Richard C. Sarafian
Richard Caspar Sarafian (April 28, 1930 – September 18, 2013) was an Armenian-American film director and actor. He compiled a versatile career that spanned over five decades as a director, actor, and writer. Sarafian is best known as the director of the 1971 film Vanishing Point and the classic The Twilight Zone episode "Living Doll".
Also recorded as Richard Caspar Sarafian
Richard C. Sarafian
- Name
- Richard C.
- Birth Name
- Richard Caspar Sarafian
- Born
- 28 April 1930
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, U.S.
- Died
- 18 September 2013
- Place of death
- Santa Monica, California, U.S.
- Education
- New York University
- Occupation
- Film director, writer, actor
- Spouse
- Helen Joan Altman
- Nationality
- United States.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
Richard Caspar Sarafian (April 28, 1930 – September 18, 2013) was an Armenian-American film director and actor. He compiled a versatile career that spanned over five decades as a director, actor, and writer. Sarafian is best known as the director of the 1971 film Vanishing Point and the classic The Twilight Zone episode "Living Doll".
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Authority files
wikidata · Q743907 · wikipedia · Richard C. Sarafian
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Richard C. Sarafian • Birth Name — Richard Caspar Sarafian • Born — 28 April 1930 • Birthplace — New York City, New York, U.S. • Died — 18 September 2013 • Place of death — Santa Monica, California, U.S. • Education — New York University • Occupation — Film director, writer, actor • Years Active — 1952–2007 • Spouse — Helen Joan Altman • Children — 5, including Deran and Tedi
Biography
Biography
Sarafian was born in New York City on April 28, 1930, to Armenian immigrants. He studied pre-law and pre-med at New York University and was a poor student, but changed over to studying film, at which he excelled. He left college to join the United States Army, in which he served as a reporter for an Army news service. While stationed in Kansas City, Missouri during the Korean War (1950–1953) he met the future Hollywood director Robert Altman, and the two became friends. Sarafian worked with Altman on industrial films and married Altmans sister, Helen Joan Altman. He also acted in a local play Altman directed. His television career began in the early 1960s in Kansas City as Altmans assistant. Sarafian soon began to direct television shows, and in 1963, he scored one of his great successes as director of the "Living Doll" episode of The Twilight Zone. His first feature film was Andy in 1965. His greatest success as a feature film director came with Vanishing Point, an existential road movie that followed a man driving a white Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco in 15 hours; critics disliked the movie, but it became a cult hit. Besides The Twilight Zone, Sarafians directing credits on television included episodes of Gunsmoke and Batman. In addition to Andy and Vanishing Point, he directed a number of feature films, including Run Wild, Run Free in 1969, Man in the Wilderness in 1971, and The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing in 1973. In his film acting career, he played a gangster in Bugsy in 1991, Paul Castellano in Gotti, and a hitman in Bulworth in 1998, and in 2001 he voiced the animated God Beaver character in Dr. Dolittle 2. On television, he played a coffee shop owner as a regular member of the cast of the 1985–1986 sitcom Foley Square.
Personal life
Personal life
Sarafian and Helen Altman Sarafian married, divorced, and remarried; she died in 2011. They had five children, including actor Richard Sarafian Jr., actor/director Deran Sarafian, special effects expert Damon B. Sarafian, screenwriter Tedi Sarafian, and Catherine Sarafian.
Death
Death
Sarafian died at the age of 83 in Santa Monica, California, on September 18, 2013, of pneumonia, which he contracted while recovering from a broken back.
