Ilya Salkind
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Ilya Juan Salkind Domínguez (; born July 27, 1947), usually known as Ilya Salkind, is a
Mexican film Mexican cinema dates to the late nineteenth century during the rule of President Porfirio Díaz. Seeing a demonstration of short films in 1896, Díaz immediately saw the importance of documenting his presidency in order to present an ideal ...
and
television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television net ...
, known for his contributions to three of the four live-action
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
films of the 1970s and 1980s alongside his father, Alexander Salkind.


Early life and career

Ilya Juan Salkind Dominguez was born July 27, 1947 in Mexico City, Mexico, the son of Berta Domínguez, a Mexican novelist, and Russian-Jewish producer Alexander Salkind. At the age of one, Salkind was photographed sitting on the lap of Zsa Zsa Gabor. His grandfather, Mikhail Salkind, was a pioneer of silent films and produced ''
Joyless Street ''Joyless Street'' (german: Die freudlose Gasse), also titled ''The Street of Sorrow'' or ''The Joyless Street'', is a 1925 German silent film directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst starring Greta Garbo and Asta Nielsen. It is based on a novel by Hugo ...
'' (1925), featuring then-relatively-unknown
Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragedy, ...
in her first major role. Afterwards, Mikhail, along with Ilya's own father, Alexander Salkind, joined their forces to supervise many successful films, from
Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J ...
's ''
Austerlitz Austerlitz may refer to: History * Battle of Austerlitz, an 1805 victory by the French Grand Army of Napoleon Bonaparte Places * Austerlitz, German name for Slavkov u Brna in the Czech Republic, which gave its name to the Battle of Austerlitz an ...
'' (1960) to
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
' '' The Trial'' (1962). Beginning in 1969, Ilya Salkind became the third generation of his film-making family. He and Alexander made numerous films, starting with the international box office hits ''
The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...
'' (1973) and its 1974 follow-up, '' The Four Musketeers'' films, the first instance of which a major motion picture and its immediate sequel were shot simultaneously. Salkind was of
Russian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
descent.


