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Richard Alan Simmons(1924-2004)

  • Writer
  • Producer
  • Additional Crew
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Richard Alan Simmons was born on 11 October 1924 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was a writer and producer, known for The Dick Powell Theatre (1961), Columbo (1971) and Major Payne (1995). He was married to Emily Belle Dekoker. He died on 13 November 2004 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
BornOctober 11, 1924
DiedNovember 13, 2004(80)
BornOctober 11, 1924
DiedNovember 13, 2004(80)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
    • 3 wins & 3 nominations total

Known for

The Dick Powell Theatre (1961)
The Dick Powell Theatre
7.4
TV Series
  • Writer(creator)
Peter Falk in Columbo (1971)
Columbo
8.3
TV Series
  • Writer
Major Payne (1995)
Major Payne
6.3
  • Writer
  • 1995
Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Shirley Knight, David Hemmings, Clifton James, and Roy Kinnear in Juggernaut (1974)
Juggernaut
6.6
  • Writer(as Richard De Koker)
  • 1974

Credits

IMDbPro

Writer

  • Major Payne (1995)
    Major Payne
    6.3
    • earlier screenplay
    • 1995
  • Peter Falk in Columbo (1971)
    Columbo
    8.3
    TV Series
    • written by
    • 1989
  • Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows (1989)
    Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows
    7.3
    TV Movie
    • written by
    • 1989
  • Harry's Hong Kong (1987)
    Harry's Hong Kong
    4.2
    TV Movie
    • Writer
    • 1987
  • The Gangster Chronicles (1981)
    The Gangster Chronicles
    8.1
    TV Mini Series
    • Writer
    • writer (as Richard DeKoker)
    • 1981
  • Gangster Wars (1981)
    Gangster Wars
    6.6
    • writer (as Richard DeKoker)
    • 1981
  • Kate Mulgrew in Mrs. Columbo (1979)
    Mrs. Columbo
    5.7
    TV Series
    • written by
    • teleplay
    • developed by (as Al Reynolds) ...
    • 1979–1980
  • The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977)
    The Island of Dr. Moreau
    5.9
    • screenplay (uncredited)
    • 1977
  • The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975)
    The Lives of Jenny Dolan
    6.5
    TV Movie
    • story
    • 1975
  • Susan Howard, Barry Newman, and Albert Salmi in Petrocelli (1974)
    Petrocelli
    7.2
    TV Series
    • written by (as Al Reynolds)
    • 1975
  • Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Shirley Knight, David Hemmings, Clifton James, and Roy Kinnear in Juggernaut (1974)
    Juggernaut
    6.6
    • written by (as Richard De Koker)
    • 1974
  • Sidekicks (1974)
    Sidekicks
    6.9
    TV Movie
    • characters
    • 1974
  • Raymond Burr and Barbara Sigel in Ironside (1967)
    Ironside
    6.9
    TV Series
    • written by (as Peter Penduik)
    • 1972
  • James Garner and Louis Gossett Jr. in Skin Game (1971)
    Skin Game
    7.0
    • story
    • 1971
  • Lock, Stock and Barrel (1971)
    Lock, Stock and Barrel
    6.5
    TV Movie
    • Writer
    • 1971

Producer

  • Murder, a Self Portrait (1989)
    Murder, a Self Portrait
    7.2
    TV Movie
    • executive producer
    • 1989
  • Peter Falk and Robert Foxworth in Columbo: Grand Deceptions (1989)
    Columbo: Grand Deceptions
    6.8
    TV Movie
    • executive producer
    • 1989
  • Peter Falk, Lindsay Crouse, Peter Jurasik, Ken Lerner, Stephen Macht, and Julia Montgomery in Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective (1989)
    Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective
    7.2
    TV Movie
    • executive producer
    • 1989
  • Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows (1989)
    Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows
    7.3
    TV Movie
    • executive producer
    • 1989
  • Peter Falk, Anthony Andrews, Anthony Zerbe, Dana Andersen, Karen Austin, and Alan Fudge in Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (1989)
    Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine
    7.3
    TV Movie
    • executive producer
    • 1989
  • Kate Mulgrew in Mrs. Columbo (1979)
    Mrs. Columbo
    5.7
    TV Series
    • executive producer
    • 1979
  • Peter Falk in Columbo (1971)
    Columbo
    8.3
    TV Series
    • producer
    • 1977–1978
  • Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Shirley Knight, David Hemmings, Clifton James, and Roy Kinnear in Juggernaut (1974)
    Juggernaut
    6.6
    • producer (as Richard De Koker)
    • 1974
  • The NBC Mystery Movie
    8.7
    TV Series
    • executive producer
    • producer
    • 1971–1977
  • Lock, Stock and Barrel (1971)
    Lock, Stock and Barrel
    6.5
    TV Movie
    • producer
    • 1971
  • Sally Field and Tim Matheson in Hitched (1971)
    Hitched
    6.5
    TV Movie
    • producer
    • 1971
  • Banyon (1971)
    Banyon
    7.7
    TV Series
    • executive producer
    • 1971
  • Lynda Day George and Louis Jourdan in Fear No Evil (1969)
    Fear No Evil
    6.3
    TV Movie
    • producer
    • 1969
  • Premiere (1968)
    Premiere
    7.4
    TV Series
    • producer
    • 1968
  • Too Many Thieves (1966)
    Too Many Thieves
    6.1
    • producer
    • 1966

Additional Crew

  • The Gangster Chronicles (1981)
    The Gangster Chronicles
    8.1
    TV Mini Series
    • created by
    • 1981

Personal details

  • Alternative names
    • Richard De Koker
  • Born
    • October 11, 1924
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • Died
    • November 13, 2004
    • Los Angeles, California, USA(undisclosed)
  • Spouse
    • Emily Belle DekokerAugust 4, 1951 - November 13, 2004 (his death, 4 children)
  • Children
      Mark Lauren Simmons
  • Parents
      Rose Rosenfield
  • Other works
    Unsold pilot: Wrote and produced a pilot for a proposed family dramatic series set in a small coastal California town called "Royal Bay". The pilot featured Paul Burke, Charles Bickford, Joan Crawford and Richard Carlson.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Article

Did you know

  • Trivia
    He had written under many pseudonyms, including Richard DeKoker, Peter Penduik, and Al Reynolds.

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