Elliott Kastner

Elliott Kastner (January 7, 1930 – June 30, 2010)^[1] was an American film producer.

Early life and education

Kastner was born in New York City. He attended the University of Miami and Columbia University. During the 1950s he was stationed with U.S. Eucom (United States European Command), in Frankfurt, Germany and Paris, France.

Family

He was the second husband of the interior designer Tessa Kennedy, with whom he had two children, a son, Dillon and a daughter, Milica. He was also a stepfather to Kennedy's three sons from a previous marriage: film producer Cassian Elwes, artist Damian Elwes and actor Cary Elwes.

Career

Kastner started his career as a talent agent at the Music Corporation of America (MCA). When that agency was dissolved his first assignment as producer came in 1965, with Bus Riley's Back in Town. He then temporarily switched his base of operations to England where he formed Winkast Film Productions Ltd. with producer Jerry Gershwin based at Pinewood Studios.

Gershwin and Kastner would produce several motion pictures including Harper (1966) from a novel by Ross Macdonald, and three films based on Alistair MacLean novels: Where Eagles Dare (1968),^[2] When Eight Bells Toll (1971) and Breakheart Pass (1975). He also partnered up with noted producers Alan Ladd, Jr. and Jay Kanter and together they produced the films Villain (1971), The Nightcomers (1972), Zee and Co. (1972) and Fear Is the Key (1972) also based on an Alistair MacLean novel.^[3]

Kastner is also famous for his film adaptations of three Raymond Chandler's novels based on the exploits of one of Chandler's most famous creations, Philip Marlowe: The Long Goodbye (1973), Farewell, My Lovely (1975) and The Big Sleep (1978) the latter two both starring Robert Mitchum as Marlowe.^[3]

Death

Elliott Kastner died of cancer on June 30, 2010 in London at the age of 80.^[4][5][6]

Filmography

Producer

• Bus Riley's Back in Town (1965)
• Harper (1966)
• Kaleidoscope (1966)
• The Bobo (1967)
• Sweet November (1968)
• Where Eagles Dare (1968)
• The Night of the Following Day (1968)
• Laughter in the Dark (1969)
• The Walking Stick (1970)
• A Severed Head (1970)
• When Eight Bells Toll (1971)
• Villain (1971)
• The Nightcomers (1971)
• Fear Is the Key (1972)
• Zee and Co. (1972)
• The Long Goodbye (1973)
• Jeremy (1973)
• Cops and Robbers (1973)
• 11 Harrowhouse (1974)
• Rancho Deluxe (1975)
• Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
• Russian Roulette (1975)
• 92 In The Shade (1975)
• Breakheart Pass (1975)
• The Missouri Breaks (1976)
• Swashbuckler (1976)
• Black Joy (1977)
• Equus (1977)
• A Little Night Music (1977)
• The Big Sleep (1978)
• Absolution (1978)
• North Sea Hijack (1979)
• The First Deadly Sin (1980)
• Man, Woman and Child (1983)
• Oxford Blues (1984)
• Garbo Talks (1984)
• Nomads (1986)
• Angel Heart (1987)
• White of the Eye (1987)
• A Chorus of Disapproval (1988)
• Homeboy (1988)
• The Last Party (1993)
• Frank & Jesse (1994)
• Love Is All There Is (1996)
• Sweet November (2001)
• Opa! (2005)

References

External links

• Cinema VII
• Oldies.com
• Channel 4
• Vanity Fair
• Turner Classic Movies