Jeannot Szwarc

Directing

Jeannot Szwarc

Born — Died

1939-11-21 — 2025-01-14

Place of birth

Paris, France

Known for

Directing

Credits

35 titles

Jeannot Szwarc (November 21, 1939 - January 14, 2025) was a French film director. Szwarc was born in Paris. He began working as a director in US television during the 1960s, in particular on Ironside. He is also associated with The Rockford Files, Kojak, Night Gallery, JAG, Bones, Numb3rs, and Columbo. His feature films include Bug (1975), Jaws 2 (1978), Somewhere in Time (1980), Supergirl (1984), and Santa Claus: The Movie (1985). Since then, he has mainly directed television movies and series. In 2003, Szwarc joined the crew of The WB television series Smallville as a director. One of the major episodes he directed was "Homecoming", the 200th episode of Smallville. He also directed six epi…

Known for

Film credits

2000s · 4 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

Supergirl poster
5.4

After losing a powerful orb, Kara, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch.

Supergirl

1984

Jaws 2 poster
6.0

Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.

Jaws 2

1978

Somewhere in Time poster
7.5

Young writer Richard Collier is met on the opening night of his first play by an old lady who begs him to "Come back to me". Mystified, he tries to find out about her, and learns that she is a famous stage actress from the early twentieth century. Becoming more and more obsessed with her, by self-hypnosis he manages to travel back in time—where he meets her.

Somewhere in Time

1980

Santa Claus: The Movie poster
6.3

In ancient times, a man named Claus, who delivers toys in his small village, fulfils his destiny to become Santa Claus after meeting an expert toy-making elf, Patch, in the North Pole. In the present day, Santa Claus has become overwhelmed by his workload, and the disgruntled Patch flees the workshop to New York City. There, Patch unknowingly threatens the fate of Christmas by taking a job at a failing toy company run by a scheming businessman.

Santa Claus: The Movie

1985

Hercule and Sherlock poster
4.4

A story of two dogs which can find false money end two mafioso losers. One tries to be a tough guy and the other eats only pizza and listens to zen music, but both are totally terrified by dogs.

Hercule and Sherlock

1996

Enigma poster
5.6

Five highly-trained KGB agents are sent to the west to assassinate several Soviet dissidents. In order to stop the diabolical plot, an American agent must infiltrate Soviet intelligence and obtain information from a Russian computer.

Enigma

1982

The Murders in the Rue Morgue poster
5.9

A detective comes out of retirement to help his daughter's fiance prove that he did not commit a series of murders.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

1986

The Devil's Daughter poster
6.6

A young girl whose mother had sold her soul to Satan when she was born is told by Satan that she must marry a fellow demon.

The Devil's Daughter

1973

Bug poster
5.3

An earthquake releases a strain of mutant cockroaches with the ability to start fires, which proceed to cause destructive chaos in a small town. The studies carried out by scientist James Parmiter, however, reveal an intent with much more far-reaching consequences.

Bug

1975

Revenge of a Blonde poster
4.6

An upstanding provincial reporter becomes presenter of the TV news on a commercial network owned by an influential Italian businessman. He soon outgrows his family and neglects them terribly. Investigating a fascist terrorist cell, the reporter's integrity is called into doubt by the police. Soon after, his jealous wife unleashes her wrath live in TV. It goes from bad to worse until his wife's anger brings him back to his senses and back home.

Revenge of a Blonde

1994

Grand Larceny poster
5.0

A woman who hasn't seen her father in 18 years, learns of his death and goes to his estate in France to carry out his wishes. She then learns that her father was a thief who after getting caught and going to prison and upon his release was approached by an insurance company, who wanted him to use his talents in helping them recover some valuables that had been stolen, which became his new job. Now that he is gone, he wants her to continue his work.

Grand Larceny

1987

A Summer Without Boys poster
7.3

A middle-aged woman going through a divorce takes her daughter to a summer lodge where the girl experiences a powerful awakening to life's challenges.

A Summer Without Boys

1973

The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits... poster
7.8

Jim Rockford, is framed for the murder of another rival detective with whom Jim was seen having an argument.

The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits...

1996

Lisa, Bright and Dark poster
8.0

Three teenage girls try to help their girlfriend, who is having a nervous breakdown that conventional therapy seems to be failing to remedy.

