Richard Fleischer has died at 89

Producer-director Richard Fleischer, the man behind «Soylent Green» and «The Boston Strangler» has died of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 89.

The son of one of the creators of Betty Boop and Popeye, Richard Fleischer won in 1947, at age 31 only, an Oscar for best documentary as a producer for «Design for Death». Despite he was never recognized as a major film auteur, Richard Fleischer directed several authentic classic during his career: Disney's first entire live-action movie «20,000 Leagues Under the Sea» (1954) starring Kirk Douglas and James Mason, «The Vikings» (1958) with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, «Compulsion» (1959) with Orson Welles, «Barabbas» (1962) with Anthony Quinn, «The Boston Strangler» (1968) with Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda, «Soylent Green» (1973) with Charlton Heston, «Mr Majestyk» (1974) with Charles Bronson or «Ashanti» (1979) with Michael Caine and Peter Ustinov, produced by Lausanne-born producer Georges-Alain Vuille. Richard Fleischer died Saturday of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 89.