John Badham | |
|---|---|
| Born | John MacDonald Badham (1939-08-25)August 25, 1939 (age 86) |
| Alma mater | Yale University (MFA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Mary Badham (sister) |
| Website | johnbadham |
John MacDonald Badham (born August 25, 1939) is an American film and television director, best known for directing the filmsSaturday Night Fever (1977),Dracula (1979),Blue Thunder (1983),WarGames (1983),Short Circuit (1986),Stakeout (1987),Bird on a Wire (1990),The Hard Way (1991),Point of No Return (1993),Drop Zone (1994), andNick of Time (1995). He is a two-timePrimetime Emmy Award nominee, a two-timeHugo Award nominee, and aSaturn Award winner. He is also a Professor atChapman University.[1]
Badham was born inLuton,Bedfordshire, England, the son of U.S. Army General Henry Lee Badham Jr., and English-born actress Mary Iola Badham (née Hewitt).[2] Henry, a native ofBirmingham, Alabama, moved his family back to the U.S. when John was two years old. John's parents and paternal grandparents are buried inElmwood Cemetery in Birmingham. Henry was an aviator in both World Wars, and was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame in 2007. After retirement from the U.S. Air Force as a brigadier general, Henry became a businessman and helped develop the Ensley and Bessemer regions near Birmingham. This same line of business had brought his own father, John's grandfather, into association with Walker Percy, grandfather of writerWalker Percy.[3]
AfterWorld War II, Badham's family settled inMountain Brook, an affluent suburb of Birmingham. He attendedIndian Springs School, at that time a brand-new, liberal boys' school located a short distance south of Birmingham inShelby County near the rural post office of Helena. He later went to college atYale University, earning a Masters of Fine Arts.
Badham worked in television for years, on Universal Television series likeCannon andThe Bold Ones. He then directed several acclaimed TV movies, includingIsn't It Shocking? (1973) andThe Law (1974). His first feature film wasThe Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings in 1976.[4]
His breakthrough came in 1977 when he replacedJohn G. Avildsen as the director ofSaturday Night Fever, a massive worldwide hit starringJohn Travolta.[5] His choices after that film were wildly eclectic, ranging from the action thrillerBlue Thunder (1983) to the comedy-dramaWhose Life Is It Anyway? (1981) to the comedy thrillerStakeout (1987) and its sequelAnother Stakeout (1993).WarGames (1983), starringMatthew Broderick, is his other signature film, renowned for its take on popularCold War fears ofnuclear terror as well as being one of the first films to deal with the subculture of amateurhacking.[6] Another sizable hit wasShort Circuit (1986), a comedy about a robot who comes to life.[7]
In addition to his numerous film credits, Badham has also continued to direct and produce for TV, including credits forRod Serling'sNight Gallery, theA&Etelevision seriesThe Beast, TV movies likeHBO'sThe Jack Bull (1999), and episodes of series includingCrossing Jordan andCriminal Minds.[4]He has also contributed commentary to theweb seriesTrailers from Hell.[8]
In 1986, he signed a two-year development deal with production companyUniversal Pictures, in order to develop various film projects. Badham is a Professor atChapman University.[9]
Badham has been considered to direct films that ended up being directed by others, such asThe Wiz (1978),[10]Brubaker (1980),[11]First Blood (1982),[12]Staying Alive (1983),[13]The Dead Zone (1983),[14]Starman (1984),[15]Project X (1987),[16]Short Circuit 2 (1988),[17]Ghost Dad (1990),[18][19]Patriot Games (1992),[20]The Firm (1993)[21] andDragonheart (1996).[22]
Badham's sister,Mary Badham, was nominated for anOscar for her role as "Scout" Finch in the filmTo Kill a Mockingbird. They worked together on one project,William Castle'sLet's Kill Uncle, released in 1966, Badham was Castle's casting director, and Mary played one of the leads.[23]
Badham's former wife is retired model Jan Speck ofThe New Treasure Hunt. She had assorted cameo roles in many of his projects, starting in the 1980s.[24]
