Eric Karson, the martial-arts movie specialist who directed Chuck Norris in The Octagon and produced the Jean-Claude Van Damme-starring Lionheart, has died. He was 86.
Karson died Aug. 24 of natural causes while in hospice care in Henderson, Nevada, his brother Gil Karson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Karson also directed Olivier Gruner in his first movie, Angel Town (1990), and produced his second film, Nemesis (1992), and the French kickboxer considered Karson a mentor.
The son of a TV writer, Karson was working for Los Angeles-based American Cinema Productions when he was offered the chance to make his feature directorial debut on The Octagon (1980).
Written by Leigh Chapman of Dirty Mary Crazy Larry fame at the dawn of the ninja movie craze, the film stars Norris as Scott James, a retired karate champion who takes on a band of assassins led by his estranged foster brother (Tadashi Yamashita).
At Imperial Entertainment, Karson directed Van Damme in Black Eagle (1988), then reunited with the Belgian martial artist on Lionheart (1990), directed by Sheldon Lettich.
With his turn as Lyon Gaultier, who deserts the French Foreign Legion and becomes a street fighter to raise money for his murdered brother’s family, Van Damme became a leading man in the U.S.
One of four kids, Karson was born in Phoenix on March 5, 1940. His father was Lee Karson, who created the 1956-59 CBS-ABC program The Gale Storm Show (also known as Oh, Susanna), set on a ship à la The Love Boat; he also wrote for shows including The Restless Gun, Wagon Train and The Detectives. His mother, Mary, was a theater actress turned homemaker.
The family moved to L.A. in the 1950s and lived in a house next door to John Wayne on Highland Avenue in Hancock Park.
Karson, who started out as an actor, graduated from Cal State Northridge and began his directing career on commercials and documentaries in Australia. Back in L.A., he handled spots for The Peterson Co., a leading production house back then, and served as a vp before getting his big break on The Octagon.
Karson also directed the action flick Opposing Force (1986), starring Lisa Eichhorn and Tom Skerritt, and appeared onscreen as a CIA chief in Black Eagle and as a doctor in Lionheart.
In addition to his brother, a musician who also has worked as a film editor, survivors include his other siblings, Lisa and Michael; his wife of two decades, Tara; his nieces, Sylvia, Jackie Lee and Jen Karson-Strauss, a Emmy-winning director/producer at ESPN; and his nephew, Josh.