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Herschell Gordon Lewis

Herschell Gordon Lewis

Currently Active 1926 — Present
Film directorscreenwriterproduceractorcinematographerformer English professoradvertising executivedi

Personal Info

Born
Jun 15, 1926
Age
99
Birth Place
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

LEGACY & ORIGINS

Born June 15, 1926
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died September 26, 2016 (aged 90)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater Northwestern University
Occupations
Film directorscreenwriterproduceractorcinematographerformer English professoradvertising executivedirect-mail consultant

Herschell Gordon Lewis (June 15, 1926[a] – September 26, 2016) was an American filmmaker, best known for creating the "splatter" subgenre of horror films. He is often called the "Godfather of Gore" (a title also given to Lucio Fulci), though his film career included works in a range of exploitation film genres including juvenile delinquent films, nudie-cuties, two children's films and at least one rural comedy. On Lewis' career, AllMovie wrote, "With his better-known gore films, Herschell Gordon Lewis was a pioneer, going further than anyone else dared, probing the depths of disgust and discomfort onscreen with more bad taste and imagination than anyone of his era."

Herschell Gordon Lewis was born in 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Geraldine (Waldman) and Emmanuel. His father died when Lewis was six years old; his mother never remarried. Lewis's family then moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he spent the majority of his adolescence. After graduating from high school, Lewis received bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University in nearby Evanston, Illinois. A few years later, he briefly taught communications at Mississippi State University. He was lured from his academic career to become the manager of WRAC Radio (WRJN) in Racine, Wisconsin, and later to become a studio director at WKY-TV (KFOR-TV) studio in Oklahoma City.

Life & Career Details

Born June 15, 1926
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died September 26, 2016 (aged 90)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater Northwestern University
Occupations
Film directorscreenwriterproduceractorcinematographerformer English professoradvertising executivedirect-mail consultant

Herschell Gordon Lewis (June 15, 1926[a] – September 26, 2016) was an American filmmaker, best known for creating the "splatter" subgenre of horror films. He is often called the "Godfather of Gore" (a title also given to Lucio Fulci), though his film career included works in a range of exploitation film genres including juvenile delinquent films, nudie-cuties, two children's films and at least one rural comedy. On Lewis' career, AllMovie wrote, "With his better-known gore films, Herschell Gordon Lewis was a pioneer, going further than anyone else dared, probing the depths of disgust and discomfort onscreen with more bad taste and imagination than anyone of his era."

Herschell Gordon Lewis was born in 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Geraldine (Waldman) and Emmanuel. His father died when Lewis was six years old; his mother never remarried. Lewis's family then moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he spent the majority of his adolescence. After graduating from high school, Lewis received bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University in nearby Evanston, Illinois. A few years later, he briefly taught communications at Mississippi State University. He was lured from his academic career to become the manager of WRAC Radio (WRJN) in Racine, Wisconsin, and later to become a studio director at WKY-TV (KFOR-TV) studio in Oklahoma City.

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