''Superman'' film series

Ilya and Alexander, along with producing partner
Pierre Spengler Pierre Spengler (born 5 June 1947) is a French film producer. He initiated the first three ''Superman'' films starring Christopher Reeve and produced them with Alexander and Ilya Salkind. Overview Pierre Spengler started in the movie industr ...
, purchased the film rights to the
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
property in August 1974. It was agreed that the Salkinds would produce and supervise filming on ''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' and '' Superman II'' simultaneously, as had been the case with ''
The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...
'' and '' The Four Musketeers''. Securing the film rights from
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
(a subsidiary of
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
) was an unbearable experience for the producers, as Spengler was forced to spend two weeks in meetings with DC executives for the specific purpose of establishing an "Integrity of the character" clause. However, the producers did make sure DC approved of every aspect of the film (including dialogue). At this point in time
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
,
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
,
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
, James Caan,
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
and
Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...
were being considered for the leading role of Superman.
William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. He won Academy Awards for his screenplays '' ...
was approached to write the script, but chose not to do so, as Ilya Salkind had personally cited certain creative differences with Goldman. Eventually, Ilya would hire ''Godfather'' author Mario Puzo. The desperate search for a director then took place.
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
expressed interest and Salkind felt comfortable in hiring him upon being impressed with his work on ''
Duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...
'' and ''
The Sugarland Express ''The Sugarland Express'' is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Steven Spielberg in his directorial debut. The film follows a woman (Goldie Hawn) and her husband (William Atherton) as they take a police officer (Michael Sacks) hostage a ...
'', though his father was skeptical, feeling that Spielberg was not famous enough and claimed they needed to wait until " that fish movie of his" was released. ''Jaws'' was released with unanimous success, though by this time it was too late as Spielberg opted to do '' Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' instead.
Peter Yates Peter James Yates (24 July 1929 – 9 January 2011) was an English film director and producer. Biography Early life Yates was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. The son of an army officer, he attended Charterhouse School as a boy, graduated from ...
was interested in directing, and was briefly involved in negotiations, though the deal collapsed. Both William Friedkin and
Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institute ...
were also offered the chance to direct. Friedkin turned down the offer outright, while Peckinpah dropped out of the running when he produced a gun during a meeting with Salkind. Richard Lester,
Guy Hamilton Mervyn Ian Guy Hamilton, DSC (16 September 1922 – 20 April 2016) was an English film director. He directed 22 films from the 1950s to the 1980s, including four James Bond films. Early life Hamilton was born in Paris on 16 September 1922, wh ...
,
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
, John Guillermin and
Ronald Neame Ronald Neame CBE, BSC (23 April 1911 – 16 June 2010) was an English film producer, director, cinematographer, and screenwriter. Beginning his career as a cinematographer, for his work on the British war film ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing ...
were then considered, though Lucas was dropped as Salkind found out he was too committed on '' Star Wars (A New Hope)''. It was decided to go with Hamilton, in light of the fact that Salkind was impressed with Hamilton's work as director of, among other projects, '' Goldfinger'' and ''
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
''. Salkind originally recommended Mario Puzo to write the script as a serious science fiction epic. Although Puzo did impress him with certain aspects, Salkind felt the script remained intact with being overall
campy Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting aes ...
, as did
Guy Hamilton Mervyn Ian Guy Hamilton, DSC (16 September 1922 – 20 April 2016) was an English film director. He directed 22 films from the 1950s to the 1980s, including four James Bond films. Early life Hamilton was born in Paris on 16 September 1922, wh ...
. In addition they cited too much "
Greek tragedy Greek tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Greek inhabited Anatolia. It reached its most significant form in Athens in the 5th century BC, the works of which are sometimes called Attic tragedy. Greek tragedy is widely believed t ...
and
Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
" elements. A fourth villain sentenced to the
Phantom Zone The Phantom Zone is a prison-like parallel dimension appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is mainly associated with stories featuring Superman. It first appeared in '' Adventure Comics'' #283 (April 1961), and was created ...
named Zak-Ur appeared as a comedic henchman. By this time, Puzo felt he "could do all he could," turning in two drafts, and David Newman and Robert Benton were hired for rewrite work, as a means to delete objectionable material concerning an excessive amount of comedic scenes.
Leslie Newman Leslie Newman (1938 – c. 2021) was a screenwriter who co-wrote the first three '' Superman'' films with husband David Newman, who died in 2003. She was born in 1939, in the United States. They had two children together. She has written a no ...
was brought in once Benton left to direct ''
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''. Casting started to take place, and Alexander Salkind wanted a famous actor in the role of
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
.
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
was once again highly considered though the idea was dropped.
Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...
was offered the part, but he felt he was too famous and was not right for the role, as did
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
. After the success of ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...
'',
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
lobbied hard for the role but was ignored.
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
was offered all three roles of Superman, Jor-El and Lex Luthor to his choosing though he did not accept any of them, for a salary of $4 million. Nick Nolte and
Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play ''French Without Tears'', in what ...
would both turn it down. It was decided to focus on casting Jor-El and Lex Luthor and save Superman for later. Hoffman was then offered the role of Luthor, and although he was interested, he turned it down.
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
would eventually be cast as Jor-El, causing
Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...
to be cast as Luthor as he wanted desperately to work with Brando. Impressed by the producers' ability to cast famous actors in respective roles,
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
decided to distribute the film internationally, rather than simply domestically. Sets were then being initiated in
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, as well as having flying tests experimented. Brando however, could not go to Rome as there was still a warrant out for his arrest due to the sexual obscenity of his role in ''
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''. It was decided to move the production to
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but Hamilton himself was a tax exile from his native country, which only allowed him to spend 60 days or less a year. The director was forced to drop out because of Brando's actions and by this time six million dollars had already been spent on the production.
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was then in negotiations to direct after Salkind was impressed with his work on ''
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''. However, after viewing Richard Donner's ''
The Omen ''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer ...
'', Donner was chosen.


