# Directors who directed remakes of their own films **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505 "2004-01-08T21:07:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/1 "2004-01-08T21:07:33Z")
I was just reading in the last couple days about plans to make a new film version of “The Producers”. I haven’t heard but would have to assume that Mel Brooks would direct the remake. Which got me to wondering, are there any other instances of a director doing a remake of one of their own films? IIRC Hitchcock did it once or twice but I don’t remember the film (The 39 Steps?). Anyone else ever do this? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/2 "2004-01-08T21:21:21Z")
The Hitchcock film was _The Man Who Knew Too Much_, 1934 and 1956. Howard Hawks made _Rio Bravo_ and \* El Dorado\* which are strikingly similar, but not strictly remakes. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/3 "2004-01-08T21:46:40Z")
Well, George Lucas originally made _THX 1138:4EB_ as a short film while a student at USC, before redoing it as a feature titled _THX 1138_ and starring Robert Duvall. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/4 "2004-01-08T21:52:55Z")
Frank Capra made _Lady for a Day_ and _Pocketful of Miracles_. George Sluizer made both the Danish and English versions of _The Vanishing_. Ditto _Les Fugitifs_ and _Three Fugitives_, both directed by Francis Veber and _Visiteurs, Les_ and _Just Visiting_, both directed by Jean-Marie Poiré. Oh, and Susan Stroman, who directed and choreographed the stage version, will be directing the film, not Brooks. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/5 "2004-01-08T22:00:17Z")
More: _Ball of Fire_ and _A Song Is Born_, both by Howard Hawks. _These Three_ and _The Children’s Hour_, both by William Wyler. _Love Affair_ and _An Affair to Remember_, both by Leo McCarey. _Broadway Bill_ and _Riding High_, both by Frank Capra. _Destry Rides Again_ and the remake _Destry_, both by George Marshall. _Nattevagten_ and _Nightwatch_, both by Ole Bornedal. Two versions of _And God Created Woman_, both by Roger Vadim. Two versions of _The Ten Commandments_ and three of _The Squaw Man_, all by Cecil B. DeMille. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/6 "2004-01-08T22:23:17Z")
_Evil Dead_, **Sam Raimi**. _Desperado_, **Robert Rodriguez**. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/7 "2004-01-08T23:11:16Z")
Evil Dead II is definitely NOT a remake of The Evil Dead. Sam Raimi has said so many times. And according to the IMDB, Desperado was not a remake of El Mariachi. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/8 "2004-01-08T23:15:38Z")
George Sluizer directed a terrible Hollywood remake, [The Vanishing](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0108473/), of his earlier Dutch masterpiece, [Spoorloos (The Vanishing)](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0096163/). ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/9 "2004-01-08T23:33:34Z")
How about an actor, Clint Eastwood who starred in _Man With No Name_, who directed the remake _He Rode a Pale Horse_. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/10 "2004-01-08T23:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*George Sluizer directed a terrible Hollywood remake, [The Vanishing](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0108473/), of his earlier Dutch masterpiece, [Spoorloos (The Vanishing)](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0096163/). \*\* Apologies, **ArchiveGuy** , I missed you post first time round. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/11 "2004-01-08T23:38:38Z")
…on the other hand, wasn’t Michael Mann’s _Heat_ a remake of his earlier _LA Takedown_? ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/12 "2004-01-08T23:38:41Z")
I suppose \*\*Sam Raimi \*\* can say whatever he wants but all you have to do is watch them to know better. And notice that the flashbacks in **Desperado** aren’t footage from **El**? Also **Carlos Gallardo** played the original mariachi but in **Desperado** he is one of **El’s** companeros. At best it’s a _remaqual_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/13 "2004-01-09T01:56:09Z")
Sam Raimi\*did[/i remake \*\*The Evil Dead[/B, even if you don’t count **Evil Dead II**. IIRC, Evil Dead started out as a small student flick, and they reshot it all for the offical “first” film. I was going to say Cecil B. deMille for **Ten Commandments** and Hitchcock for **Man Who Knw Too Much**. Didn’t know abut the others. There are probably quite a few student film that got reshot, like Evil Dead, but I’m not sure we should count them. How about actors who starred in remakes of their own films (not just cameos)? Clark Gable in **Red Dust** / **Mogambo** , and Sean Connery in **Thunderball** / **Never Say Never Again**. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/14 "2004-01-09T03:12:22Z")
