Formation
Formé au métier d'acteur, Richard Thorpe passe de l'autre côté de la caméra en 1923. En six ans, le réalisateur signe quelque soixante-dix westerns de moyen métrage avant d'être engagé à la MGM en 1935.
Carrière au cinéma
Entré à la MGM, Richard Thorpe réalise plusieurs films exotiques - dont Taro, le païen (1935) - et quatre Tarzan, ainsi que des films policiers comme La Force des ténèbres (1937), interprété par Robert Montgomery. Si, tout au long de sa carrière, le réalisateur touche un peu à tous les genres, son domaine de prédilection reste le film d'aventures. Après Ivanhoé (1952), il signe plusieurs films en costumes, dont Le Prisonnier de Zenda (1952), La Perle noire (1953) ou Les Chevaliers de la table ronde (1954). Le cinéaste s'essaie également avec tout autant de succès à la comédie musicale (Fiesta, 1947 ; Three little words, 1950). A partir de 1955, Richard Thorpe intègre Universal, où il continue à jouer sur plusieurs tableaux : films d'aventures, mélodrames ou encore comédies. Après plus de cent cinquante films, il met un terme à sa carrière cinématographique en 1967 pour se consacrer exclusivement à la télévision.
Ouvrages
- Film scriptwriting : a practical manual / Dwight V. Swain ; with Joyce R. Swain . - 2nd ed. - Boston ; London : Focal Press, 1988
Périodiques
- Film Comment, vol 29 n° 1, janvier 1993
- Film in Review, vol 17 n° 7, août-septembre 1966
Courts métrages
en tant que : Réalisateur
 1923 | Fatal Photo (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1930 | Utah Kid (The) | Richard Thorpe |
en tant que : Interprète
| 1936 | Hollywood - The Second Step | Felix E. Feist |
Longs métrages
en tant que : Réalisateur
| 1924 | Battling Buddy | Richard Thorpe |
| 1924 | Bringin' Home the Bacon | Richard Thorpe |
| 1924 | Fast and Fearless | Richard Thorpe |
| 1924 | Hard Hittin' Hamilton | Richard Thorpe |
| 1924 | Rarin' to Go | Richard Thorpe |
| 1924 | Rip Roarin' Roberts | Richard Thorpe |
| 1924 | Rough Ridin' | Richard Thorpe |
| 1924 | Thundering Romance | Richard Thorpe |
| 1924 | Walloping Wallace | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | A Streak of Luck | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Desert Demon (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Fast Fightin' | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Full Speed | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Galloping on | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Gold and Grit | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | On the Go | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Quicker'n Lightnin' | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Riding Rivals | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Saddle Demon | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Tearin' Loose | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Bandit Buster (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Bonanza Buckaroo (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | College Days | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Coming an' Going | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Dangerous Dub (The) Un jeune homme de la ville | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Deuce High | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Double Daring | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Easy Going | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Fighting Cheat (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Josselyn's Wife | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Rawhide | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Roaring Riders | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Speedy Spurs | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Trumpin' Trouble | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Twin Triggers (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Twisted Triggers | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Between Dangers | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Cyclone Cowboy (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Desert of the Lost (The) Le Désert des damnés | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | First Night (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Galloping Gobs (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Interferin' Gent (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Meddlin' Stranger (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Obligin' Buckaroo (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Pals in Peril | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Ride' em High | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Ridin' Rowdy (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Roarin' Broncs | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Skedaddle Gold | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Soda Water Boy (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Tearin' into Trouble | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | White Pebbles | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Ballyhoo Buster (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Cowboy Cavalier (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Desperate Courage | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Double Action Daniels | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Flyin' Buckaroo | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Saddle Mates | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Valley of Hunted Man (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Vanishing West (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Vultures of the Sea | Richard Thorpe |
