Wednesday, Sept. 4,2002 1:56 a.m.
LOS ANGELES — British director J. Lee Thompson, whose more than 50 films included the original "Cape Fear," "The Guns of Navarone," "Planet of the Apes" sequels and nine Charles Bronson movies, has died. He was 88.
Thompson, who spent summers in Canada, died Friday of congestive heart failure in Sooke, British Columbia, publicist Robert Rooney said Monday.
"He was a very large directorial presence," said co-producer Pancho Kohner. "He was a gentleman and such a pleasure to work with. Everyone who worked with him once wanted to work with him again and again."
Kohner collaborated with Thompson to make Bronson action films including "St. Ives," "10 to Midnight," "Messenger of Death," "White Buffalo" and what became Thompson's last film, "Kinjite," in 1989.
Thompson also worked several times with Gregory Peck, including 1962's "Cape Fear," with Anthony Quinn, "The Greek Tycoon" released in 1978, with Yul Brynner in "Taras Bulba" in 1962 and again the next year in "Kings of the Sun."