Leo Jaffe
Leo Jaffe (born April 23, 1909 in New York City , † August 20, 1997 ibid) was an American film company manager and film producer .
Live and act
The son of Jewish-Russian immigrants studied at New York University and began working for Columbia Pictures in 1930 . Unusually for the volatile industry, he was to be loyal to this film studio for his entire professional life. In January 1954, Jaffe was promoted to vice president of the company, and in 1956 he became a member of the board. In 1968, Leo Jaffe finally reached the highest position and became President of Columbia Pictures. In the 1950s and 1960s, a wealth of successful productions and screen classics were created under his leadership, including Die Faust im Nacken (1954), Porgy and Bess (1959), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Lord Jim (1964), A man for everyone Season (1966) and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967).
His close contacts with other producers and filmmakers are often cited as a reason why his reign at Columbia was seen as particularly successful, even though he hardly appeared as a film producer himself. In 1981 Leo Jaffe retired from the Columbia board of directors. His numerous philanthropic activities earned him the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 1979 Oscars . He has also received awards from several Jewish organizations, New York University, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the White House, and a number of New York City Mayors. In 1972 Leo Jaffe was named Motion Picture Pioneer of the Year, and he even received a NATO Award Knight of Malta. In 1994 a Golden Palm Star was dedicated to him on the Walk of Stars in Palm Springs , California .
Leo Jaffe had six children from three marriages; his son Stanley R. Jaffe , born in 1940, works as a film producer, his daughter Andrea Jaffe (1950–2016) was a publicist before she was able to establish herself as a successful acting agent.
Filmography
- 1960: strangers when we meet ( Strangers When We Meet ) (production with Samuel J. Briskin , Richard Quine and Abe Schneider and actor Kirk Douglas as production manager)
- 1970: Tumuc Humac (production with Jacques Lanzmann )
- 1991: Otto Preminger : Anatomy of a Filmmaker ( Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker ) (documentary, performance)
literature
- International Motion Picture Almanac 1991, Quigley Publishing Company, New York 1991, pp. 160 f.
Web links
- Obituary in The New York Times, August 21, 1997
- Leo Jaffe in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Jaffe, Leo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American film company manager and film producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 23, 1909 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 20, 1997 |
| Place of death | New York City |