| 1929 | Bachelor Girl (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1929 | Border Romance | Richard Thorpe |
| 1929 | Fatal Warning (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1929 | King of the Kongo | Richard Thorpe |
| 1930 | Dude Wrangler (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1930 | Lone Defender (The) Au service du droit | Richard Thorpe |
| 1930 | Thoroughbred (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1930 | Under Montana Skies | Richard Thorpe |
| 1930 | Wings of Adventure | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Devil Plays (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Forgotten Women | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Grief Street | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | King of the Wild | Richard Thorpe, B. Reeves Eason |
| 1931 | Lady from Nowhere (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Lawless Woman (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Neck and Neck | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Sky Spider | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Wild Horse | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Beauty Parlor | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Cross Examination | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Escapade | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Forbidden Company | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | King Murder (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Midnight Lady (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Murder at Dawn | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Probation Mis à l'épreuve | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Secrets of Wu Sin | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Slightly Married | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Thrill of Youth | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Women Won't Tell | Richard Thorpe |
| 1933 | A Man of Sentiment | Richard Thorpe |
| 1933 | Forgotten | Richard Thorpe |
| 1933 | I Have Lived J'ai vécu | Richard Thorpe |
| 1933 | Love Is Dangerous | Richard Thorpe |
| 1933 | Murder on the Campus | Richard Thorpe |
| 1933 | Notorious but Nice | Richard Thorpe |
| 1933 | Rainbow over Broadway | Richard Thorpe |
| 1933 | Strange People | Richard Thorpe |
| 1934 | Cheating Cheaters Audaces féminines | Richard Thorpe |
| 1934 | City Park | Richard Thorpe |
| 1934 | Green Eyes | Richard Thorpe |
| 1934 | Quitter (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1934 | Secret of the Chateau | Richard Thorpe |
| 1934 | Stolen Sweets | Richard Thorpe |
| 1934 | Strange Wives | Richard Thorpe |
| 1935 | Last of the Pagans Taro le païen | Richard Thorpe |
| 1936 | Tarzan Escapes Tarzan s'évade | Richard Thorpe |
| 1936 | Voice of Bugle Ann (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1937 | Dangerous Number | Richard Thorpe |
| 1937 | Double Wedding Double mariage | Richard Thorpe |
| 1937 | Night Must Fall La Force des ténèbres | Richard Thorpe |
| 1938 | Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1938 | Crowd Roars (The) La Foule en délire | Richard Thorpe |
| 1938 | First Hundred Years (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1938 | Love is a Headache | Richard Thorpe |
| 1938 | Man-Proof | Richard Thorpe |
| 1938 | Three Loves Has Nancy Nanette a trois amours | Richard Thorpe |
| 1938 | Toy Wife (The) Frou-frou | Richard Thorpe |
| 1939 | Tarzan Finds a Son ! Tarzan trouve un fils | Richard Thorpe |
| 1940 | Earl of Chicago (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1940 | Twenty Mule Team | Richard Thorpe |
| 1940 | Wyoming | Richard Thorpe |
| 1941 | Bad Man (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1941 | Barnacle Bill | Richard Thorpe |
| 1941 | Tarzan's Secret Treasure Le Trésor de Tarzan | Richard Thorpe |
| 1942 | Above Suspicion Un espion a disparu | Richard Thorpe |
| 1942 | Apache Trail | Richard Thorpe, Richard Rosson |
| 1942 | Joe Smith, American Un Américain pur sang | Richard Thorpe |
| 1942 | Tarzan's New York Adventures Tarzan à New York | Richard Thorpe |
| 1942 | White Cargo Tondelayo | Richard Thorpe |
| 1943 | Cry 'Havoc' | Richard Thorpe |
| 1943 | Three Hearts for Julia | Richard Thorpe |
| 1944 | Thin Man Goes Home (The) L'Introuvable rentre chez lui | Richard Thorpe |
| 1944 | Two Girls and a Sailor Deux filles et un marin | Richard Thorpe |
| 1945 | Her Highness and the Bellboy | Richard Thorpe |
