James Glickenhaus was born on July 24, 1950, in the vibrant city of New York. Growing up in the affluent community of New Rochelle, he developed a passion for movies at the tender age of eight. Glickenhaus's educational journey took him to Fieldston School in Riverdale, New York, the University of California, Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and Sarah Lawrence College in New York.
Glickenhaus began his film career by producing educational and industrial pictures. His theatrical feature debut came in the mid-1970s with the obscure horror film "Suicide Cult." However, it was his work on the brutal and controversial urban vigilante film "The Exterminator" that brought him his biggest commercial success.
Throughout his career, Glickenhaus directed a diverse range of films, including the violent action movie "The Soldier," the fun Jackie Chan vehicle "The Protector," the exciting "Shakedown," the mediocre "McBain," the creepy thriller "Slaughter of the Innocents," and the enjoyable sci-fi romp "TimeMaster." In addition to his work behind the camera, Glickenhaus served as the chairman of SGE Entertainment from 1987 to 1995, a company that specialized in producing and distributing low-budget independent straight-to-video films.
As the executive producer, Glickenhaus was involved in the production of several notable films, including "Maniac Cop," "Frankenhooker," both "Basket Case" sequels, "Ring of Steel," and "Tough and Deadly." In the mid-1990s, Glickenhaus left the film industry and transitioned to a career in finance, becoming a Wall Street fund manager and a limited partner in the firm Glickenhaus and Company.
Glickenhaus is also an avid collector of rare and expensive former racing cars. His son, Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus, has appeared in three of his films: "The Protector," "Slaughter of the Innocents," and "TimeMaster." In recent years, Glickenhaus made a cameo appearance in Frank Henenlotter's outrageous film "Bad Biology."
