James Hill (American film producer)
James Hill | |
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Born | August 1, 1916 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
Died | January 11, 2001 (aged 84) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
Occupation |
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Spouse(s) |
James Hill (August 1, 1916 – January 11, 2001) was an American film producer and screenwriter active from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and came to Hollywood as a writer, working on films and televisions shows for Warner Brothers Pictures and Columbia Broadcasting System. He was eventually teamed with film producer Harold Hecht and actor Burt Lancaster when the pair produced His Majesty O'Keefe for their own film production company, Norma Productions. The movie was filmed in 1952 in the Fiji Islands, but only released in 1954.[1]
In 1953, Hecht and Lancaster formed the imprint Hecht-Lancaster Productions and began producing films for United Artists, hiring Hill as producer for Vera Cruz, The Kentuckian and Trapeze. In early 1956, before Trapeze was released, Lancaster and Hecht announced in a press conference that Hill had been made an equal partner in their film production company; Hecht-Lancaster Productions would be changing name to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions at the start of the next fiscal year in January 1957. From 1954 to 1959, the Norma Productions subsidiaries Hecht-Lancaster Productions and later Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions, were the biggest and most important independent production units in Hollywood.[2][3][4]
Hill was the fifth and final husband of actress Rita Hayworth, married from 1958 to 1961.[5][6] The pair met when Hayworth was filming Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions' Separate Tables. Like Hayworth, he developed Alzheimer's disease. He died in Santa Monica, California in 2001.[7]
Filmography[]
Year | Film | Production Company | Distribution Company | Role | Awards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1954 | His Majesty O'Keefe | Norma Productions | Warner Brothers Pictures | Screenwriter | |
1954 | Vera Cruz | Hecht-Lancaster Productions / Flora Productions | United Artists | Producer | |
1955 | The Kentuckian | Hecht-Lancaster Productions / James Productions | United Artists | Producer | Nominated—Venice Film Festival Golden Lion |
1956 | Trapeze | Hecht-Lancaster Productions / Joanna Productions / Susan Productions | United Artists | Producer |
Bambi Award for Best Actress – International |
1957 | The Bachelor Party | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Norma Productions | United Artists | Executive producer |
National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films |
1957 | Sweet Smell of Success | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Norma Productions / Curtleigh Productions | United Artists | Executive producer |
Bambi Award for Best Actor – International |
1958 | Run Silent, Run Deep | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Jeffrey Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Cinematography – Black and White |
1958 | Separate Tables | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Clifton Productions | United Artists | Executive producer |
Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |
1959 | The Rabbit Trap | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Canon Productions / Anne Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | Locarno International Film Festival Award for Best Actor |
1959 | Cry Tough | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Canon Productions / Anne Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | |
1959 | The Devil's Disciple | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Films / Brynaprod | United Artists | Executive producer | Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best British Actor |
1959 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Proprietary Limited | United Artists | Executive producer | |
1959 | Take a Giant Step | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Sheila Productions | United Artists | Executive producer |
Locarno International Film Festival Silver Sail Award |
1959 | Thunder in the Sun | Carrollton Productions | Paramount Pictures | Story writer | |
1960 | The Unforgiven | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / James Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | |
1961 | The Happy Thieves | Hillworth Productions | United Artists | Executive producer |
References[]
- ^ "4 Time Loser Rita To Try Again: Barbara Eyes 7th". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. November 12, 1957.
- ^ "The Struggle for Survival", Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin, September 2, 1957, p23
- ^ "What's With Hecht-Hill-Lancaster?", The Tuscaloosa News, September 24, 1959, p5
- ^ "Burt Lancaster Termed Enigma", The Spokesman Review, May 27, 1961, p77
- ^ "Rita Hayworth Becomes Mrs. Hill". Lodi News-Sentinel. Associated Press. February 3, 1958.
- ^ "Rita Sheds No. 5 But No Tears". The Miami News. Associated Press. September 7, 1961.
- ^ "Producer James Hill dies at 85". January 16, 2001.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Hill (producer). |
- James Hill at IMDb
- 1916 births
- 2001 deaths
- American chief executives
- American film producers
- American male screenwriters
- Businesspeople from California
- Businesspeople from Indiana
- Film producers from California
- Film producers from Indiana
- Norma Productions people
- Screenwriters from California
- Screenwriters from Indiana
- 20th-century American screenwriters
- American film producer stubs