Richard de Rochemont

Richard de Rochemont
Born(1903-12-13)December 13, 1903
Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedAugust 2, 1982(1982-08-02) (aged 78)
Flemington, New Jersey, U.S.
EducationCambridge Latin School, Williams College
Alma materHarvard College (1928)
Occupation(s)Filmmaker, producer
Notable workThe March of Time
SpouseJane Louise Meyerhoff
RelativesLouis de Rochemont (brother)

Richard de Rochemont (December 13, 1903 – August 2, 1982) was an American documentary filmmaker and producer in the mid-20th century.

Biography

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De Rochemont was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, in 1903.[1][2] He was educated at Cambridge Latin School and Williams College, then graduated from Harvard College in 1928.[1] He and initially worked in newspapers, for the Boston Advertiser and The New York Sun.[1] He started his film career as a foreign editor for Fox Movietone News (1930–1934).[3]

Stationed in France until 1941,[4] de Rochemont produced a series of shorts which covered subjects like World War II, the 1920s, and the Vatican. In 1943,[5] de Rochemont became the president of France Forever[6] and continued his action until after the Liberation, giving way to Doctor Albert Simard.[5] From 1943 to 1951, de Rochemont was executive producer of The March of Time newsreel series, which was co-created by his brother, Louis de Rochemont.[1]

De Rochemont produced Crusade in Europe (1949),[7] the very first documentary series produced for television,[8] based on the book by Dwight D. Eisenhower, produced by Time Inc., and distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Television. He was producer for A Chance to Live (1949), which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short at the 22nd Academy Awards (1950).[1]

In 1952, de Rochemont produced various films on Abraham Lincoln.[9] In 1955, he founded his own film production company, Vavin Incorporated.[10][11] The company produced instructional films for organizations like Reader's Digest and the French Tourist Office between the 1950s and 1980s.[3] De Rochemont retired from Vavin in 1980.[1] He was also the author or co-author of three cookbooks.[1]

De Rochemont died in 1982 in Flemington, New Jersey.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Waggoner, Walter H. (1982-08-06). "RICHARD DE ROCHEMONT, 78, DIES; MADE 'MARCH OF TIME' NEWSREELS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  2. ^ "Draft Registration Card". Selective Service System. February 1942. Retrieved August 11, 2024 – via fold3.com.
  3. ^ a b "Richard De Rochemont papers 1900-1997". rmoa.unm.edu. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  4. ^ deRochemont, Richard (24 August 1942). "The French Underground". LIFE. p. 86.
  5. ^ a b Revue de la France libre, Revue No. 240, 1982, p. 1899 [1] [2]. Fondation de la France libre.
  6. ^ de Rochemont, Richard (1945-01-08). The Future of Liberated France. Time Inc (LIFE Magazine). p. 78.
  7. ^ Taylor, Philip S.; Roberts, Graham; Taylor, Philip M.; Pronay, Nicholas (2001). The Historian, Television and Television History: A Collection. Indiana University Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-86020-586-6.
  8. ^ Sims, Michael (2011-07-04). "17". The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White and the Birth of a Children's Classic. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-4088-2306-4.
  9. ^ Reinhart, Mark S. (2009-01-01). Abraham Lincoln on Screen: Fictional and Documentary Portrayals on Film and Television. McFarland. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-7864-5261-3.
  10. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1955-03-12.
  11. ^ Russell, Patrick; Taylor, James Piers (2019-07-25). Shadows of Progress: Documentary Film in Post-War Britain. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-83871-813-8.
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