Russell Thacher (c. 1919 – October 1, 1990) was an American author and film producer who co-produced the films ''

Soylent Green ''Soylent Green'' is a 1973 American ecological dystopian thriller film directed by Richard Fleischer, and starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Edward G. Robinson in his final film role. It is loosely based on the 1966 science fict ...

'' and '' The Last Hard Men'' together with Walter Seltzer. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Thatcher attended

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

and

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering ...

, before serving in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

.Staff
"Russell Thacher, 71, Producer and Writer"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', October 4, 1990. Accessed November 25, 2017. "He was born in Hackensack, N.J., and was a graduate of Bucknell University. In World War II, he served as an ensign in the Navy."Staff
"Russell Thacher; Film Producer and Novelist, 71"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'', October 4, 1990. Accessed November 25, 2017. "Thacher died Monday at UCLA Medical Center of complications from abdominal surgery.Born in Hackensack, N.J., and educated at Bucknell and New York Universities, Thacher wrote three novels early in his career, ''The Captain,'' ''The Tender Age'' and ''A Break in the Clouds.''" In addition to working as an editor at '' Omnibook Magazine'' and the

Book-of-the-Month Club Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a United States subscription-based e-commerce service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members c ...

, Thacher authored the novels ''The Captain'', ''The Tender Age'' and ''A Break in the Clouds''. ''The Captain'', Thacher's first novel, is set on board a

Landing Ship, Tank Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with ...

in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The novel is notable for its early positive portrayal of homosexuality, exemplified in the characters of two crew members, though male eroticism is an undercurrent throughout the book. It was published by Macmillan in New York in 1951 and Allan Wingate in London in 1952, with subsequent paperback editions. In ''The Tender Age'', Thacher writes about the experiences of a 17-year-old boy growing up in a town in New Jersey.Sullivan, Richard
"The Road to Maturity; ''The Tender Age''. By Russell Thacher. 277 pp. New York: The Macmillan Company. $3."
''

'', October 5, 1952. Accessed November 25, 2017. "THE old, standard themes permit infinite variation; and when the variation is fresh and alive the old, standard theme comes all alive and bright and new. The theme of ''The Tender Age'' is the one of a boy's growing up." In 1963, he was hired by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

, originally working for the firm in New York City before heading out west, where he was the studio's vice president for production. By the early 1970s was working on his own as a film producer. Together with Walter Seltzer, Thacher co-produced ''

'', the 1973 science fiction thriller, and '' The Last Hard Men'', a 1976 Western prison break film; both films starred Charlton Heston. Other films he produced include '' Travels with My Aunt'' and '' The Cay'', for which he wrote the teleplay. A resident of

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

, Thacher died in Los Angeles at the age of 71 due to complications resulting from abdominal surgery, on October 1, 1990.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thacher, William 1910s births 1990 deaths Film producers from California United States Navy personnel of World War II Bucknell University alumni New York University alumni People from Hackensack, New Jersey People from Woodland Hills, Los Angeles United States Navy officers Film producers from New Jersey Military personnel from New Jersey