Although this writer/director/producer started out making horror films like
Deathdream and
Black Christmas, he ended creating a pair of antithetical American classics: the hormone-charged, coming-of-age comedy
Porky's and the seasonal staple
A Christmas Story. Born in the U.S., he relocated to Canada in the '70s and established himself as an up-and-coming director with bloody, low-budget B-flicks. In 1982, he wrote, produced and directed
Porky's, which was inspired by on his own experiences growing up in Florida in the '50s. The movie was a surprise smash and spawned two sequels and a host of imitators. The next year he helmed and cowrote
A Christmas Story, based on Jean Shepherd's novel
In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. Although not a big success in its initial theatrical release, it became as ubiquitous as
It's a Wonderful Life during the holidays. As the decade continued, he helmed a string of infamous critical and commercial duds (
Rhinestone, Turk 182!,
Loose Cannons) and by the '90s he was back on the B-list, usually working as a director-for-hire. Even
It Runs in the Family, a sequel to
A Christmas Story, did little to revive his reputation. In the '00s, a renewed interest in his early work led to talks of remakes of
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things and
Porky's. Unfortunately, Clark wouldn't live to see those projects pan out: On April 4, 2007, he and his 22-year-old son Ariel Hanrath-Clark were killed in a head-on collision with an allegedly drunk driver on California's Pacific Coast Highway.
Bob Clark Fast Facts:
- Attended North Carolina's Catawba College on a football scholarship, and later played semipro football for the Fort Lauderdale Black Knights.
- Made his feature directing debut with the 1967 transvestite comedy She-Man, but came to prominence with cult horror favorites Deathdream (AKA Dead of Night, 1972) and Black Christmas (1974).
- Segued successfully into comedy films in the '80s with the offbeat classics Porky's (1982) and A Christmas Story (1983).
- Nominated for Razzies as Worst Director for 1984's Rhinestone and 2004's SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2.
- Won a multi-million dollar settlement against Warner Bros. regarding the 2005 film adaptation of the '70s TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. Clark had produced the 1976 film Moonrunners, which was the basis for the series. He claimed that the studio had never acquired the rights to turn the property into a movie.
- He and son Ariel Hanrath-Clark were killed April 4, 2007, in a head-on collision with an allegedly drunken driver on California's Pacific Coast Highway.
- Was planning to direct a remake of his 1972 zombie comedy Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things at the time of his death.
- Bob Clark Relationships:
- Ariel Hanrath-Clark - Son
- Michael Clark - Son
- Bob Clark Awards:
- 1984 Genie Awards: Best Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1984 Genie Awards: Best Screenplay - Winner
- College:
- Attended Catawba College, Salisbury, NC; attended Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI; University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL