Boris Sagal

Boris Sagal (October 18, 1923 – May 22, 1981) was a Ukrainian-born American television and film director.

Early life and career

Born in Yekaterinoslav, Ukrainian SSR (now known as Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine), Sagal immigrated to the United States, where he attended the Yale School of Drama. Sagal's TV credits include directing episodes of The Twilight Zone, T.H.E. Cat, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Columbo: Candidate for Crime, Peter Gunn, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He also directed the 1972 television adaptation of Percy MacKaye's play The Scarecrow, for PBS. He was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for his direction of the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and, posthumously, Masada.

Sagal directed the 1971 cult classic science fiction film The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston in the lead role, and The Dream Makers.

There is a directing fellowship in his name at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.

Personal life

Sagal was Jewish. He is the father of Katey, Joey, David, Jean and Liz with his first wife, Sara Zwilling, who died in 1975. His second wife was Marge Champion, to whom he was married from January 1, 1977 until his death.

Death

Sagal was killed in an accident during production of the miniseries World War III, when he was partially decapitated after walking into the tail rotor blades of a helicopter in the parking lot of the Timberline Lodge in Oregon. An investigation revealed that he turned the wrong way when exiting the helicopter. He died five hours later in a Portland hospital.