Lisa, Bright and Dark

1973

The Weekend Nun poster
7.0

Drama based on the life of Joyce Duco, with Joanna Pettet as a young nun torn between the reality of her secular job as a daytime juvenile probation officer and the vows she has taken with the church.

The Weekend Nun

1972

Crime Club poster
7.0

A Washington DC club comprises specialists who band together to combat crime.

Crime Club

1975

Night of Terror poster
6.1

A hired killer hunts down a schoolteacher to get something she has. She doesn't know what it is, but he's already killed twice to get it.

Night of Terror

1972

Have a Nice Night poster
6.5

Movie star Barbara Jenkins arrives in Cannes to host an auction of her costumes, under protection of Tom Lepski. She is under surveillance of a political terror group and some wily jewel thieves.

Have a Nice Night

1990

Have a Nice Night poster
6.5

Movie star Barbara Jenkins arrives in Cannes to host an auction of her costumes, under protection of Tom Lepski. She is under surveillance of a political terror group and some wily jewel thieves.

Have a Nice Night

1990

Mountain of Diamonds poster
6.2

France, 1915. Young and radiantly beautiful Centaine de Thiry is the happiest woman in the world: in a few more hours she will be married to pilot Michael Courteney, the love of her life. But fate has it otherwise: Michael is shot down in a reconnaissance plane shortly before his wedding. Life has lost its meaning for Centaine. When the young woman realizes soon afterwards that she is expecting a baby, her zest for live is revived. She decides to give birth to the child in South Africa, the home country of her deceased fiancé.

Mountain of Diamonds

1991

Code Name: Diamond Head poster
3.1

A failed Quinn Martin pilot for a series starring a Hawaii-based government counter intelligence agency run by the indomitable Aunt Mary. In this, his only adventure, Diamond Head has to prevent the evil Tree from stealing a deadly nerve toxin gas and selling it to foreign powers. To help Diamond Head is the Dragon Lady and Zulu.

Code Name: Diamond Head

1977

Les Sœurs Soleil poster
3.7

This gently satirical French comedy centers on the resulting brouhaha that erupts when the preadolescent daughter of a very conservative bourgeoisie couple gets the chance to appear in a raucous music video starring a raunchy, aging female rocker. When pipe-puffing patriarch and solid citizen Brice learns that his daughter Clemence has been to selected for the music video with tacky has-been rocker Gloria, he nearly comes unglued. His prim wife, Benedicte, the organist for the local congregation, has a different perspective and understands her daughter's eagerness. She quietly agrees to secretly accompany Clemence during the shoot. Once there, the two are filmed dancing around and having fun. Neither realize that they will become special-effects victims by time production on the film ends and find themselves apparently dancing amongst men who but for the presence of small rubber sea creatures, would be buck naked.

Les Sœurs Soleil

1997

You'll Never See Me Again poster
7.0

After a couple have an argument, the wife disappears. The husband searches for her, only to discover evidence that implicates him in her murder.

You'll Never See Me Again

1973

Extreme Close-Up poster
5.0

While doing a story on the intrusion of surreptitious surveillance in peoples' private lives, a television reporter rents some surveillance equipment to get a feel for what it's like to spy.

Extreme Close-Up

1973

The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise poster
6.6

Angel's televangelical ministry launches a boycott against a movie entitled "Little Ezekial," and Rockford is hired to protect its star.

The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise

1995

No artwork available
8.0

With the help of the young, attractive agent Anna Schilling, secret service chief Vogel wants to get to the top of the "Millenium" terrorist group: He smuggles Anna in as a nanny to the widower Ernst Hoffmann, who is a member of the group. The two quickly become close and Ernst is able to persuade Anna to join his organization. But Helmut Müller, head of the terrorists, has Anna's past investigated and decides..: Anna must die...

Schrecklicher Verdacht

1995

Honor Bound poster
10.0

US soldier gets involved in Cold War shenanigans in East Germany.

Honor Bound

1988

The Small Miracle poster
9.0

A small boy of rural Italy, befriends a Catholic priest and pleads for help to save his sick donkey. Hearing the stories of St Frances on how he loved cared, even cured animals, comes up with notion "If he could just bring his donkey to the Vatican in Rome, and ask the Pope if he could just place him in the entombed Saint's Chapel, his spiritual presence would cure him. Some how he convinces the compassionate Father to take on this pilgrimage, against all odds.

The Small Miracle

1973