Bob Clark was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He was born in New Orleans but later moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In college, Clark majored in philosophy and played quarterback for the football team at Hillsdale College in Michigan. He studied theater at the University of Miami after turning down a number of offers to play professional football.
Clark's most famous work is in the Canadian film industry, where he is remembered for the films Black Christmas (1974), Murder by Decree (1979), Tribute (1980), Porky's (1981), and A Christmas Story (1983). He stayed active in the film industry until his death, and his directorial reputation has been described as "mixed" given his later work on subpar films. Clark died in 2007, along with his son, after the two were hit by a drunk driver in Los Angeles, California.