E. Maurice "Buddy" Adler (June 22, 1906 – July 12, 1960) was an American film producer and production head for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

studios. In 1954, his production of '' From Here to Eternity'' won the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...

and in 1956, his '' Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing'' was nominated for best picture. Adler also produced the 1956 film ''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...

'', starring

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

Biography

Adler was born in New York City in 1906 (some references have listed his birth year as 1908 or 1909) with "Buddy" as his childhood nickname. His family ran a small chain of department stores and Adler did advertising copy for the chain. He began writing short stories in his spare time and published them under the name "Bradley Allen". In 1936 he moved to Hollywood where he wrote the Pete Smith short features for

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

. He wrote the screenplay for the short documentary film '' Quicker'n a Wink'', which won an Oscar in 1940. He also owned a small string of movie showhouses, called the Hitching Post.Producer Buddy Adler Dies at 51: Wife Anita Louise at Bedside of Fox Studio Aide (Los Angeles Times, 13 July 1960. p. B1) During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Adler served in the Signal Corps (1941–1945), ending with the rank of colonel. In 1954 Alder moved from Columbia to Fox, where he produced several films.

Head of Fox

In 1956 Adler was named as Head of Production for 20th Century Fox, replacing Darryl F. Zanuck, and in 1957, he established the Fox Talent School, with a $1 million budget. Actors who had their first starring roles under Adler include

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host and philanthropist. He sold nearly 50 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and has acted in many films. Boone ...

, Tommy Sands, Fabian, Stuart Whitman, Suzy Parker, Joanne Woodward, France Nuyen, May Britt, Bradford Dillman, Tony Randall, Barry Coe, and Diane Varsi.

Personal life

Adler was born in New York City. He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1936 and resided there for the rest of his life. In 1940 he married actress Anita Louise Fremault (1915–1970), with whom he had two children. The family were at his bedside when he died in 1960, from lung cancer. Joan Collins told a story on The Graham Norton Show about a party where Adler asked Joan if she would like her pick of roles from upcoming Fox productions, and she said yes. He then told her that although he was older than her and married, if she was "nice" to him, he could do that for her. She rebuffed him and said that she was not interested in using the casting couch to get ahead in her career.

Awards

Adler received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1957. In 1958 he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.

Death

On July 12, 1960, Adler died of lung cancer, aged 54, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

. His widow, who is buried there as well, survived him by ten years.Scott Wilson. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2. McFarland & Co. (2016)

Selected filmography

* '' Flaming Star'' (1960, but died a week before filming started) * '' North to Alaska'' (1960, died midway through principal photography) * '' The Inn of the Sixth Happiness'' (1958) * '' South Pacific'' (1958) * '' A Hatful of Rain'' (1957) * '' Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison'' (1957) * ''

Anastasia Anastasia (from ) is a feminine given name of Greek and Slavic origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe. Origin The name Anastasia originated during the Early Christianity, early d ...

'' (1956) * ''

'' (1956) * '' The Revolt of Mamie Stover'' (1956) * '' The Bottom of the Bottle'' (1956) * '' The Lieutenant Wore Skirts'' (1956) * '' The Left Hand of God'' (1955) * '' Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing'' (1955) * '' House of Bamboo'' (1955) * '' Soldier of Fortune'' (1955) * '' Violent Saturday'' (1955) * '' From Here to Eternity'' (1953) * '' Last of the Comanches'' (1953) * '' The Harlem Globetrotters'' (1951) * '' Saturday's Hero'' (1951) * '' A Woman of Distinction'' (1950) * '' Tell It to the Judge'' (1949) * '' The Dark Past'' (1948) * '' Quicker'n a Wink'' (1940)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adler, Buddy 1906 births 1960 deaths 20th Century Studios people Film producers from New York (state) American film studio executives Businesspeople from New York City Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Deaths from lung cancer in California Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners 20th-century American businesspeople Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army colonels Military personnel from New York City