| Alfred Sole | |
| Birth Date: | 2 July 1943 |
| Birth Place: | Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | University of Florence |
| Death Place: | Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Relatives: | Dante Tomaselli (cousin) |
Alfred Sole (July 2, 1943 – February 14, 2022) was an American production designer, film director, producer, and writer best known for directing such films as Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) and Pandemonium (1982).[1] Prior to beginning his career in film, Sole worked as an architect. From the 1990s, he worked as a production designer on various television films and series, including Veronica Mars (2004–2007) and Castle (2009–2016).
Sole was born July 2, 1943,[2] in Paterson, New Jersey, where he was then raised.[2] He graduated from the University of Florence in Italy with a degree in architecture and spent his young adulthood working as an architect.
In 1972 Sole made his directorial debut with his erotic film Deep Sleep. Made a budget of $25,000, the movie was pulled from theaters on charges that it was obscene, and all the prints were confiscated.
Sole's second feature, Alice, Sweet Alice fared better. The film was the feature debut of Brooke Shields, who appeared in a supporting part. The film initially did poorly in theaters due to spotty distribution. It was later rereleased in 1981 as Holy Terror, marketing upon the popularity of Brooke Shields.[3] Alice, Sweet Alice eventually proved to have an enduring popularity: In 2017, it was ranked the fourth-best slasher film of all time by Complex magazine.[4]
Sole's next feature Tanya's Island, starring Vanity, also did poorly in theaters. In 1982 his slasher film Pandemonium premiered. It was the last feature film Sole directed. Thereafter Sole worked as a production designer for multiple TV movies and shows. He co-wrote two episodes of Hotel with Paul Monette. From 2009 to 2016, Sole served as the production designer for the network series Castle.
In the late-2010s, Sole relocated from Los Angeles to a farm in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his husband, Rodrigo.[5]
Sole died by suicide at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 14, 2022, at the age of 78.[6] He was survived by his son, Rueben, and husband, Rodrigo.[6]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Production designer | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Deep Sleep | Pornographic film | ||||
| 1976 | Alice, Sweet Alice | Alternate titles: Communion, Holy Terror | ||||
| 1980 | Tanya's Island | |||||
| 1982 | Pandemonium | |||||
| 1984 | Cheeseball Presents | Television film | ||||
| 1986 | Under Siege | Television film | ||||
| 1988 | Secret Witness | Television film | ||||
| 1994 | Natural Selection | Television film | ||||
| 1994 | Shattered Image | Television film | [7] | |||
| 1995 | Bodily Harm | |||||
| 1995 | Night of the Running Man | |||||
| 1995 | Glory Daze | |||||
| 1996 | Face of Evil | Television film | ||||
| 1996 | Unforgivable | Television film | ||||
| 1996 | Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story | Television film | ||||
| 1996 | Widow's Kiss | Television film | ||||
| 1996 | In the Blink of An Eye | Television film | ||||
| 1996 | Every Woman's Dream | Television film | ||||
| 1997 | When the Cradle Falls | Television film | ||||
| 1997 | L.A. Johns | Television film | ||||
| 1997 | Divided by Hate | Television film | ||||
| 1998 | The Con | Television film | ||||
| 1998 | Halloweentown | Television film | ||||
| 1999 | Television film | |||||
| 1999 | Replacing Dad | Television film | ||||
| 1999 | Clubland | |||||
| 1999 | Johnny Tsunami | Television film | ||||
| 1999 | Horse Sense | Television film | ||||
| 2000 | Miracle in Lane 2 | Television film | ||||
| 2000 | An American Daughter | Television film | ||||
| 2001 | Semper Fi | Television film | ||||
| 2001 | These Old Broads | Television film | ||||
| 2001 | Hounded | Television film | ||||
| 2001 | The Poof Point | Television film | ||||
| 2002 | Gotta Kick It Up! | Television film | ||||
| 2003 | Right on Track | Television film | ||||
| 2004 | Slammed | |||||
| 2004 | Halloweentown High | Television film | ||||
| 2009 | Hatching Pete | Television film | [8] | |||
| 2009 | S. Darko | |||||
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Production designer | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Hotel | 2 episodes | ||||
| 1988 | 2 episodes | |||||
| 1989 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Episode: "In the Driver's Seat" | ||||
| 2003 | One Minute Soap Opera | |||||
| 2004–2007 | Veronica Mars | 64 episodes | ||||
| 2006–2008 | Moonlight | 14 episodes | ||||
| 2009 | Melrose Place | Episode: "Pilot" | ||||
| 2009–2016 | Castle | 152 episodes | ||||
| 2016–2019 | MacGyver | 40 episodes | ||||