Frank Harris (director)

Frank Harris (July 18, 1943 – April 27, 2020) was an American film director, producer, and cinematographer who has been working in films since the late 1970s. His work as a director includes Killpoint in 1984, Low Blow and The Patriot in 1986, If We Knew Then in 1987 and Lockdown in 1990. He originally worked as a television reporter.

Frank Harris
Born(1943-07-18)July 18, 1943
DiedApril 27, 2020(2020-04-27) (aged 76)
Occupation(s)Director, producer, cinematographer
Spouse
(m. 1980)

Background

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His wife Canadian born Diane Stevenett (married 1980), has also appeared in a number of his films.[1][2]

Before entering the film industry, Harris worked as a reporter for a California television station.

Career

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He began his career around 1976 or 1978 as a cinematographer with Enforcer from Death Row aka Ninja Assassins, a film that featured Leo Fong, Darnell Garcia, John Hammond, Cameron Mitchell, Ann Farber and Booker T. Anderson.[3][4][5] He then applied his cinematography skills to the film Goldrunner, a film about a kidnapped child, which starred Richard Losee and Kristin Kelly. Harris also had an acting role in the film as the mechanic.[6][7] He took on multiple tasks in the 1984 film, Killpoint. He was the film's director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer.[8][9]

Director

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Killpoint, a 1984 film that starred Leo Fong, Hope Holiday, Cameron Mitchell, Stack Pierce and Richard Rountree, Diane Stevenett was his directorial debut. It also featured James Lew and Bill Wallace.[10][11] In 1986 he directed Low Blow, another Leo Fong Film that featured Billy Blanks and Akosua Busia, early 1960s heartthrob Troy Donahue and Stack Pierce.[12][13] This film gave Blanks his first credited film role.[14][15] Also in 1986 he directed The Patriot, a film about a disgraced navy seal that goes after terrorists that steal nuclear missiles.[16] It starred Gregg Henry, Simone Griffeth, Jeff Conaway, Leslie Nielsen and Stack Pierce.[17] 1990 he directed Aftershock, a Sci-Fi film set in Set in a post-apocalyptic 21st Century.[18] It starred Elizabeth Kaitan, Chuck Jeffreys, James Lew, Richard Lynch, Christopher Mitchum, John Saxon and Michael Standing[19][20]

Cinematographer

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As a cinematographer, Harris's early work was with Leo Fong in Enforcer from Death Row which starred Cameron Mitchell, Leo Fong, Booker T. Anderson, and Darnell Garcia.[21] In the 1980s, he worked on the Joel Silberg directed Catch the Heat, an action film about a female agent / martial expert operating in Argentina. It was released in 1987.[22] Harris was back working with Leo Fong in Showdown. The 1993 film which also starred Richard Lynch and Werner Hoetzinger was about a town of Mafia retirees that have their sanctuary invaded by a motorcycle gang.[23][24] Harris worked on the 2009 television series Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight. Already a seasoned veteran, he was in charge of the camera crew.[25][26]

Filmography

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Feature films

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Director
Title Year Notes #
Killpoint 1984
Low Blow 1986
The Patriot 1986 [27]
If We Knew Then 1987
Girl Talk 1989 [28]
Aftershock 1990
Lockdown 1990 [29]
Cinematographer
Title Director Year Notes #
Ninja Assassins Marshall M. Borden
Efren C. Piñon
1976
Goldrunner Richard Losee 1980
Killpoint Frank Harris 1984
24 Hours to Midnight Leo Fong 1985
Low Blow Frank Harris 1986
The Patriot Frank Harris 1986
Hawkeye George Chung 1986
Lockdown Frank Harris 1990
Black Belt Angels Chi Kim 1994
Skyscraper Raymond Martino 1996
Brazilian Brawl Leo Fong 2003
Transformed Efren C. Piñon 2005
Let's All Kill Harold Jim Skidmore 2015

[30]

Actor
Title Role Director Year Notes #
Goldrunner Mechanic Richard Losee 1980 [31]
Low Blow Uncredited role Frank Harris 1986

