Richard L. O’Connor Dies: Emmy-Winning Producer, Exec In Charge Of ‘On Golden Pond’, ‘Muppet Movie’ Was 96 — SkimNews
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- Richard L. O'Connor died July 22 in Palm Desert at age 96, with his family announcing the death but not disclosing a cause.
- O'Connor won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program for producing the 1989 NBC TV movie "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story," starring Alfre Woodard.
- Born in San Francisco on January 7, 1930, O'Connor and his twin brother Don served together in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War from 1950-1951 before O'Connor began his Hollywood career in the CBS Television City mail room.
- O'Connor's four-decade studio production career included executive credits on "On Golden Pond" (1981), "The Muppet Movie" (1979), "Movie, Movie" (1978), "Friendly Fire" (1979) and "Raise the Titanic" (1980).
- As a producer, O'Connor worked on TV series and limited series including "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (1993), "Amerika" (1987), "A Death in California" (1985), "Fatal Vision" (1984) and "Angels in the Endzone" (1997).
- O'Connor is survived by wife Brona; daughters Kathleen, Triglia and Karen; stepchildren Kate, Marc and Matt; four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Why it matters: O'Connor's four-decade career bridged Hollywood's studio-system era into the prestige TV-movie boom of the 1980s, with executive credits on both "The Muppet Movie" and "Fatal Vision" — a range that reflected what studios expected of their production chiefs at the time. His death closes a chapter on a generation of behind-the-camera executives who shaped both theatrical hits and early made-for-TV dramas.
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