Martin Richards (born Morton Richard Klein; March 11, 1932 – November 26, 2012) was an Academy-Award winning American
film producer.
Biography
Richards was born to Sidney "Sid" Klein, a stockbroker, and his wife, Shirley, and was raised just off the Grand Concourse in the
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
. He had a younger brother named Bruce, and his parents also owned an arcade on the Keansburg Amusement Park in the 1940s. His friends and the friends of his brother always new he was destined for a career linked to Broadway as he sang show tunes to them as kids.
[Oscar and Tony-Winning Producer Martin Richards Dies at Age 80]
/ref>
Career
Richards won an Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname The Old Redhead. At the peak of his success, in the early-to-mid 1950s, Godf ...
talent search, then appeared on ''The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...
'' and at the Copacabana. He later became a casting director
In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenp ...
, then a Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
and film producer.
Richards won the Best Picture Academy Award for ''Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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'', having optioned film rights to Miramax in 1991. As a Broadway producer, he won three Tony Awards for Best Musical and one Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical has been awarded since 1994. Before that time, both plays and musicals were considered together for the Tony Award for Best Revival. The award is given to the best musical play which has already appeared ...
, out of 10 nominations.
Personal life
Despite being gay, Richards became the third husband of Johnson & Johnson heiress and producer Mary Lea Johnson Richards; reportedly, the couple "adored each other". Despite the times being different back then Morty's friend's knew who he was and that he was different and they accepted it and loved him just the same. In his youth Morty and his parents spent their summers in Keansburg New Jersey where Mr and Mrs Klein onwed a summer business.
Prior to their marriage, Johnson had been married to bisexual child psychiatrist Dr. Victor D'Arc, who she claimed in 1976 had conspired with his homosexual lover to hire a hitman and murder her; a bodyguard was beaten almost to death during a break-in that almost killed Johnson and Richards.[ Although the Bronx district attorney opened an investigation, no charges were ultimately brought, and the pair divorced in 1978.]
Johnson predeceased Richards in 1990, leaving him a $50 million fortune. Johnson's family waged a twelve-year court battle seeking to render Richards ineligible for a share of the Johnson & Johnson fortune. The court ruled in favor of Richards. In memory of his late wife, Richards created the New York Center for Children to care for abused children and their families. Known to throw lavish parties, he was close to Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson; January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in ''West Side Story'', Velma Kelly in ''Chic ...
,[ who hosted a tribute to Richards on April 8, 2013, at the ]Edison Ballroom
The Edison Theatre was a Broadway theatre located in the Hotel Edison at 240 West 47th Street in Midtown Manhattan.
Originally opening in 1931 as the hotel's ballroom, it became the Arena Theatre on May 31, 1950, with a revival of George Kelly ...
to benefit the center.
He was also notable for physically assaulting "Stuttering" John Melendez
John Edward Melendez (born October 4, 1965), also known as Stuttering John, is an American radio personality, comedian, singer, actor, television writer, announcer, and podcast host.
He is best known for being on ''The Howard Stern Show'' from ...
at an event in 1996 while the latter was working for the Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 ...
.
Death
Richards died from liver cancer at his home in Manhattan on November 26, 2012, at age 80. The marquees of Broadway theatres were dimmed in his memory the night of November 27, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Filmography
*''Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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'' (producer) 2002
*''Fort Apache, The Bronx
''Fort Apache, The Bronx'' is a 1981 American crime drama film directed by Daniel Petrie. The film is about a hard-drinking, lonely veteran cop, Murphy ( Paul Newman), and his young partner Corelli ( Ken Wahl), who work in a crime-ridden precin ...
'' (producer) 1981
*'' The Shining'' (associate producer: The Producer Circle Organization) 1980
*'' The Boys from Brazil'' (producer) 1978
*'' The Image'' (producer – as Marty Richards) 1975
*''Fun and Games'' (producer – as Marty Richards) 1973
*'' Some of My Best Friends Are...'' (producer – as Marty Richards) 1971
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Martin
1932 births
2012 deaths
Deaths from cancer in New York (state)
Deaths from liver cancer
Film producers from New York (state)
Gay men
Golden Globe Award-winning producers
LGBT people from New York (state)
LGBT producers
People from the Bronx
Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award
Tony Award winners