_Judge Priest_ (1934) and _The Sun Shines Bright_ (1953), both directed by John Ford. _Der Golem_ (1915) and _Der Golem_ (1920), both co-directed by Paul Wegener. _Forbidden Paradise_ (1924) and _A Royal Scandal_ (1945), both directed by Ernst Lubitsch. _Kiss Me Again_ (1925) and _That Uncertain Feeling_ (1941), both directed by Ernst Lubitsch. _The Marriage Circle_ (1924) and _One Hour with You_ (1932), both directed by Ernst Lubitsch. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/15 "2004-01-09T03:58:37Z")
I don’t have any examples to add, but according to the New York Times article on the remake of The Producers Mel Brooks will write the screenplay along with the guy who helped write the stage version and the movie will be directed by the person who directed the stage version. (It will be her first movie directing gig.) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/16 "2004-01-09T06:56:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jimpatro \* > I suppose Sam Raimi can say whatever he wants but all you have to do is watch them to know better. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > Sam Raimi_did\* remake **The Evil Dead** , even if you don’t count **Evil Dead II**. IIRC, Evil Dead started out as a small student flick, and they reshot it all for the offical “first” film. I have watched them and I do know better. Evil Dead II is not a remake. They wanted to use footage from the original Evil Dead to setup part II but couldn’t get the rights. So they reshot a few scenes to make the viewer know this is the second day. And Evil Dead was never a “student film.” The original intention was to get it in as many drive thrus as possible. It was always a “serious” attempt at filmmaking. ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/17 "2004-01-09T11:44:23Z")
I recall reading that **Michael Mann** remade one of his earlier movies into **Heat** On the Evil Dead II discussion, although not technically a remake they two movies _are_ incredibly similar so it almost qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mullets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@John\_Mullets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mullets)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/18 "2004-01-09T13:02:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Justin\_Bailey \* > \*\*And Evil Dead was never a “student film.” The original intention was to get it in as many drive thrus as possible. It was always a “serious” attempt at filmmaking. \*\* He wasn’t talking about Evil Dead. I believe there was a short made before Evil Dead titled “It Came from the Woods” or something of the like, which was made to get investers interested in producing Evil Dead 1. Also, regarding the remake/sequel arguement. Well, here’s the story I heard, which may or may not be true: What I heard is that Evil Dead 2 was the film that they originally wanted to make but they lacked the budget. So what they did is make the short film to get people interested in producing the full-length film, Evil Dead, which would give them some credibility as filmmakers and allow them to secure funding for a second film. They were taken as serious filmmakers after the release of Evil Dead 1 and could now get the funding to make the film they intended to make in the first place, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn. I cannot remember where I read that and it could very well be pure bullshit but that’s what I heard, okay? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/19 "2004-01-09T13:17:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AcidKid \* > \*\*How about an actor, Clint Eastwood who starred in _Man With No Name_, who directed the remake _He Rode a Pale Horse_. \*\* There are no movie called _Man With No Name_ or _He Rode a Pale Horse_–at least not in the USA. Eastwood’s _Pale Rider_ is not a remake, but Harlan Ellison called it a ripoff of _Shane_. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505/20 "2004-01-09T14:46:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sirtonyh \* > \*\*I recall reading that **Michael Mann** remade one of his earlier movies into **Heat** > > On the Evil Dead II discussion, although not technically a remake they two movies _are_ incredibly similar so it almost qualifies. \*\* Not an earlier movie, but an earlier TV show. Anyone who watched “Crime Story” regularly knows that Mann re-used whole scenes and a lot of dialogue from that TV series in “Heat.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-who-directed-remakes-of-their-own-films/223505.md?page=2)