Joel Rapp | |
---|---|
Born | Joel Malcolm Rapp May 22, 1934 New York, New York, U.S. |
Died | September 15, 2021 | (aged 87)
Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
Spouse | Susan Stoller |
Children | 2 |
Parent | Philip Rapp (father) |
Joel Malcolm Rapp (May 22, 1934 – September 15, 2021) was an American writer and director who worked extensively in film and television.[1][2]
Life and career
[edit]Rapp was born in New York, and grew up in Beverly Hills, California. He was the son of Philip Rapp, and was the older brother of Paul Rapp, a production manager for film and television.[2]
In the late 1950s, Rapp worked with producer Roger Corman as a director on the films High School Big Shot and Battle of Blood Island. He also wrote for numerous sitcoms including McHale's Navy, Bewitched, and Green Acres.
Rapp was a passionate gardener, and was nicknamed "Mr. Mother Earth, Plant Man to the Stars". He authored 14 books on gardening, and was the gardener for Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.[2]
He died in Beverly Hills on September 15, 2021, at the age of 87. He was survived by his wife, brother and two children.[2]
Selected credits
[edit]Film
[edit]- High School Big Shot (1959)
- Battle of Blood Island (1960)
Television
[edit]- Topper
- Highway Patrol
- Lassie
- Peter Loves Mary
- The Donna Reed Show
- McHale's Navy
- The Patty Duke Show
- Bewitched
- Gilligan's Island
References
[edit]- ^ Derek Royal, "The Blood before the Stain: An Interview with Joel Rapp", Philip Roth Studies 2.1 (2006): 3-11. Accessed 15 June 2012
- ^ a b c d Barnes, Mike. "Joel Rapp, Sitcom Writer on 'McHale's Navy' and 'Gilligan's Island,' Dies at 87". Retrieved September 16, 2021.