William
Riead graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in Speech and Communications. While in college he worked for
a CBS affiliate, KHQA-TV, as a newsreel cameraman, and later as a radio
reporter at sister-station WTAD in Quincy, Illinois. In 1968, he
joined an NBC affiliate, WGEM-TV, as a newscaster and co-anchored a program
called the Bill Riead/Jim Young Saturday Night Report. A year later
he returned to KHQA-TV as a full-time anchor and worked there for the remainder
of his college years. Following that, he worked in television in
Kansas, City.
In 1972, he joined CBS News in New York and was assigned to the network’s
chief European bureau in London, and was appointed the Foreign News Editor.
At this bureau he was responsible for coordinating European news reports
to network news headquarters in New York. He was later assigned to
cover the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in Miami.
In late 1973, he was recruited by TVN, predecessor to today’s CNN, to be
their West Coast correspondent. In this position he covered the Western
half of the United States, Canada, Alaska and the Hawaiian islands.
While on assignment with the White House press corp he witnessed the assassination
attempt on then President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, California by former
Manson follower Lynnette “Squeaky” Fromme. Standing less than 10
feet from the President, it was his film crew that photographed the coverage
that was later shown on television nationally. Three days later,
he was with the President at a presidential town hall meeting in San Fransisco
when another assassination attempt was made on Mr. Ford, this time by Sarah
Moore.
TVN was eventually dissolved by owner Joseph Coors in order to make way
for a presidential appointment. So Mr. Riead turned his attention
to forming his own production company in Los Angeles. Initially,
his company produced corporate videos for business and industry, films
that included sales presentation films and in-house policy films, as well
as commercials. Television personality Regis Philbin, having been
directed by Mr. Riead in one corporate video, recommended him to Columbia
Pictures who subsequently made him the offer of writing and directing films
that would promote their motion pictures.
In accepting this offer, he created “the making of “ format for major motion
pictures at Columbia, going on to write, produce and direct the making
of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Front with
Woody Allen, Absence of Malice with Paul Newman, The China Syndrome
with Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas, and Midnight Express - all
for Columbia. He was also asked by MGM/Warner Bros. to produce a
featurette on Neil Simon’s Academy Award winning The Goodbye Girl.
This work took him all over the world, and his films were shown nationally
on network affiliates following evening news broadcasts.
In 1980, Mr. Riead began producing film product for Orion Pictures.
Among his many projects were news materials on Gorky Park starring
William Hurt, First Blood starring Sylvester Stallone, Lone Wolf
McQuade starring Chuck Norris, Easy Money starring Rodney Dangerfield,
Summer Lovers starring Darryl Hannah, The Woman in Red starring
Gene Wilder, The Bounty and Mrs. Soffel both starring Mel
Gibson, and many more. During this time Bill also made features for
Disney on Never Cry Wolf and Something Wicked This Way Comes.
In 1981, Mr. Riead went to Ahmadhabad, India to film a documentary
titled Land of Hungar, Land of Hope as a volunteer. The film was
made to teach the poor and homeless in and around Ahmadhabad how to build
homes from indigenous materials to the area.
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Bill then completed
the first of a series of four one-hour informational specials for television.
The first, On Borrowed Time, dealt with the prevention of heart disease
and starred Walter Matthau and Brooke Shields, and featured such noted
physicians in the field of cardiology as the president of the A.M.A and
the chairman of the American Heart Association. On Borrowed Time
has been recognized for excellence by the entertainment industry, receiving
many top awards to include a CableACE Award nomination for The Discovery
Channel, where it aired eight times.
Bill next wrote, produced and directed a feature film titled Scorpion,
which was released theatrically through Crown International Pictures and
home video through RCA/Columbia (now Columbia TriStar) and Warner Home
Video in England. Scorpion, an action-adventure movie, was
shot in Spain primarily, with locations in Holland, Los Angeles and Honolulu.
The film featured international karate star Tonny Tulleners as well as
Don Murray (Knotts Landing), Allen Williams (Lou Grant), Robert Logan (The
Wilderness Family) and Billy Hayes (Midnight Express).
Mr. Riead also produced
One For The Road, the second in the series
of informational specials for television, released through Pyramid Media
(formerly Pyramid Films), and Dying For A Smoke, the third in the
series, also released through Pyramid Media. Dying For A Smoke
became a top selling title for Pyramid, and took First Place at the
HeSCA International Film Festival, as well as the Gold Award at Worldfest
Charlston, the Silver Plaque at Intercom and Honorable Mention at the Columbus
International Film Festival. Dying For A Smoke was released
in home video through Xenon Entertainment.
Masters of Success, the forth in the series, was on the subject
of self-made millionaires, and hosted by Ed Asner. The film was also
released through Pyramid Media.
Island Prey, a feature film starring Olivia Hussey, Don Murray and
Ed Asner, followed. It is a feature film currently set for release.
Mr. Riead wrote and directed this film, which is a suspense thriller.
Ms. Hussey won acclaim for her portrayal of Juliet in the classic feature
Romeo & Juliet, directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
In development currently is Teresa, a feature film next in line
for production. It is the story of Mother Teresa, to be filmed on
location in Calcutta, India.
In his career Bill has won numerous awards, to include a CableACE Award
nomination for a film he wrote and directed for The Discovery Channel.
He has also won the prestigious Golden Eagle Award, which he received from
the Council of International Non-Theatrical Events in Washington, D.C.
It was for the documentary on heart disease (titled Change of Heart
for television), starring Walter Matthau and Brooke Sheilds.
Other awards he has won include the distinguished Silver Certificate, presented
by the John Muir Film Festival; the M.I.P. Award, presented by the World
Health Organization; the Magna Cum Laude Award, presented by the Province
of Parma; the Gold Award, presented by Worldfest Charlston; the Silver
Plaque, presented by Intercom, and Honorable Mention at the Columbus International
Film Festival. He received First place at the HeSCA International
Film Festival in 1995.
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