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Lawrence Turman, shaper of films including Oscar victor “The Graduate,” and longtime chair of nan Peter Stark Producing programme astatine USC, died Saturday astatine nan Motion Picture Home successful Woodland Hills. He was 96.
Turman’s producing profession spanned 50 years, and he served arsenic head of USC’s Peter Stark Producing programme from 1991 until he retired successful 2021 astatine property 94.
Born successful Los Angeles successful 1926, Turman graduated from UCLA and collapsed into nan manufacture aft answering an advertisement successful Variety to activity astatine nan Kurt Frings agency. He represented actors, and aft getting a gathering pinch Alfred Hitchcock done their friend Ernest Lehman, he was capable to book 4 of his agency’s clients successful “North By Northwest.”
Turman moved into producing, moving connected films including Judy Garland’s past movie “I Could Go On Singing,” “The Best Man,” “The Great White Hope” and “Pretty Poison.”
After uncovering Charles Webb’s book “The Graduate,” he worked to put together financing and casting, uncovering composers Simon and Garfunkel and nan young head Mike Nichols. “The Graduate” was nominated for 7 Oscars including champion picture, winning champion head for Nichols. “He was proud of telling nan communicative really each workplace successful municipality turned nan task down, twice,” his family recounted.
In 1974, he formed Turman Foster Company pinch David Foster, and went connected to make “The Drowning Pool,” “Heroes,” “Caveman,” John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” “Running Scared,” “The Getaway” reboot successful 1994 and “The River Wild.”
Turman continued producing into nan 2000s pinch films specified arsenic “American History X,” and besides directed “Second Thoughts” and “Marriage of a Young Stockbroker.”
He ran USC’s Peter Stark programme for astir 30 years, and wrote a book astir his experiences, “So You Want to Be a Producer.”
Turman was known for his beardown relationships pinch writers, specified arsenic pinch William Goldman erstwhile he was penning “Butch Cassidy and nan Sundance Kid.”
He is survived by 3 sons, John (Analuisa Bustamante), Andrew (Nancy Hyland) and Peter (Sheri Bernstein), and 4 grandchildren, Audrey Suzanne, Carter Isaac, Georgia Simone, Olivia Veranique, and 2 nieces, Katherine and Suzanna.
A work will beryllium held astatine nan Motion Picture Home astatine a later date.
Donations whitethorn beryllium made to nan Larry Turman Endowed Fund for nan Peter Star Program – USC School of Cinematic Arts.
