A Hollywood homecoming: Prolific film and TV director Michael Schultz inspires filmmaking award

When filmmaker Michael Schultz walked down the aisle at the Oriental Theatre last September, the audience erupted in cheers. Kicking off Milwaukee Film's tribute weekend in his honor, Schultz introduced the first of three of his films being screened that weekend - the much-loved martial-arts musical The Last Dragon.

"I had to say, 'OK, calm down,'" Schultz says with a laugh. "I'm not one for reveling in that kind of stuff. I wanted them to enjoy the movie."

Schultz's easygoing humility might seem at odds with his trailblazing career. A native Milwaukeean, Schultz, Sp '64, began his career in theatre at Marquette and in New York before becoming one of the first Black artists to regularly direct film and television productions. Since the 1970s, Schultz has directed more than a dozen films - including classics like the coming-of-age drama Cooley High and the star-studded comedy Car Wash - and worked on more than 100 TV shows. He also helped launch the careers of Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington, directing both in their first feature films.

In short, he's among Hollywood's most prolific and longest-working directors. And at 87, Schultz shows no signs of slowing down. Last fall, he directed two episodes of All American, a drama on the CW that he's worked on for eight seasons.