Boris Sagal

American director and producer (1923–1981)

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Boris Sagal

Born| (1923-10-18)October 18, 1923

Yekaterinoslav, Soviet Union (now Dnipro, Ukraine)

Died| May 22, 1981(1981-05-22) (aged 57)

Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Cause of death| Helicopter accident
Occupation| Director
Years active| 1955-1981
Spouses|

Sara Zwilling

(m. 1952; died 1975)​

Marge Champion

(m. 1977)​

Children| 5, including Katey, Jean and Liz, and Joey
Relatives| Jackson White (grandson)

Boris Sagal (October 18, 1923 – May 22, 1981) was an American television and film director.[1]

## Early life and career

[edit]

Born in Yekaterinoslav, Ukrainian SSR (modern Dnipro, Ukraine) to a Russian family of Jewish descent,[2][better source needed] Sagal immigrated to the United States. Sagal's TV credits include directing episodes of The Twilight Zone, T.H.E. Cat, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery, Columbo: Candidate for Crime, Peter Gunn, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He also directed the 1972 television adaptation of Percy MacKaye's play The Scarecrow, for PBS. He was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for his direction of the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and, posthumously, Masada.[citation needed]

Among Sagal's credits for the big screen are the 1965 Elvis Presley film Girl Happy, the 1971 science fiction film The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston in the lead role,[3] and The Dream Makers.[3]

There is a directing fellowship in his name at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.[4]

Shortly before his death, Sagal's miniseries Masada aired on ABC.[5]

## Personal life

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Sagal was the father of Katey, Joey, David, Jean and Liz with his first wife, Sara Zwilling, who died in 1975. His second wife was Marge Champion, to whom he was married from January 1, 1977, until his death.

## Death

[edit]

Sagal was killed in an accident during production of the miniseries World War III, when he was partially decapitated by walking into the tail rotor blades of a helicopter in the parking lot of Timberline Lodge in Oregon.[3] An investigation revealed that he turned the wrong way after exiting the helicopter. He died five hours later in a Portland hospital.[6]

He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.[7]

## See also

[edit]

* List of film and television accidents
* List of unusual deaths in the 20th century

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Kennedy, Shawn G. (May 24, 1981). "Boris Sagal, 58, Movie Director, Dies After A Helicopter Accident". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
2. ^ "Katey Sagal Trivia". Hollywood Up Close. 2008. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010.
3. ^ a b c "Film director Boris Sagal, 58, was fatally injured fatally..." United Press International. May 23, 1981.
4. ^ "Fellowship Projects". Williamstown Theatre Festival. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
5. ^ "BORIS SAGAL, 58, MOVIE DIRECTOR, DIES AFTER A HELICOPTER ACCIDENT". The New York Times. 24 May 1981. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
6. ^ Cathcart, Rebecca (November 7, 2008). "Out From Under All That Big Hair". The New York Times.
7. ^ Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 41315). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

## External links

[edit]

* Boris Sagal at IMDb
* Boris Sagal at Find a Grave

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Boris Sagal

* The Crimebusters (1961)
* Dime with a Halo (1963)
* Twilight of Honor (1963)
* Guns of Diablo (1965)
* Girl Happy (1965)
* Made in Paris (1966)
* The Helicopter Spies (1968)
* Mosquito Squadron (1969)
* The Thousand Plane Raid (1969)
* Destiny of a Spy (1969)
* Night Gallery ("The Cemetery" segment, 1969)
* Hauser's Memory (1970)
* The Omega Man (1971)
* The Failing of Raymond (1971)
* A Case of Rape (1974)
* The Dream Makers (1975)
* Sherlock Holmes in New York (1976)
* Angela (1978)
* The Diary of Anne Frank (1980)
* When the Circus Came to Town (1981)

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