Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Bruce Kessler

Highest Rated: Not Available

Lowest Rated: Not Available

Birthday: Mar 23, 1936

Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA

Bruce Kessler was an up-and-coming race car driver--he drove for Porsche at LeMans in 1957--before suffering a head injury at the 1959 Examiner Grand Prix. Doctors said the young driver couldn't race for a year, so the 22-year-old went to Hollywood as a technical adviser, helping movie directors film race footage and stage high-speed chases. (Among those Kessler benefited: Arthur Penn and his 1967 crime classic, "Bonnie and Clyde.") Kessler became an understudy to legendary "Rio Bravo" director Howard Hawks, a race-car driving enthusiast, who gave Kessler the education and connections to direct. Kessler started off helming B movies such as the draft-dodging comedy "The Gay Deceivers" and "Killers Three," a heist drama starring--no kidding--New Year's Eve icon Dick Clark. Tired of the critical pounding and wanting more time to sail, Kessler, an accomplished seaman, became a full-time television director in the 1970s, where he worked on everything from "The Rockford Files" to "Baywatch Nights" before retiring in 1997. Bruce Kessler died on April 4, 2024 in Marina del Rey, CA at the age of 88.

Show Less Show More

Highest rated movies

Cruise Into Terror
Watchlist
31% The Gay Deceivers
Watchlist
Deathmoon
Watchlist
The Two-Five
Watchlist
67% Simon, King of the Witches
Watchlist
29% Angels From Hell
Watchlist
Killers Three
Watchlist
Murder in Peyton Place
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cruise Into Terror Director - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Deathmoon Director - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Two-Five Director - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Murder in Peyton Place Director - 1977
No Score Yet 67% Simon, King of the Witches Director - 1971
No Score Yet 31% The Gay Deceivers Director - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Killers Three Director - 1968
No Score Yet 29% Angels From Hell Director - 1968

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Diagnosis Murder Director 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Commish Director 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Young Riders Director 1989
No Score Yet 70% MacGyver Director 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Director 1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet Last Precinct Director 1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Fall Guy Director 1983 1985-1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hunter Director 1984-1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Master Director 1984
No Score Yet 80% Knight Rider Director 1983
No Score Yet 71% The A-Team Director 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hart to Hart Director 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chicago Story Director 1982
No Score Yet No Score Yet CHiPs Director 1979-1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Director 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet B.J. and the Bear Director 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Barnaby Jones Director 1978-1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet McCloud Director 1970 1974-1975 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet Quincy, M.E. Director 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files Director 1976
100% 84% Kolchak: The Night Stalker Director 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ironside Director 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alias Smith and Jones Director 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Adam-12 Director 1969-1970
No Score Yet 58% I Dream of Jeannie Director 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Flying Nun Director 1968