One of the leading directors of the "Golden Age"" of live TV who later proved himself a capable handler of both epic action features and intimate dramas. Schaffner began his career as an assistant on "The March of Time" documentary series and directed over 150 TV plays, including the original broadcasts of "Twelve Angry Men" (1954) and "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial" (1955). He enjoyed success with his 1960 Broadway production of "Advise and Consent" and made his first feature film, "The Stripper"--adapted from a play by William Inge--in 1963.

Schaffner is best known for "Planet of the Apes" (1968), "Patton" (1969) and "Papillon" (1973), which yielded one of Dustin Hoffman's finest performances.