| 1945 | Thrill of a Romance Frisson d'amour | Richard Thorpe |
| 1945 | What Next, Caporal Hargrove | Richard Thorpe |
| 1947 | Fiesta Senorita toreador | Richard Thorpe |
| 1947 | This Time for Keeps Le Souvenir de vos lèvres | Richard Thorpe |
| 1948 | A Date with Judy Ainsi sont les femmes | Richard Thorpe |
| 1948 | On an Island with You Dans une île avec vous | Richard Thorpe |
| 1949 | Big Jack | Richard Thorpe |
| 1949 | Black Hand (The) La Main noire | Richard Thorpe |
| 1949 | Challenge to Lassie | Richard Thorpe |
| 1949 | Malaya | Richard Thorpe |
| 1949 | Sun Comes up (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1950 | It's a Big Country | Clarence Brown, Don Hartman, John Sturges, [etc.] |
| 1950 | Three Little Words Trois petits mots | Richard Thorpe |
| 1950 | Vengeance Valley La Vallée de la vengeance | Richard Thorpe |
| 1951 | Great Caruso (The) Le Grand Caruso | Richard Thorpe |
| 1951 | Ivanhoe Ivanhoé | Richard Thorpe |
| 1951 | Unknown Man (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1952 | Carbine Williams L'Homme à la carabine | Richard Thorpe |
| 1952 | Girl Who Had Everything (The) La Fille qui avait tout | Richard Thorpe |
| 1952 | Prisoner of Zenda (The) Le Prisonnier de Zenda | Richard Thorpe |
| 1953 | All the Brothers Were Valiant La Perle noire | Richard Thorpe |
| 1953 | Knights of the Round Table (The) Les Chevaliers de la table ronde | Richard Thorpe |
| 1954 | Athena | Richard Thorpe |
| 1954 | Student Prince (The) Le Prince étudiant | Richard Thorpe |
| 1955 | Adventures of Quentin Durward (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1955 | Prodigal (The) Le Fils prodigue | Richard Thorpe |
| 1956 | Ten Thousand Bedrooms Dix mille chambres à coucher | Richard Thorpe |
| 1957 | Jailhouse Rock Le Rock du bagne | Richard Thorpe |
| 1957 | Tip on a Dead Jockey Contrebande au Caire | Richard Thorpe |
| 1959 | House of the Seven Hawks (The) La Maison des sept faucons | Richard Thorpe |
| 1959 | Killers of Kilimanjaro (The) Les Aventuriers du Kilimandjaro | Richard Thorpe |
| 1961 | Honeymoon Machine (The) Branle-bas au casino | Richard Thorpe |
| 1962 | Follow the Boys En suivant mon coeur | Richard Thorpe |
| 1962 | Horizontal Lieutenant (The) La Guerre en dentelles | Richard Thorpe |
| 1963 | Fun in Acapulco L'Idole d'Acapulco | Richard Thorpe |
| 1964 | Golden Head (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1964 | That Funny Feeling Chambre à part | Richard Thorpe |
| 1964 | Truth about Spring (The) L'Aventure est au large | Richard Thorpe |
| 1966 | Last Challenge (The) Le Pistoléro de la rivière rouge | Richard Thorpe |
| 1966 | Scorpio Letters [TV] (The) | Richard Thorpe |
en tant que : Superviseur de la réalisation
| 1960 | Tartari (I) Les Tartares | Ferdinando Baldi |
en tant que : Scénariste
| 1925 | Galloping on | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | On the Go | Richard Thorpe |
| 1925 | Tearin' Loose | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Bandit Buster (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Coming an' Going | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Dangerous Dub (The) Un jeune homme de la ville | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Double Daring | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Rawhide | Richard Thorpe |
| 1926 | Speedy Spurs | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Between Dangers | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Desert of the Lost (The) Le Désert des damnés | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Fightin' Come Back (The) | Tenny Wright |
| 1927 | Galloping Gobs (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Obligin' Buckaroo (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Pals in Peril | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Red Clay (The) | Ernst Laemmle |
| 1927 | Ride' em High | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Ridin' Rowdy (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Roarin' Broncs | Richard Thorpe |
| 1927 | Skedaddle Gold | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Ballyhoo Buster (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Cowboy Cavalier (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Desperate Courage | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Flyin' Buckaroo | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Saddle Mates | Richard Thorpe |
| 1928 | Valley of Hunted Man (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Lawless Woman (The) | Richard Thorpe |
en tant que : Producteur
| 1966 | Last Challenge (The) Le Pistoléro de la rivière rouge | Richard Thorpe |
en tant que : Monteur
| 1931 | Devil Plays (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Grief Street | Richard Thorpe |
| 1931 | Lady from Nowhere (The) | Richard Thorpe |
| 1932 | Probation Mis à l'épreuve | Richard Thorpe |
| 1934 | City Park | Richard Thorpe |
en tant que : Interprète
| 1921 | Burn 'em up Barnes | George Beranger, Johnny Hines |
| 1923 | Three O'clock in the Morning | Kenneth Webb |
| 1924 | Flames of Desire | Denison Clift |
| 1924 | Rough Ridin' | Richard Thorpe |