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Lee Rich
Born	(1918-12-19)December 19, 1918 Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Died	May 24, 2012(2012-05-24) (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, United States
Cause of death	lung cancer
Nationality	American
Education	Ohio University
Occupation(s)	film and television producer
Spouse	Pippa Scott (1964-1983)
Children	Michael Henes, Jessica Rich, Miranda Rich Tollman, Blair Rich and Anthony Rich
Awards	Emmy Award

Lee Rich (December 19, 1918 – May 24, 2012) was an American film and television producer, who won the 1973 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy award for The Waltons as the producer. He is also known for co-founding Lorimar Television. Among the five Emmy nominated programs Rich produced were the series' Dallas and Knot's Landing.

Early life and education

Rich was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 19, 1918. He earned a marketing degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Career

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2012)

He began his career in advertising and ultimately became an executive.

Rich served in the Navy as a lieutenant in World War II, and then returned to advertising in New York, where he rose to senior vice president and a member of the board of Benton and Bowles.

As the ad agency middleman between product company sponsors and television producers, he was involved with The Andy Griffith Show, Make Room for Daddy, The Edge of Night, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Rich left Benton & Bowles in 1965 to partner with the Mirisch Co. and form Mirisch-Rich Productions. There he produced The Rat Patrol.

In 1969, he, Merv Adelson, and Irwin Molasky formed Lorimar Productions. The Homecoming (1971), and then sequel The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971), served as a pilot for The Waltons. The family series, The Waltons, ran on CBS from 1972-81. Lorimar's biggest hit was the primetime soap Dallas, which ran from 1978-91. In regards to the famous Dallas storyline “Who shot J.R.?” in which Larry Hagman’s character is fired upon in the 1979-80 season finale in March and the assailant is not revealed until the following November, only Rich and writer-director Leonard Katzman knew which of three previously shot endings would be used.