Freddie Fields (July 12, 1923 – December 11, 2007),[1] born Fred Feldman, was an American theatrical agent and film producer.
Freddie Fields | |
|---|---|
| Born | Fred Feldman July 12, 1923 Ferndale, New York, United States |
| Died | December 11, 2007 (aged 84) Beverly Hills, California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, agent |
| Spouses | Cherie Latimer
(m. 1976; div. 1977) |
| Children | 4, including Kathy Fields |
Biography
editBorn to a Jewish family,[2] Fields was the brother of band leader Shep Fields.
Field's obituary in Variety magazine described his early career:
After a stint in the Coast Guard, he joined the Abbe Greshler agency in 1943; there he worked with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. He was wooed away by MCA in 1946, bringing Lewis and Martin with him, and rose through the ranks to become head of its TV department. He packaged such vaudevillian and radio talents as Phil Silvers, George Burns and Gracie Allen and Jackie Gleason for television.[3]
In 1960, Fields and fellow former MCA agent David Begelman founded the international talent agency Creative Management Associates (CMA).[1][3] At CMA, Fields and Begelman pioneered the movie "package", where the talent agency put their stars, directors and writers together on a single project.[4]
CMA developed numerous agents, including Sue Mengers, Mike Medavoy, Sam Cohn, and Jeff Berg (who became president in 1979).[3] CMA was instrumental in the development of such stars as Judy Garland, Woody Allen, Henry Fonda, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford, Peter Sellers, Steve McQueen and later Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Burt Bacharach, Neil Young, and Jack Carter, and into the 1980s promoted the likes of Richard Gere and Mel Gibson. While at CMA, he was involved with numerous blockbuster films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, American Graffiti, and Star Wars. Fields played a key role in the merger of CMA with the International Famous Agency to form International Creative Management (ICM).[1]
Starting in 1969, Fields was a partner in the First Artists Company with Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Sidney Poitier, and Barbra Streisand.[1] While First Artists only lasted for about ten years, it was unique in that it owned the films it produced, such as The Getaway (1972).[3]
Fields later served as president of MGM and United Artists.[1]
Personal life
editFields was married four times. He was survived by his wife, former Miss Universe 1964, Corinna Tsopei, and by two adopted children by his former wife, actress Polly Bergen.[5][6] He also was married to actress Edith Fellows, who died June 26, 2011. Kathy Fields is their child.[7]
Filmography
editHe was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
edit| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Lipstick | ||
| 1977 | Handle with Care | ||
| Looking for Mr. Goodbar | |||
| 1980 | American Gigolo | Executive producer | |
| Wholly Moses! | |||
| 1981 | Escape to Victory | ||
| 1982 | The Year of Living Dangerously | Executive producer | Uncredited
|
| 1985 | Fever Pitch | ||
| 1986 | Poltergeist II: The Other Side | Executive producer | |
| American Anthem | Executive producer | ||
| Crimes of the Heart | |||
| 1989 | Millennium | Executive producer | |
| Glory | Final film as a producer |
- Miscellaneous crew
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | The Year of Living Dangerously | Presenter |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Judy Garland Show | Executive producer | Television special |
| 1989 | Glory | Executive producer | Television special |
| 1996 | The Montel Williams Show | Executive producer |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Rogers, John (December 12, 2007). "Legendary producer/agent Freddie Fields dies". USA Today.
- ^ Verini, Bob (September 27, 2007). "Secret lunch honors Ladd". Variety.
- ^ a b c d Natale, Richard (December 12, 2007). "Agent Freddie Fields dies at 84. Industry vet paved the way for super-agents". Variety.
- ^ Eller, Claudia; Dutka, Eliane (August 9, 1995). "Begelman, Ex-Columbia Chief, an Apparent Suicide". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ^ Fox, Margalit (Dec 13, 2007). "Freddie Fields, Hollywood Talent Agent, Dies at 84". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
- ^ Bergan, Ronald (22 Sep 2014). "Polly Bergen obituary: Award-winning actor who starred in Cape Fear, she was also a dynamic entrepreneur". The Guardian.
- ^ Fox, Margalit (July 2, 2011). "Edith Fellows, a 1930s Child Star Trailed by Dickensian Woes, Dies at 88". The New York Times.
