Richard Schickel: American film historian, critic, author and documentarian

Career and principal roles

Schickel worked in a range of professional roles that reflected his broad engagement with movies and culture. He was a newspaper and magazine writer whose criticism reached wide audiences, a biographer and historian who produced studies of film personalities and movements, and a maker of documentary films that explored cinematic lives and legacies. Among the outlets that published his work were Life magazine and the Los Angeles Times Book Review. In later years he also wrote for the online journal Truthdig.

Teaching and academic work

Alongside his journalism and filmmaking, Schickel taught film history and critical studies. His academic appointments included courses and visiting positions at institutions such as Yale University and the University of Southern California's School of Film and Television (USC). Students and colleagues remember him for a deep knowledge of Hollywood traditions and for emphasizing the historical context of film art.

Subjects, themes and style

Schickel wrote across genres: critical reviews, historical essays, biographies and documentary scripts. His books and films often focused on major figures in cinema and on the development of American film. He is frequently noted for a traditionalist appreciation of classic Hollywood craft, a clear narrative prose style, and an insistence on evaluating movies within cultural and historical frames rather than purely as entertainment.

Selected publications and projects

• Long-form magazine criticism and feature essays for national outlets.
• Biographical and historical books on filmmakers and film stars.
• Documentary films and television programs examining cinema and its makers.

Legacy and final years

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Schickel was a prominent public intellectual who bridged the gap between popular criticism and scholarly film history. He continued to publish and comment on cinema into his later years. Schickel died in Los Angeles, California, on February 18, 2017, from complications following a stroke, at the age of 84. His writings remain a resource for readers seeking informed, historically minded criticism and accessible film scholarship.