criterionforum.org

david hare wrote:On "opportunism", after Rohmer's death the discussion on Dave Kehr's blog turned to an interesting revelation of the journalistic practice of prewriting obituaries, sometimes by years. A couple of people were shocked, but it's a standard and very necessary procedure, certainly if you - as author of the obit - hope to get the piece right and do justice to the subject.

In partnership with Richard Zanuck, with whom he formed the independent production company Zanuck-Brown in 1972, Brown produced a string of financial and critical successes, including 1974 Best Picture winner "The Sting," starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. They also hired Steven Spielberg to direct his first feature, "The Sugarland Express," and later tapped him for the blockbuster "Jaws."

"Jaws" was one of their biggest hits, creating the paradigm of the summer blockbuster and cementing Spielberg's reputation. Brown and Zanuck produced "Jaws 2" in 1978.

The pair also produced Sidney Lumet's "The Verdict" (1982), Ron Howard's "Cocoon" (1985) and Robert Altman's "The Player" (1992); the latter won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Picture.

In 1988, Brown founded and became president of his own production company, the Manhattan Project Ltd., producing films including "A Few Good Men" (1992), "Deep Impact" (1998, with Richard Zanuck), and "Angela's Ashes" (1999).

Brown earned another Best Picture Oscar nomination as producer of "Chocolat" in 2001.

david hare wrote:I had no idea he was 91

david hare wrote:Golly!

Cripes, that's a real surprise, in fact. I had no idea he was 91, but then again he semed like someone who would just keep going on.

My my....
Thanx Rufe.