Bruce Malmuth, 71; Directed Thrillers and Documentaries, Acted in ‘The Karate Kid’

Bruce Malmuth, who directed such films as “Nighthawks” and “Hard to Kill” and played bit parts in “The Karate Kid” and other movies, has died. He was 71.

Malmuth died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of esophageal cancer, said his brother, Daniel.

Malmuth was best known for directing Sylvester Stallone in the 1981 thriller “Nighthawks,” Steven Seagal in the 1990 political action film “Hard to Kill” and Jill Clayburgh in the 1986 suspense movie “Where Are the Children?”

He also worked on documentaries, including “Baseballs or Switchblades?” and the Emmy-winning “A Boy’s Dream,” which featured Darryl Strawberry.

Malmuth and his son, Evan, also wrote a play, “Thanksgiving Cries,” about life in Los Angeles’ juvenile detention center in the San Fernando Valley.

An avid sports fan, Malmuth played the ring announcer in 1984’s “The Karate Kid,” among other small film roles.

Born Feb. 4, 1934, in New York, he began making documentaries while in the Army, where he met baseball announcer Walter “Red” Barber.

After his military career, Malmuth directed coverage of New York Yankee games at WPIX radio in New York before entering the film and television industry.

In addition to his son, Malmuth is survived by his wife, Barbara, a sister and two brothers. Services are scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Mount Sinai Memorial Park. Instead of flowers, donations may be made to the Bruce Malmuth Build a Child Foundation, P.O. Box 570625, Tarzana, CA 91357.