Burt Balaban (March 6, 1922 – October 14, 1965) was an American film producer and director.

Biography

Balaban was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family, the son of Tillie (nee Urkov) from her first marriage, and stepson of

Barney Balaban Barney Balaban (June 8, 1887 – March 7, 1971) was an American film executive who was the president of Paramount Pictures from 1936 to 1964 and an innovator in the cinema industry. Life and career Barney Balaban (formerly Birnbaum) was the el ...

. He was the nephew of Elmer Balaban, the nephew of

A. J. Balaban Abraham Joseph Balaban, known as A. J. Balaban or Abe Balaban (April 20, 1889 – November 1, 1962), was an American showman whose particular influence on popular entertainment in the early 20th century led to enormous innovations in the American ...

, the brother of author Judy Balaban, and the cousin of actor

Bob Balaban Robert Elmer Balaban (born August 16, 1945) is an American actor, author, comedian, director and producer. He was one of the producers nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for ''Gosford Park'' (2001), in which he also appeared. Balab ...

of ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

'' (1977) and ''

Gosford Park ''Gosford Park'' is a 2001 satirical black comedy mystery film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. It was influenced by Jean Renoir's French classic ''La Règle du jeu'' ('' The Rules of the Game''). The film stars ...

'' (2001). He was born in Chicago and graduated from Roanoke College. During World War Two he was a combat photographer with the Marines.Tinee, M. (July 31, 1960)
"Films leave their mark on youngsters"
''Chicago Daily Tribune''

Selected filmography

*'' Phantom Caravan'' (1954) – executive producer *''

The Sergeant and the Spy ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (TV movie) (1954) (producer) *'' Amiable Lady'' (1954) (TV movie) (producer) *'' The Lie'' (1954) (TV movie) (producer) *'' Double Barrel Miracle'' (1954) (TV movie) – producer *'' Stranger from Venus'' (1954) a.k.a. ''Immediate Disaster'' – producer, director *''

Diplomatic Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

'' (1954) – producer *''

Eight Witnesses The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who made statements stating that they had seen the golden plates which Joseph Smith said was his source material for the Book of Mormon. An earlier group of witnesses who said they had se ...

'' (1954) (TV) – executive producer *'' Lady of Vengeance'' (1957) – producer, director *'' High Hell'' (1958) – producer, director *''

Murder, Inc. Murder, Inc. (Murder, Incorporated) was an organized crime group, active from 1929 to 1941, that acted as the enforcement arm of the National Crime Syndicatea closely connected criminal organization that included the Italian-American Mafia, the ...

'' (1960) – producer, director *''

Mad Dog Coll Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll (born Uinseann Ó Colla, July 20, 1908 – February 8, 1932) was an Irish-American mob hitman in the 1920s and early 1930s in New York City. Coll gained notoriety for the allegedly accidental killing of a young child dur ...

'' (1961) – director *'' The Gentle Rain'' (1966) – producer, director

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Balaban, Burt 1922 births 1965 deaths American film producers Film directors from Illinois Balaban family 20th-century American Jews Place of death missing People from Chicago United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II World War II photographers