Post-Superman career

The Salkinds' last journey into film fantasy was
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
's '' Santa Claus: The Movie''. That same year, DC Comics named Salkind as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publication '' Fifty Who Made DC Great'' for his work on the ''Superman'' film franchise. The Salkinds returned to the Superman mythology again in 1988, this time as a TV series, with '' Superboy'', starring John Haymes Newton in the title role during its first year,
Gerard Christopher Gerard Christopher (born May 11, 1959 in New York City) is an American actor, writer and producer. He was the second actor to play the eponymous role in the television series ''Superboy'' (from 1989 to 1992), replacing John Haymes Newton who pla ...
as the Boy of Steel for the remainder of the show's existence, and Stacy Haiduk as Lana Lang, lasted four seasons, running for 100 episodes. Following the team's last film, '' Christopher Columbus: The Discovery'' (
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
), Ilya and his then-wife, Jane Chaplin (daughter of
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
) settled in Orlando, Florida, where much of the ''Superboy'' series had been filmed. There, Ilya and Jane took a sabbatical and devoted their time to raising their two sons. In 1999, the couple amicably separated.


Ilya Salkind Company

Returning to Los Angeles in 2003, the producer launched the Ilya Salkind Company in the late summer of that year. The company's first project, ''Young Alexander the Great'', was shot on location in Greece and Egypt, and has not been released yet and is still in production . The company had several major motion pictures slated for the coming years. As of 2010, the Ilya Salkind Company had been dissolved.


Superman retrospectives

On the DVD release of ''Superboy: The Complete First Season'' in 2006, Salkind appeared in the documentary featurette "Superboy: Getting Off the Ground" and provided audio commentary with series star John Haymes Newton on two episodes. He also appeared in the 2006 television documentary '' Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman'' talking about his time producing the
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
films. He also provided audio commentary along with producer
Pierre Spengler Pierre Spengler (born 5 June 1947) is a French film producer. He initiated the first three ''Superman'' films starring Christopher Reeve and produced them with Alexander and Ilya Salkind. Overview Pierre Spengler started in the movie industr ...
for the 2006 DVD releases of ''Superman: The Movie (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)'', ''Superman II (Two-Disc Special Edition)'', and ''Superman III (Deluxe Edition)''.


Reported missing

Salkind, who was born in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, traveled south of the border to handle a family property owned by his mother, who died a few years earlier. The 63-year-old was staying at his family's home in Tepoztlán. On February 2, 2011, Salkind's long-time companion Deborah Moore filed a missing persons report with Mexican authorities, Salkind having left his cell phone at his Mexico City estate on January 30, telling his staff that he was going to run errands, and not having been seen since. Family and friends became alarmed when he failed to show up for a dentist's appointment the following day. Investigators on February 3 located Salkind in a local hospital, where he was reported to be under sedation due to being assaulted.


Personal life

Salkind was married in 1976 to Skye Aubrey, with whom he has two children Anastasia and Sebastian. The couple divorced in 1979. He married Patricia Bonnet in 1980. The couple has one child. He later married Jane Chaplin. They have two sons together, and divorced in 1999. For the past twenty years he has lived with Deborah Moore. They have no children and are not married.


Filmography


Producer


References


Further reading

* "Ilya Salkind: The Super Producer Who Got ''Superman'' off the Ground" (Part one of three) article and interview by Anthony Petkovich, ''Filmfax'' magazine, summer 2013
number 134
(cover). Filmfax, Inc., Evanston, Illinois USA. Twelve pages (84-92, 102-104) with 38 personal and movie-related black-and-white photographs, mostly behind-the-scenes production stills from the various ''Superman'' films. * "An Interview with Producer Ilya Salkind: From ''Superman'' to ''Supergirl'' to ''Superboy'' and Beyond" (Part two of three) article and interview by Anthony Petkovich, ''Filmfax'' magazine, fall 2013
number 135
(cover). Filmfax, Inc., Evanston, Illinois USA. Eight pages (92-99) with 36 personal and movie-related black-and-white photographs. * "An Interview with Producer Ilya Salkind: From ''The Three Musketeers'' to ''Santa Claus'' and Beyond" (Part three of three) article and interview by Anthony Petkovich, ''Filmfax'' magazine, winter 2014
number 136
(cover). Filmfax, Inc., Evanston, Illinois USA. Eight pages (92-99) with 27 personal and movie-related black-and-white photographs. Total of parts 1-3: 28 pages Q & A, 101 photos from Salkind's personal collection, production stills, and studio advertising.


External links


The Ilya Salkind Company
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salkind, Ilya 1947 births Living people Mexican film producers People from Mexico City Mexican people of Russian-Jewish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent