Lawrence Turman, producer of ‘The Graduate,’ died on July 1 at the age of 96.Photo:Lawrence Turman
Lawrence Turman
Lawrence Turman, the Oscar-nominated producer ofThe Graduate, died on Saturday at the age of 96.
He died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif., his family announced, perThe Hollywood Reporter.
Turman’s Hollywood career spanned 50 years and included work on more than 30 films, includingThe Great White Hope,Pretty PoisonandAmerican History X. He also served as the chair of USC’s Peter Stark Producing program from 1991 until he retired in 2021, according toVariety.
A graduate of UCLA, Turman began his career as an agent before moving into producing, including working onJudy Garland’s last film, 1963’sI Could Go On Singing.
After coming across aNew York Timesreview of Charlie Webb’s bookThe Graduate, he put together financing and casting, recruited Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel to make music for the movie, and tapped the young, up-and-coming directorMike Nichols. The film, released in 1967 and starringDustin HoffmanandAnne Bancroft, won seven Academy Awards including best picture and best director for Nichols.
“He was proud of telling the story how every studio in town turned the project down, twice,” Turman’s family recounted toVariety.
Lawrence Turman, who died on July 1, was the longtime chair of the Peter Stark Producing program at USC.Michael Buckner/Getty
Michael Buckner/Getty
In 1974, Turman forged what would be a 20-year partnership with producer David Foster and went on to makeThe Drowning Pool,Caveman,Heroes,The Thing,Running Scared, the 1994 reboot ofThe GetawayandThe River Wild. The pair went their separate ways in 1991 when Turman left to oversee the Peter Stark Producing program.
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During his tenure at USC, Turman continued to produce into the 2000s, and also directed and producedMarriage of a Young StockbrokerandSecond Thoughts, starringLucie Arnaz.
He published a book in 2005 about his career in Hollywood titledSo You Want to Be a Producer.
“I initiate every single film project upon which I work; most of them would not have seen the light of day had I not decided to make them,” he wrote in the book, perTHR. “I’m the starter and also the finisher.”
source: people.com
