Archive.
  7. ↑ "Christmas in July?". Rutland Herald. May 20, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Fine Food and Entertainment: Drive-In Theaters". Chula Vista Star-News. July 29, 1971. p. D-2. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  9. ↑ Nix, David (August 5, 1971). "Latest John Wayne Film and 'Plaza Suite' In Town". Arizona Daily Star. Sec. D, p. 11. Retrieved February 25, 2024. "PRINCE — 'Bunny O'Hare' (GP), with Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine, and John Wayne's recent 'Rio Lobo' will be followed next Wednesday by 'Not With My Daughter' (R) and 'Sex and the College Girl.'"
  10. ↑ "Not My Daughter". The Sacramento Bee. May 21, 1971. p. A17. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Not My Daughter". Los Angeles Times. January 12, 1972. pt. IV, p. 12. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ Willis John (1976). John Willis' Screen World, Volume 27 . New York: Crown Publishers. p. 120. OCLC   773245941
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.