Brian Damage
08-22-2011, 01:09 AM
Reza Badiyi, a prolific television and movie director whose credits include "Mission Impossible," "Hawaii Five-O," "Baretta," and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" among other classics, has died. He was 81.
Badiyi died peacefully Saturday at UCLA Medical Center due to medical complications, according to publicist Bita Milanian.
He was surrounded by his immediate family and loved ones, she said.
Badiyi was born on April 17, 1930 in Arak, Iran. He graduated from the Academy of Drama in his homeland and received the prestigious golden medal of art from the Shah of Iran.
Badiyi was then invited by the United States government in 1955 to pursue a film career and he went on to graduate from Syracuse University in audiovisual studies. He began his career as a cinematographer, working with such directors as Robert Altman and Sam Pekinpah. He later called Altman his friend and mentor.
While he had previously directed documentary films in Iran, Badiyi made is own American directorial debut in 1963 with a short subject film called "Censorship: A Question of Judgement?" according to the website, Internet Movie Database.
By 1968, he began directing the funny and iconic television show "Get Smart," before moving on to other notable programs, such as "The Doris Day Show," "Mannix" and "The Six Million Dollar Man." Later shows include "Cagney & Lacey," "Falcon Crest," "Baywatch" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
According to Mary Tyler Moore herself, he came up with the idea of having her throw her hat into the air at the end of the opening credits of "Mary Tyler Moore" (1970).
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0046172/bio
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdR8JMQv8e5jjYkTSx7kNR8V7ttlud-3hVYv_CNgiQbFKwn_bj
Badiyi died peacefully Saturday at UCLA Medical Center due to medical complications, according to publicist Bita Milanian.
He was surrounded by his immediate family and loved ones, she said.
Badiyi was born on April 17, 1930 in Arak, Iran. He graduated from the Academy of Drama in his homeland and received the prestigious golden medal of art from the Shah of Iran.
Badiyi was then invited by the United States government in 1955 to pursue a film career and he went on to graduate from Syracuse University in audiovisual studies. He began his career as a cinematographer, working with such directors as Robert Altman and Sam Pekinpah. He later called Altman his friend and mentor.
While he had previously directed documentary films in Iran, Badiyi made is own American directorial debut in 1963 with a short subject film called "Censorship: A Question of Judgement?" according to the website, Internet Movie Database.
By 1968, he began directing the funny and iconic television show "Get Smart," before moving on to other notable programs, such as "The Doris Day Show," "Mannix" and "The Six Million Dollar Man." Later shows include "Cagney & Lacey," "Falcon Crest," "Baywatch" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
According to Mary Tyler Moore herself, he came up with the idea of having her throw her hat into the air at the end of the opening credits of "Mary Tyler Moore" (1970).
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0046172/bio
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdR8JMQv8e5jjYkTSx7kNR8V7ttlud-3hVYv_CNgiQbFKwn_bj