
Michael Schultz
Schultz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Katherine Frances (née Leslie), a factory worker, and German American Leo Schultz, an insurance salesman.
After his undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Marquette University, he attended Princeton University, where in 1966 he directed his first play, a production of Waiting for Godot. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in 1968, which brought him to Broadway in 1969. His breakthrough was directing Lorraine Hansberry's To Be Young, Gifted and Black, which he restaged for television in 1972.
Schultz' earliest film projects combined low comedy with profound social comment (Honeybaby, Honeybaby and Cooley High), reaching a peak with the ensemble comedy Car Wash (1976) and Which Way Is Up? (1977), starring Richard Pryor.
In 1978, Schultz took the reins of the musical Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with the largest budget ever entrusted to an African-American film director to that date. However, upon its release, the project was a commercial and critical failure. Schultz would go on to make prominent films such as Scavenger Hunt (1979), Carbon Copy (1981), and Disorderlies (1987).
More recently, Schultz has worked in television, piloting episodes of such style-conscious series as The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and Picket Fences, as well as an abundance of made-for-TV movies.
In 1991, Schultz was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
70Credits40 TV · 30 films
1972–2022Years activefirst to latest
10.0 Highest ratedCeremonies in Dark Old Men
7.1 Average ratingacross 70 titles
Top TV shows 40best Michael Schultz shows
- 1
City of AngelsDirector · 1 ep · 2000 - 2
Lincoln HeightsDirector · 1 ep · 2007 - 3
CharmedDirector · 2 eps · 1998 - 4
All AmericanDirector · 14 eps · 2018 - 5
Family LawDirector · 1 ep · 1999 - 6
Gilmore GirlsDirector · 1 ep · 2000 - 7
Women's Murder ClubDirector · 1 ep · 2007 - 8
Cold CaseDirector · 1 ep · 2003 - 9
WastelandDirector · 1 ep · 1999 - 10
Drop Dead DivaDirector · 2 eps · 2009 - 11
The O.C.Director · 1 ep · 2003 - 12
ChuckDirector · 3 eps · 2007 - 13
The PracticeDirector · 8 eps · 1997 - 14
Boston PublicDirector · 3 eps · 2000 - 15
EverwoodDirector · 16 eps · 2002 - 16
The Rockford FilesDirector · 1 ep · 1974 - 17
Switched at BirthDirector · 1 ep · 2011 - 18
Once Upon a TimeDirector · 1 ep · 2011 - 19
All American: HomecomingDirector · 4 eps · 2022 - 20
New GirlDirector · 3 eps · 2011 - 21
PhillyDirector · 1 ep · 2001 - 22
Jack & BobbyDirector · 2 eps · 2004 - 23
Hart of DixieDirector · 3 eps · 2011 - 24
Starsky & HutchDirector · 4 eps · 1975 - 25
JAGDirector · 3 eps · 1995 - 26
Chicago HopeDirector · 6 eps · 1994 - 27
SistersDirector · 2 eps · 1991 - 28
Touched by an AngelDirector · 8 eps · 1994 - 29
Brothers and SistersDirector · 14 eps · 2006 - 30
PrivilegedDirector · 1 ep · 2008 - 31
In Plain SightDirector · 1 ep · 2008 - 32
L.A. LawDirector · 1 ep · 1986 - 33
Diagnosis: MurderDirector · 1 ep · 1993 - 34
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.Director · 1 ep · 1993 - 35
black-ishDirector · 4 eps · 2014 - 36
The Wonder YearsDirector · 1 ep · 2021 - 37
The Tomorrow PeopleDirector · 1 ep · 2013 - 38
Black LightningDirector · 3 eps · 2018 - 39
ArrowDirector · 8 eps · 2012 - 40
Crazy Ex-GirlfriendDirector · 1 ep · 2015
Top movies 30best Michael Schultz movies
- 1
Ceremonies in Dark Old MenDirector · 1975 - 2
Benny's PlaceDirector · 1982 - 3
Together for DaysDirector · 1972 - 4
L.A. Law: The MovieDirector · 2002 - 5
Cooley HighDirector · 1975 - 6
Earth, Wind & Fire in ConcertDirector · 1982 - 7
Killers in the HouseDirector · 1998 - 8
For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar EversDirector · 1983 - 9
Hammer, Slammer, & SladeDirector · 1990 - 10
To Be Young, Gifted and BlackDirector · 1972 - 11Shock TreatmentDirector
- 12
The Last DragonDirector · 1985 - 13
Greased LightningDirector · 1977 - 14
Krush GrooveDirector · Producer · 1985 - 15
Bustin' LooseDirector · 1981 - 16
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with FatherDirector · 1996 - 17
Which Way Is Up?Director · 1977 - 18
Honeybaby, HoneybabyDirector · 1974 - 19
Car WashDirector · 1976 - 20
Carbon CopyDirector · 1981 - 21
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: My First AdventureDirector · 2000 - 22
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of InnocenceDirector · 1999 - 23
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of ChangeDirector · 2000 - 24
Livin' Large!Director · 1991 - 25
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hollywood FolliesDirector · 1994 - 26
Scavenger HuntDirector · 1979 - 27
Woman Thou Art LoosedDirector · 2004 - 28
My Last LoveDirector · 1999 - 29
TimestalkersDirector · 1987 - 30
Phat BeachExecutive Producer · 1996