Boris Sagal (October 18, 1923 – May 22, 1981) was an American television and film director.

Early life and career

Born in Yekaterinoslav, Ukrainian SSR (modern Dnipro, Ukraine) to a Russian family of Jewish descent, Sagal immigrated to the United States. Sagal's TV credits include directing episodes of The Twilight Zone, T.H.E. Cat, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery, 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. Among Sagal's credits for the big screen are the 1965 Elvis Presley film Girl Happy, the 1971 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. Shortly before his death, Sagal's miniseries Masada aired on ABC.

Personal life

Sagal was 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 by walking into the tail rotor blades of a helicopter in the parking lot of Timberline Lodge in Oregon. An investigation revealed that he turned the wrong way after exiting the helicopter. He died five hours later in a Portland hospital. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.