Early years Born in Berlin, Germany, he was raised in England and studied at the
University of Reading. While a teenager, he moved to the United States and directed a series of short films and documentaries.
Television Universal Studios hired Hessler as a story
reader for the
Alfred Hitchcock Presents television series. He directed
The Last Shot You Hear with filming started in 1967 but it was not released until 1969, which was the last film from
Robert L. Lippert.
AIP American International Pictures asked Hessler to step in to produce and direct
The Oblong Box (1969), starring
Vincent Price, when
Michael Reeves became unavailable. It was written by
Christopher Wicking with whom Hessler would make four more movies. AIP liked Hessler's work and called him in to do some uncredited directing on
De Sade (1969), then reteamed him with Price and Wicking in
Scream and Scream Again (1970), this time co starring Christopher Lee and
Peter Cushing. Hessler did a third with Price and Wicking for AIP,
Cry of the Banshee (1970). In an article in
Sight and Sound it was said Hessler "has an almost instantly recognisable visual style, perhaps dating from his documentary days, which gives all his films a suggestion of the surreal. His fluid camera... stalks and encircles the characters like a sadistic probe, and the result is somehow both evocative and unnerving." Hessler directed a thriller
Embassy (1972), then
Medusa (1973) with George Hamilton, the last movie he made written by Wicking. Hessler did a TV movie with
Bette Davis,
Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973) then made the
Ray Harryhausen adventure
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974).
Television Despite the success of
Sinbad Hessler focused on television movies:
Skyway to Death (1974),
Hitchhike! (1974),
A Cry in the Wilderness (1974), and
Betrayal (1974). He also directed episodes of
Lucas Tanner,
Amy Prentiss,
Kolchak: The Night Stalker,
Kung Fu,
Switch,
The Blue Knight, ''
Spencer's Pilots, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Wonder Woman, CHiPs, and Hawaii Five-O''. He directed
Secrets of Three Hungry Wives (1978),
Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park,
Puzzle (1978), ''
The Secret War of Jackie's Girls (1980), Tales of the Haunted (1981), California Cowboys (1983), Pray for Death (1985), The Misfit Brigade (1987) and Rage of Honor (1988) as well as episode of Shannon, The Master, Tales of the Unexpected and The Equalizer''.
Later career Hessler wrote and directed
The Girl in a Swing (1988) starring
Meg Tilly, an adaptation of
Richard Adams's novel. ==Filmography==