Jesse L. Lasky | |
|---|---|
 Lasky in 1915 | |
| Born | Jesse Louis Lasky (1880-09-13)September 13, 1880 |
| Died | January 13, 1958(1958-01-13) (aged 77) |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Spouse | Bessie Mona Ginsberg |
| Children | 3, includingJesse Jr. andBetty[1] |
| Relatives | Samuel Goldwyn (former brother-in-law),Mervyn LeRoy (cousin) |
| Signature | |
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Jesse Louis Lasky (September 13, 1880 – January 13, 1958) was an American pioneermotion picture producer[2] who was a key founder of what was to becomeParamount Pictures, and father of screenwriterJesse L. Lasky Jr.
Born in to aJewish family[3] inSan Francisco, California, Lasky worked at a variety of jobs but began his entertainment career as avaudeville performer, playing the cornet in a duo act with his sister Blanche.[4]
Lasky was a newspaper reporter, an Alaskan gold prospector, later, a vaudeville promoter.[5][6]
In 1911, Lasky was the producer of two Broadway musicals:Hello, Paris andA La Broadway.[7]Beatrice deMille was also producing plays on Broadway and she introduced him to her sonCecil B. DeMille.[8]
In 1913 Lasky and his sister Blanche's husband, Samuel Goldfish (before changing his name toSamuel Goldwyn), teamed with DeMille andOscar Apfel to form theJesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company,[9][10] with Lasky as president.[4] On December 22, 1913, with limited funds, Lasky, DeMille and Goldfish (Goldwyn) leased a barn from Jacob Stern and subleasedBurns and Revier Studio and Laboratory from Louis Loss Burns and Harry Revier (all on land owned by Jacob Stern),[11][12] on the east side of the 1600 block of Vine Street just south ofHollywood and Vine, within the City of Los Angeles where they made Hollywood's firstfeature film, DeMille'sThe Squaw Man, which became a big success. Known today as theLasky-DeMille Barn, it is home to theHollywood Heritage Museum.
Other films produced by the studio include the original version ofBrewster's Millions,The Call of the North,Cameo Kirby,The Circus Man,The Ghost Breaker,The Making of Bobby Burnit,The Man from Home,The Man on the Box,The Master Mind,The Only Son,The Virginian (all 1914),The Cheat,Carmen,Kindling (all 1915),The Blacklist (1916) andThe Bottle Imp (1917).
In 1916, Lasky's company merged withAdolph Zukor's rival companyFamous Players Film Company to createFamous Players–Lasky Corporation, with Zukor as president and Lasky as vice-president in charge of production.[2][13][4] In 1920, Famous Players–Lasky built a large studio facility inAstoria, New York, now known as theKaufman Astoria Studios.
Films produced by Lasky includeWhat Every Woman Knows (1921),The Covered Wagon (1923),A Kiss for Cinderella (1925),Beau Geste (1926),Wings (1927).[2]
In September 1927, Famous Players–Lasky was reorganized under the name Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, later becoming theParamount Pictures Corporation.[14]
In 1927, Lasky was one of the 36 people who founded theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. HisWings was the first film to win theAcademy Award for Best Picture.
Financial problems arose within the industry as a result of theGreat Depression and Lasky resigned in 1932 after personally losing $12 million.[2] Famous Players–Lasky went into receivership in 1933[15] and was folded into Paramount.
He became an independent film producer and in 1935 formed a partnership withMary Pickford to produce films but within a few years she dissolved their business relationship.[2][4] He went on to produce a radio talent show.[4]
Lasky then found work as an associate producer atRKO Pictures before becoming a producer atWarner Bros. until 1945 when he formed his own production company. At Warners he producedSergeant York (1941),The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944) andRhapsody in Blue (1945).[2] His last film wasThe Great Caruso (1951). He became in debt to theBureau of Internal Revenue and was preparing another production with Paramount,The Brass Band, to help pay off the debt but died before production started.[2][4]
Jesse L. Lasky died from aheart attack inBeverly Hills at the age of 77.[16][17] He is interred inHollywood Forever Cemetery, adjacent to Paramount Studios, in Hollywood.
He and his wife Bessie had three childrenJesse L. Jr.,Betty and Billy.[2]
In 1957 he published his autobiography,I Blow My Own Horn.[18]
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Lasky has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6433 Hollywood Boulevard. Lasky Drive inBeverly Hills was named in his honor.