TV series
TV series
Director • Year — Title — Notes • 1961 — Maverick — episode: "The Forbidden City" • Bronco — episode: "Guns of the Lawless" • Surfside 6 — episode: "Count Seven!" • The Roaring 20's — episode: "Blondes Prefer Gentlemen" • 1961–1962 — Lawman — 22 episodes • Cheyenne — 2 episodes • 1962 — Hawaiian Eye — 2 episodes • 1962–1963 — The Dakotas — 3 episodes • The Gallant Men — 9 episodes • 77 Sunset Strip — 3 episodes • 1963 — Redigo — episode: "Lady War-Bonnet" • The Great Adventure — episode: "Six Wagons to the Sea" • The Twilight Zone — episode: "Living Doll" • Bonanza — episode: "The Waiting Game" • 1963–1965 — Ben Casey — 3 episodes • 1964 — Dr. Kildare — episode: "An Exchange of Gifts" • 1965 — Slattery's People — 4 episodes • The Wild Wild West — 2 episodes • Convoy — episode: "Lady on the Rock" • The Long, Hot Summer — episode: "Home Is a Nameless Place" • The Big Valley — episode: "Winner Lose All" • The Wackiest Ship in the Army — episode: "The Stowaway" • 1965–1968 — Gunsmoke — 4 episodes • 1966 — The Trials of O'Brien — episode: "Alarums and Excursions" • Batman — 2 episodes • Jericho — 5 episodes • The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. — episode: "The Romany Lie Affair" • 1966–1968 — I Spy — 8 episodes • 1967 — Iron Horse — episode: "Consignment, Betsy the Boiler" • The Guns of Will Sonnett — 3 episodes • Cimarron Strip — episode: "The Battle of Bloody Stones" • 1967–1968 — The Danny Thomas Hour — 2 episodes • 1968 — Premiere • 1975 — Doctors' Hospital — episode: "One of Our Own" • 1981 — The Gangster Chronicles — miniseries • Shannon — 2 episodes • 1982 — The Mississippi — episode: "The Mississippi" • 1985 — Wildside — 3 episodes • 1990 — Zorro — episode: "Zorro: The Legend Continues" (unaired TV pilot) Actor • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1985–1986 — Foley Square — Spiro Papadopolis — 14 episodes • 1989 — Wiseguy — episode: "Le Lacrime D'Amore: Part 2" • 1990 — MacGyver — Caspar Kasabian — episode: "Bitter Harvest" • 1997 — Michael Hayes — Restaurant Owner — episode: "Retribution"
TV movies
TV movies
Director • Shadow on the Land (1968) • One of Our Own (1975) • The African Queen (1977) • A Killing Affair (1977) • Disaster on the Coastliner (1977) • The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story (1980) • Splendor in the Grass (1981) • Liberty (1986) Actor • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1986 — Long Time Gone — Omar • Liberty — Philbert Evans • 1993 — Sex, Love and Cold Hard Cash — Abe — Uncredited • 1996 — Miami Hustle — Henry Kronfeld • Gotti — Paul Castellano
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the heading Richard Caspar Sarafian. His recorded language was English. 2 children are recorded: Tedi Sarafian and Deran Sarafian.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2013
Richard C. Sarafian died in 2013 at Santa Monica.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
New York City.
Birth place
Santa Monica.
Death place
Film
Director • Year — Title — Director — Writer — Producer • 1962 — Terror at Black Falls • 1965 — Andy • 1969 — Run Wild, Run Free • 1970 — Fragment of Fear • 1971 — Vanishing Point • Man in the Wilderness • 1973 — Lolly-Madonna XXX • The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing • 1976 — The Next Man • 1979 — Sunburn • 1981 — Gangster Wars • 1984 — The Bear • 1986 — Eye of the Tiger • 1987 — Street Justice • 1990 — Solar Crisis* • Credited as "Alan Smithee" Actor • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1956 — The Magic Bond — Short • 1976 — The Next Man — Gregory Zolnikov — uncredited • 1984 — Songwriter — Rodeo Rocky • 1986 — Alien Predator — Capt. J.J. Wells — voice, uncredited • 1987 — Street Justice — Taxi Driver • 1989 — To Die For — Bartender • 1991 — Bugsy — Jack Dragna • 1992 — Ruby — Proby • 1994 — Gunmen — Chief Chavez • Roadflower — Trucker • 1995 — Don Juan DeMarco — Detective Sy Tobias • The Crossing Guard — Sunny Ventura • 1996 — Bound — Gino Marzzone • 1998 — Bulworth — Vinnie • 1999 — Blink of an Eye — Erlik • Blue Streak — Uncle Lou • 2000 — Picking Up the Pieces — Wino • 2001 — Dr. Dolittle 2 — God Beaver — voice • 2002 — Hitters • 2003 — Masked and Anonymous — President • 2007 — Reeling — Teeth — voice, short
Awards
• Nominee, Gold Hugo, Best Feature Film – Chicago International Film Festival (The Next Man) (1976)
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q743907: Richard C. SarafianWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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