Herschell Gordon Lewis
Biography
Herschell Gordon Lewis was an American filmmaker who created the splatter subgenre of horror and became known as the Godfather of Gore. Born in Pittsburgh in 1926 and raised largely in Chicago, he studied journalism at Northwestern University and worked in radio, television and advertising before moving into film. He produced his first feature, The Prime Time, in 1959, then began a long run of exploitation pictures with producer David F. Friedman, starting with Living Venus in 1961 and moving through nudist camp features to Blood Feast (1963), widely considered the first gore film. Two Thousand Maniacs! and Color Me Blood Red followed the same formula, and he later made A Taste of Blood and The Wizard of Gore. AllMovie called him a pioneer who probed disgust and discomfort further than anyone of his era. He left filmmaking in the early 1970s for copywriting and direct marketing, and he died in 2016.
90years old at death
- Born Pittsburgh
- Died Pompano Estates
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Also credited as Lewis H. Gordon
Movie Career
- Films
- 7
- Career span
- 59 years1963 to 2022
Genres
- Documentary57%, 4 films
- Horror43%, 3 films
- Comedy14%, 1 film
- Thriller14%, 1 film
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A change of course
Herschell Gordon Lewis left filmmaking in the early 1970s to work in copywriting and direct marketing, publishing several books on the subject in the 1980s.
Behind the camera
Lewis put money from his successful advertising firm in Chicago into almost every one of his own movies, which he financed and produced himself.
Behind the camera
Lewis bought the rights to a film that was not finished and finished it on his own, giving it the new title Monster a Go-Go in 1965.
A first
Herschell Gordon Lewis made The Adventures of Lucky Pierre in 1961 for a budget of $7,500. It was the duo's first great financial success and earned three times its budget on its first release.
A first
With the nudie market starting to fade, Lewis and Friedman moved into new territory with Blood Feast in 1963, which most critics regard as the first gore film.
Herschell Gordon Lewis movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida2022as Self [archival]
IMDb rating 6.857 votes
Most often with
John Waters appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
John Waters's page
John Landis's page
Joe Dante's page
David Hess's page
Jerome Eden2 films together, 1963 to 2010
Jerome Eden's page
Ray Sager's page
Also two films together3 more actors
- Connie MasonHerschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (2010) and Blood Feast (1963)
- David F. FriedmanHerschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (2010) and Blood Feast (1963)
- Mal ArnoldHerschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (2010) and Blood Feast (1963)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2009 | Time Machine Award | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.