David V. Picker

David V. Picker
Born May 14, 1931 (1931-05-14) (age 86)
New York City
Nationality American
Occupation Movie executive and producer
Known for Served as President and CEO of United Artists, Paramount, Lorimar and Columbia Pictures

David V. Picker is a motion picture executive and producer, working in the film industry for more than forty years. He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for United Artists, Paramount, Lorimar and Columbia Pictures. He is currently an independent producer. Picker has been a member of the Writers Guild of America East, is currently a member the Producers Guild of America, and he is Chairman Emeritus of the Producers Guild of America East.[1][2] Picker's memoir about his career in the film industry, Musts, Maybes and Nevers, was released in 2013.[3]

Early life

Picker was born to a Jewish family[4][5][6] in New York City on May 14, 1931. His father, Eugene Picker, was a film pioneer and movie theatre executive of Loew’s Theaters.[7] David V. Picker attended Dartmouth College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1953.[1][2][8]

Early career

Picker began his movie career at United Artists in 1956. There, he worked in advertising and publicity. By 1961 he was an assistant to the president.[9][10] By the late ‘60s Picker was managing United Artists Records.[2][9][10] Picker helped bring Tom Jones to United Artists in 1963. The film received four Academy Awards, including best picture and best director for Tony Richardson.[11] In 1964, Picker accepted the award on behalf of Tony Richardson, who was not in attendance.[12]

United Artists Corporation 1969-1973

Picker became chief operating officer and president of United Artists Corporation in 1969. He became CEO in 1970.[2][9] During his time as president, Picker was responsible for a deal with producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli for the James Bond series which launched the most successful franchise in cinema history. During his time at United Artists, Picker brought the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night and Help! to the company, as well as Midnight Cowboy and Last Tango in Paris.[1][9][13] Picker helped bring writer and director Woody Allen to United Artists in addition to European filmmakers Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, François Truffaut, Louis Malle, and Sergio Leone.[1][2]

1973-1993

In 1973, Picker left United Artists to form his own production company, Two Roads Productions.[7][9] At Two Roads Productions, Picker produced Juggernaut and Lenny in 1974 and Smile in 1975. Lenny became a critical success and was nominated for six Academy Awards.[9][14] In 1976 David V. Picker became President of Motion Pictures at Paramount but served for only a few years.[9] During this time, he helped develop or greenlit Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and the 1980 Academy Award winner, Ordinary People.[7][10] Upon leaving Paramount in 1979, Picker then partnered with comedian Steve Martin to produce The Jerk in 1979, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid in 1982, and The Man With Two Brains in 1983.[9][10] In the mid ’80s, Picker took over as President of Feature Films at Lorimar Productions. As president, he developed and supervised the films S.O.B., Being There, and Escape to Victory.[7][10] Columbia Pictures named David V. Picker as president in the 1980s.[9][10] While at Columbia, Picker greenlit Hope and Glory, School Daze, Vice Versa, Punchline, and True Believer.[7][15][16] By the mid ’80s, Picker was independently producing again. He worked with Harry Belafonte to produce Beat Street.[17] During this period he produced other films, including a remake of Stella Dallas called Stella, starring Bette Midler.[9][10][18]

1993 to present

Picker produced The Saint of Fort Washington for Warner Bros. in 1993 and The Crucible for Twentieth Century Fox in 1996.[7] In 1997, Picker became president of Hallmark Entertainment Productions Worldwide. He agreed to bring the company into feature films.[9][10][13] From 2004 to 2008 Picker served as chairman of The Producers Guild of America for the East. Picker's memoir about his career in the film industry, Musts, Maybes and Nevers, was released in 2013.[3]

Awards and honors

Charles Fitzsimmons Award, the Producers Guild of America 2008.[19] Academy Award - The Appointments of Dennis Jennings, Live Action Short Film, Producer 1998 The Producer Award, The Gotham Awards, 1998

Producer Credits

[16][18]

Year Title Role
1964 A Hard Day’s Night executive producer (uncredited)
1974 Juggernaut executive producer
1974 Lenny executive producer
1975 Smile executive producer
1975 Royal Flash producer
1976 Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood producer
1978 Oliver’s Story producer
1979 Bloodline producer
1979 The Jerk producer
1982 Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid producer
1982 The Man with Two Brains producer
1984 Beat Street producer
1984 The Goodbye People producer
1988 Leader of the Band producer
1988 The Appointments of Dennis Jennings executive producer
1990 Stella executive producer
1991 Livin’ Large! producer
1992 Traces of Red producer
1992 Leap of Faith producer
1993 The Saint of Fort Washington producer
1996 The Crucible producer
1998 The Temptations TV, executive producer
1998 Rear Window TV, executive producer
1999 P.T. Barnum TV, executive producer
1999 Journey to the Center of the Earth Miniseries, executive producer
1999 Aftershock: Earthquake in New York TV, executive producer
2000 In the Beginning TV, executive producer
2000 David Copperfield TV, executive producer
2001 Back to the Secret Garden executive producer
2002 Fidel TV, executive producer
2003 Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairy Tale TV, executive producer

Personal life

Picker's sister is Jean PIcker Firstenberg, past CEO and Director of the American Film Institute. He is married to Sandra Jetton. They live in New York City.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "David V. Picker". Pproducedbyconference.com. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Producers Guild of America Speakers: Get the Reel Deal from Hollywood’s Hottest Producers". BigSpeak.com. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  3. 1 2 Bart, Peter. "Greenlighting Movies: A High-Risk Game". Variety. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  4. ↑ National Center for Jewish Film. "National Center for Jewish Film - Board of Directors". National Center for Jewish Film. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  5. ↑ JTA. "Warburg and Lehman Give to Education Ass’n Fund". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Erens, Patricia (1998). The Jew in American Cinema. Indiana University Press. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-253-20493-6.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "DAVID PICKER SIGNS PRODUCING DEAL WITH PARAMOUNT". TheFreeLibrary. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Filmography". AllMovie. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "ABOUT DAVID V. PICKER". YahooMovies. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "BIOGRAPHY". TCM. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  11. ↑ "Tom Jones". IMDB. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  12. ↑ "Biography for David V. Picker". IMDB. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  13. 1 2 "Guests: David V. Picker". Charlie Rose. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  14. ↑ "Lenny (1974)". IMDB. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  15. ↑ "Produced By Conference". Produced By Conference. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  16. 1 2 "David V. Picker". IMDB. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  17. ↑ "Beat Street (1984)". IMDB. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  18. 1 2 "David V. PickerFilmography". Fandango. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  19. ↑ MCNARY, DAVE (Jun 12, 2008). "Producers pick David Picker for prize". Variety. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
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