Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
8 suggestions available
Watchlist
Sign in
Sign in
New customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Richard Di Lello

  • Writer
  • Additional Crew
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Born to restaurateur parents, Richard DiLello was a young man from Queens, New York whose life was forever changed after he saw the Beatles for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show in February 1964.

After graduating from high school, he made his way to California, spending a few years in and around Los Angeles and San Francisco, avidly attending concerts, and often crossing paths with former Beatles press officer Derek Taylor, who at that point was doing publicity work for several musical artists. When the Beatles launched Apple Corps, Taylor was summoned back to London, he told DiLello to look him up if he was ever in London.

In the summer of 1968, after a short spell in Morocco, DiLello made his way to London and took Derek up on his promise. Within weeks of arriving, he had a British work visa and was hired to work at The Beatles' press office.

Serving as the "house hippie" (formally termed Client Liaison Officer) from 1968 to 1970, his duties included promotional campaigns for The Beatles, Badfinger, and other artists who appeared on Apple Records.

During the winter of 1971, DiLello would write a memoir of his experiences working at Apple titled "The Longest Cocktail Party", which was later published in 1972.

DiLello began writing screenplays in 1975, he pursued this for five years, while subsisting on his photographic work. He managed to complete three or four screenplays, which led to a meeting with producer Robert Solo, who asked DiLello to write a script about a young James Cagney in a modern day reform school, the result was the 1983 crime-drama film "Bad Boys", starring Sean Penn.

Officially launched as a screenwriter, DiLello, penned the screenplays for the 1986 television movie, "Popeye Doyle" starring Ed O'Neill, and the 1988 police procedural action-crime film "Colors", which also starred Penn and Robert Duvall.

Additionally, DiLello also worked in television. He wrote and directed a segment of the 1997 television film "Riot", which starred Luke Perry and Lucy Liu, he also wrote and produced episodes for the television shows "Midnight Caller", "DEA", and "Dellaventura".
BornSeptember 28, 1945
BornSeptember 28, 1945
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • More at IMDbPro
      • Contact info
      • Agent info

    Known for

    Robert Duvall and Sean Penn in Colors (1988)
    Colors
    6.7
    • Writer(as Richard DiLello)
    • 1988
    DEA (1990)
    DEA
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Writer(creator)
    Bad Boys (1983)
    Bad Boys
    7.2
    • Writer
    • 1983
    Midnight Caller (1988)
    Midnight Caller
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Writer(as Richard DiLello)

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Writer



    • N.Y.-70 (2005)
      N.Y.-70
      5.4
      TV Movie
      • story
      • teleplay
      • 2005
    • Dellaventura (1997)
      Dellaventura
      7.2
      TV Series
      • creator
      • written by (as Richard DiLello)
      • 1997–1998
    • Luke Perry, Mario Van Peebles, and Melvin Van Peebles in Riot (1996)
      Riot
      6.2
      TV Movie
      • written by (segment "Empty")
      • 1996
    • Death Merchants (1991)
      Death Merchants
      5.2
      Video
      • writer
      • 1991
    • DEA (1990)
      DEA
      7.6
      TV Series
      • created by
      • written by (creator)
      • 1990–1991
    • Midnight Caller (1988)
      Midnight Caller
      7.8
      TV Series
      • creator
      • written by (as Richard DiLello)
      • 1988–1991
    • The Brotherhood
      4.5
      TV Movie
      • writer
      • 1991
    • Robert Duvall and Sean Penn in Colors (1988)
      Colors
      6.7
      • story (as Richard DiLello)
      • 1988
    • The French Connection 3 (1986)
      The French Connection 3
      5.6
      TV Movie
      • written by
      • 1986
    • Bad Boys (1983)
      Bad Boys
      7.2
      • written by
      • 1983

    Additional Crew



    • Behind the Music (1997)
      Behind the Music
      7.4
      TV Series
      • photos: photos & materials provided by
      • 2000
    • Midnight Caller (1988)
      Midnight Caller
      7.8
      TV Series
      • creative consultant (as Richard DiLello)
      • 1989–1991

    Producer



    • Dellaventura (1997)
      Dellaventura
      7.2
      TV Series
      • executive producer (as Richard DiLello)
      • 1997
    • Death Merchants (1991)
      Death Merchants
      5.2
      Video
      • executive producer
      • 1991
    • DEA (1990)
      DEA
      7.6
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 1990–1991
    • The Brotherhood
      4.5
      TV Movie
      • co-executive producer
      • 1991
    • Midnight Caller (1988)
      Midnight Caller
      7.8
      TV Series
      • supervising producer
      • producer (as Richard DiLello)
      • 1988–1989
    • The French Connection 3 (1986)
      The French Connection 3
      5.6
      TV Movie
      • producer
      • 1986

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Alternative name
      • Richard DiLello
    • Born
      • September 28, 1945
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Other works
      Biography, "The Longest Cocktail Party" - Author

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Served as the "house hippie" (formally termed Client Liaison Officer) for the Beatles' Apple Corps headquarters in London from 1968-1970; his duties included promotional campaigns for the Beatles, Badfinger, and other artists who appeared on Apple Records. He later published a memoir of his experiences (including firsthand accounts from the Beatles' breakup) titled "The Longest Cocktail Party".
    • Quotes
      I'm hoping that DEA (1990) will provide a platform for education, responsible but realistic advocacy of the problems we are facing, as well as being good storytelling.

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Poster
    List
    IMDb Summer Watch Guide
    Browse the guide
    Production art
    List
    July 2025 TV and Streaming Premiere Dates
    See the list

    Add demo reel with IMDbPro

    Demo reel thumbnail
    Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
    Upload your demo reel

    Add demo reel with IMDbPro

    Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
    Upload your demo reel
    Demo reel thumbnail

    How much have you rated?

    Keep track of how much of Richard Di Lello’s work you have rated. Go to your list.

    Projects in development

    Get more at IMDbPro
    Poster
    List
    Most Anticipated Indian Movies: July-December 2025
    See the list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.