---
name: "Michael Ritchie"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-ritchie"
fi1m_id: "michael-ritchie"
imdb_id: "nm0006916"
tmdb_id: 12964
wikidata_id: "Q1561788"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "28 November 1938"
died: "16 April 2001"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 56
average_as: "director"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-10-04T22:35:27.212206+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Michael Ritchie

## Identity

Michael Ritchie

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-ritchie
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-ritchie
- **IMDb ID:** nm0006916
- **TMDB ID:** 12964
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1561788
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ritchie_(filmmaker), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1561788, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006916/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12964

Director. Born 28 November 1938 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. Died 16 April 2001.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 28 November 1938, Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
- **Died:** 16 April 2001
- **Active:** 1985–1993
- **Average Fi1m score:** 56, as director, over 2 titles
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ritchie_(filmmaker), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1561788, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006916/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12964

## Biography

Michael Ritchie was an American film director. Born on 28 November 1938 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, he died on 16 April 2001 in New York.

Ritchie attended Harvard University, where he directed the original 1960 production of Arthur Kopit's play *Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad*. He began his career in television, directing episodes of series including *Profiles in Courage*, *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* and *Dr. Kildare*, before making his feature debut with *Downhill Racer* (1969).

His notable films include the political satire *The Candidate* (1972), the sports comedy *The Bad News Bears* (1976), the comedy *Fletch* (1985) starring Chevy Chase, and *The Golden Child* (1986). He also directed *Fletch Lives* (1989) and *Wildcats* (1986).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *The Golden Child* (1986), Fi1m 42, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-golden-child.md)
- *Fletch* (1985), Fi1m 71, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/fletch.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie* (2002), Story
- *The Fantasticks* (2000), Director
- *Beggars and Choosers* (1999), series, Director
- *Skip Chasers* (1998), Director
- *A Simple Wish* (1997), Director
- *Comfort, Texas* (1997), Director
- *The Scout* (1994), Director
- *Cops & Robbersons* (1994), Director
- *Cool Runnings* (1993), Story
- *The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom* (1993), as Minister (voice) · Director
- *Einstein* (1993), Director
- *Innocent Blood* (1992), as Night Watchman
- *Diggstown* (1992), Director
- *Fletch Lives* (1989), Director
- *The Couch Trip* (1988), Director
- *The Golden Child* (1986), Director — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/the-golden-child.md)
- *Wildcats* (1986), Director
- *Fletch* (1985), Director — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/fletch.md)
- *The Survivors* (1983), Director
- *Student Bodies* (1981), Producer
- *Divine Madness* (1980), Director
- *The Island* (1980), Director
- *An Almost Perfect Affair* (1979), as Bus Passenger · Director, Story
- *The Bad News Bears Go to Japan* (1978), Producer
- *Semi-Tough* (1977), Director
- *The Bad News Bears* (1976), Director
- *Smile* (1975), Director, Producer
- *The Candidate* (1972), Director
- *Prime Cut* (1972), Director
- *Downhill Racer* (1969), Director
- *The Sound of Anger* (1968), Director
- *The Outsider* (1968), series, Director
- *The Outsider* (1967), Director
- *Felony Squad* (1966), series, Director
- *The Big Valley* (1965), series, Director
- *Run for Your Life* (1965), series, Director
- *Profiles in Courage* (1964), series, Director
- *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (1964), series, Director

## Awards

### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 1981: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (nominated), for *The Island*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/michael-ritchie