Maurice "Buddy" Adler | |
|---|---|
 Adler in 1958 | |
| Born | E. Maurice Adler (1906-06-22)June 22, 1906 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 12, 1960(1960-07-12) (aged 54) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery,Glendale, California |
| Years active | 1939–1960 |
| Spouse | Anita Louise (1940–1960) |
E. Maurice "Buddy"Adler (June 22, 1906 – July 12, 1960) was an American film producer and production head for20th Century Fox studios.
In 1954, his production ofFrom Here to Eternity won theAcademy Award for Best Picture and in 1956, hisLove Is a Many-Splendored Thing was nominated for best picture. Adler also produced the 1956 filmBus Stop, starringMarilyn Monroe.[1]
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 thePete Smith short features forMGM. He wrote the screenplay for the short documentary filmQuicker'n a Wink, which won anOscar in 1940. He also owned a small string of movie showhouses, called the Hitching Post.[2]
DuringWorld War II, Adler served in the Signal Corps (1941–1945), ending with the rank of colonel.[3]
In 1954 Alder moved from Columbia toFox, where he produced several films.[2]
In 1956 Adler was named as Head of Production for 20th Century Fox, replacingDarryl 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 includeElvis Presley,Pat Boone,Tommy Sands,Fabian,Stuart Whitman,Suzy Parker,Joanne Woodward,France Nuyen,May Britt,Bradford Dillman,Tony Randall,Barry Coe, andDiane Varsi.[2][4][5]
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 actressAnita Louise Fremault (1915–1970), with whom he had two children. The family were at his bedside when he died in 1960, fromlung cancer.[2]Joan Collins told a story onThe 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.
Adler received theIrving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1957.[6] In 1958 he received theGolden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.
On July 12, 1960, Adler died oflung cancer, aged 54, inLos Angeles and was interred in theForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery inGlendale, California. His widow, who is buried there as well, survived him by ten years.[7]
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