James Goldstone (June 8, 1931 – November 5, 1999) was an American film and television director whose career spanned over thirty years.

Career

Goldstone was noted for the momentum and "fifteen-minute cliffhangers" that he brought to TV pilots such as ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...

'' ("

Where No Man Has Gone Before "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is the third episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series, ''Star Trek''. Written by Samuel A. Peeples and directed by James Goldstone, it first aired on September 22, 1966. In t ...

", 1966), '' Ironside'', and '' The Bold Ones: The Senator''. His later career helped pioneer the concept of "thirty-second attention span" pacing over detailed content in his dramatizations of

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late ...

, and the

Kent State shootings The Kent State shootings, also known as the May 4 massacre and the Kent State massacre,"These would be the first of many probes into what soon became known as the Kent State Massacre. Like the Boston Massacre almost exactly two hundred years bef ...

for which he won the Emmy. He directed several feature films, including the large-scale suspense '' Rollercoaster'' (1977). During his Hollywood career, he directed

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as '' Ship ...

, Robert Shaw,

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...

Richard Dreyfuss Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (; born Dreyfus; October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for starring in popular films during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, including '' American Graffiti'' (1973), '' Jaws'' (1975), '' Close Encounters of th ...

and

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive Go ...

and collaborated with composer and musician,

Lalo Schifrin Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-American pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, incorporating jazz and Latin American musical eleme ...

. He "discovered" Tiny Tim. In addition to his work in film and television, Goldstone was a longtime leader in the Director's and Writers Guilds. In his later life, he taught both at

Bennington College Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932 as a women's college, it became co-educational in 1969. It claims to be the first college to include visual and performing arts as an equal partner in ...

and in the masters program at Columbia University. During the 1990s he directed a number of theatrical productions in New England. He was also central in the establishment of National Public Radio presence in Vermont and was the moving force behind the creation of the Vermont Arts Council which named its award for new talent the James Goldstone Award. Goldstone was the son of Hollywood agent and early television producer,

Jules Goldstone Jules Conrad Goldstone (1900–1980) was an entertainment attorney who took part in the early Hollywood antitrust suits. Born to a Jewish family, Goldstone was a native of Schenectady, NY. He attended the University of Michigan Law School. Go ...

Partial filmography

*''

The Outer Limits ''The Outer Limits'' or ''Outer Limits'' may refer to: Television * ''The Outer Limits'' (1963 TV series), a black-and-white science fiction series that aired from 1963 to 1965 * ''The Outer Limits'' (1995 TV series), a revival of the older series ...

'' ("

The Sixth Finger "The Sixth Finger" is an episode of the original ''The Outer Limits'' television show. It first aired on 14 October 1963, during the first season. Plot Working in a remote Welsh mining town, a rogue scientist, Professor Mathers, discovers a pr ...

", TV, 1963, and " The Inheritors", TV, 1964) *''

'' ("

", TV, 1966) *''

A Man Called Gannon ''A Man Called Gannon'' is a 1968 American Technicolor Western film directed by James Goldstone starring Tony Franciosa, Michael Sarrazin and Judi West. The film is a remake of '' Man Without a Star'' (1955). Plot Cowboy Gannon ( Tony Fr ...

'' (1968) *'' Jigsaw'' (1968) *''

Shadow Over Elveron ''Shadow Over Elveron'' is a 1968 television crime drama film directed by James Goldstone and starring James Franciscus, Shirley Knight, and Leslie Nielsen. It aired on NBC in March 1968. The story is based on the novel ''Shadow Over Elveron'' by ...

'' (1968) *'' Winning'' (1969) *'' Brother John'' (1971) *''

Red Sky at Morning The common phrase "red sky at morning" is a line from an ancient rhyme often repeated by mariners: ''Kentucky Weather'', by Jerry D. Hill, 2005, p.139, web: Books-Google-ikC Red sky at night, sailors' delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take ...

'' (1971) *''

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight ''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'' is a 1971 American Crime comedy, crime comedy film directed by James Goldstone and written by Waldo Salt, based on the 1969 novel The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (novel), of the same name by Jimmy B ...

'' (1971) *''

They Only Kill Their Masters ''They Only Kill Their Masters'' is a 1972 American mystery film directed by James Goldstone, written by Lane Slate, and starring James Garner and Katharine Ross, with a supporting cast featuring Hal Holbrook, June Allyson, Tom Ewell, Peter Lawfo ...

'' (1972) *'' Things in Their Season'' (1974) *''

Swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, guile and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring ...

'' (1976) *''

Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* a ...

'' (1976) *'' Rollercoaster'' (1977) *''

When Time Ran Out ''When Time Ran Out...'' is a 1980 American disaster film directed by James Goldstone and starring Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset and William Holden. The supporting cast features James Franciscus, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Burgess Meredith, ...

...'' (1980) *''

Kent State Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ash ...

'' (1981) *'' Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story'' (TV, 1982) *'' Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess'' (TV, 1983) *''

'' (1984) *''

The Sun Also Rises ''The Sun Also Rises'' is a 1926 novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, his first, that portrays American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the ...

'' (1984) *'' Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story'' *''

Earth Star Voyager ''Earth Star Voyager'' is the name of a science fiction television movie shown on '' The Disney Sunday Movie'' in 1988, on February 17 and February 24. The show aired as a two-part pilot, but was not picked up for a series. Plot In the year 2082, ...

'' (TV, 1988) *'' The Bride in Black'' (TV, 1990)

References

External links

*
The Papers of James Goldstone in the Dartmouth College Library
1931 births 1999 deaths American television directors Primetime Emmy Award winners Film directors from California Kent State shootings {{ST-stub