Television

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Television shows
Title Episode # Role Director Year Notes #
Critter Gitters The Flying Professor first assistant camera Bryan Curb 1998
Critter Gitters Kinetics Catastrophe I & II first assistant director Bryan Curb 1999
Critter Gitters Cow Pie Bingo first assistant director Eric D. Howell 1999
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight Out of the Void Cinematographer Mark Allen 2009
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight Back in Black Cinematographer Mark Allen 2009
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight A Hero's Fall Cinematographer Mark Allen 2009
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight Dark Deception Cinematographer Steve Wang 2009
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight The Enemy Within Cinematographer Steve Wang 2009
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight A Dragon's Tale Cinematographer Steve Wang 2009

[32][33][34]

TV documentary
Title Role Director Year Notes #
Heart of the Soul with Gary Zukav Camera Bill Einreinhofer 2002
Barbaro camera operator Frank Deford 2008

References

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  1. ^ Hollywood.com - Frank Harris, Filmography
  2. ^ femail - Diane Stevenett
  3. ^ IMDb - Ninja Assassins (1976), Enforcer from Death Row (original title)
  4. ^ fist of b - list, 3.17.2011 - Enforcer from Death Row (1978)
  5. ^ Filmweb - Skrytobójcy ninja (1978), Enforcer from Death Row
  6. ^ Film-Dienst, Volume 37, Katholisches Institut für Medieninformation (Germany), Katholisches Filmkommission für Deutschland - Page 311
  7. ^ Buzreel - Goldrunner (1980)
  8. ^ The Espionage Filmography: United States Releases, 1898 through 1999, By Paul Mavis - Page 167 799. Killpoint
  9. ^ Rotten Tomatoes - Frank Harris, Filmography
  10. ^ Film Directors, Volume 7, Editor Michael Singer - Page 133
  11. ^ Letterboxd - Killpoint 1984 Directed by Frank Harris
  12. ^ Los Angeles Times, June 02, 1986 - Movie Review : 'Low Blow' Takes Aim At The Heights Of Silliness - MICHAEL WILMINGTON
  13. ^ The Washington Post, September 3, 2001 - Movie Heartthrob Troy Donahue
  14. ^ The Hammer: an American Hero, By Harold D. Edmunds - Billy Blanks - Filmography
  15. ^ Explosive Action, Thursday, August 19, 2010 - Low Blow (1986)
  16. ^ Terrorism in American Cinema: An Analytical Filmography, 1960–2008, By Robert Cettl - Page 202
  17. ^ The New York Times, December 13, 1986 - FILM: UNDERSEA DERRING-DO IN FRANK HARRIS'S 'PATRIOT' By Vincent Canby
  18. ^ AllMovie - Aftershock (1989), Synopsis by Hal Erickson
  19. ^ IMDb Aftershock (1990)
  20. ^ 80s Action Movies on the Cheap: 284 Low Budget, High Impact Pictures, By Daniel R. Budnik - Page 211
  21. ^ Max Movier - Enforcer from Death Row
  22. ^ 80s Action Movies on the Cheap: 284 Low Budget, High Impact Pictures, By Daniel R. Budnik - Page 112 Catch the Heat
  23. ^ TV Guide - Showdown, Cast & Crew
  24. ^ TV Guide - Showdown, Review
  25. ^ Vantage Point Reviews - JOHN FASANO ON GODZILLA! The Big G’s Best Friend in Tinseltown Reminisces About His Favorite Kaiju and More! - Brett Homenick
  26. ^ Filmová Databáze - Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight (TV serial)
  27. ^ Letterboxd - Films Directed by Frank Harris
  28. ^ Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies, By Tom Lisanti - Page 245 Deanna Lund
  29. ^ Letterboxd - Films Directed by Frank Harris
  30. ^ IMDb - Frank Harris, Cinematographer
  31. ^ Interfilmes.com - Goldrunner
  32. ^ IMDb - Frank Harris, Cinematographer
  33. ^ IMDb - Camera and Electrical Department
  34. ^ FilmAffinity - Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight (TV Series)
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