Harold Hecht

Early life

Harold Adolphe Hecht was born on June 1, 1907, in Yorkville, New York City, to Joseph Hecht and Rose (née Loewy) Hecht. His father was born on November 17, 1882, in Austria. While employed as a sailor at the age of seventeen, he immigrated to New York City in January 1899. Once in New York he worked in construction and eventually made it up to the position of a building contractor. His mother was born on January 18, 1882, in Austria. Joseph and Rose were married in 1906 in New York City and had two children; Harold (born 1907) and Janet Hecht (b. 1910, later Janet Garfield, mother of Warren Garfield, a noted film trailer producer).

He attended PS 169, graduating in spring 1923 at the age of sixteen. Hecht is reported to have frequented the Union Settlement house on East 104th Street in East Harlem.

Studies and Broadway career

Just as Hecht was looking for his vocation, the very field he wanted to be in was interviewing students for a new school. In November 1923, Richard Boleslavsky, a Russian immigrant and former student of Konstantin Stanislavsky, opened the American Laboratory Theatre, the first school in the United States to teach Stanislavski's system of acting. Hecht was among the first students accepted to attend the new school in late 1923. While there he studied and appeared in plays with Lee Strasberg (who later took Stanislavski's system and Americanized it into the method acting system), Stella Adler, Harold Clurman, Anne Revere, Lenore Romney and Francis Fergusson.

Hecht excelled at The Lab and was accepted into its Auxiliary Acting Group, granting him the privilege of appearing in the school's produced plays, while remaining under Boleslavsky's teachings beyond the two years required to graduate. While attending The Lab, Hecht appeared in The Straw Hat (October–November 1926), Big Lake (April 1927, from a story by Rollie Lynn Riggs), Much Ado About Nothing (November–December 1927), Dr. Knock (February–March 1928), Grand Street Follies (May–October 1928, with dances staged by James Cagney) and The Wild Duck (November 1928 – January 1929).

Many of The Lab's students worked on additional aspects of the plays that the school produced and Hecht was most drawn by choreography. He also worked under Boleslavsky, both in The Lab's productions and on other Broadway productions, as stage assistant. In 1929 Boleslavsky left for Hollywood and Hecht continued to attend The Lab headed by Maria Ouspenskaya and Maria Germanova.

After the American Laboratory Theatre closed in the spring of 1930, Hecht continued working on Broadway as either dancer or choreographer until late 1931. During this period he worked with Mikhail Mordkin, Martha Graham, George White and Albertina Rasch. He also worked on Les noces at the Metropolitan Opera.

First Hollywood career

Beginning at RKO

In October 1931 Richard Boleslavsky invited Hecht to join him in Hollywood to choreograph the dance numbers on an upcoming project he was set to direct at RKO Radio Pictures. Chi Chi and Her Papas, a 1924 German comedic play originally written by Armin Friedmann and Fritz Lunzer under the title Sie und ihr Zimmerherr, had been translated into English by Max Steiner in a single day. Steiner also composed three original songs and the score for the film adaptation, while the movie's producer, William LeBaron, wrote the lyrics. Humphrey Pearson was brought in for additional dialogue but eventually re-wrote the entire screenplay. Chi Chi and Her Papas was to be a starring vehicle for actress Lili Damita, her third film at RKO. Her leading man was scheduled to be John Warburton, loaned out from Fox Films, with Hugh Herbert as a singing supporting character. Other supporting roles were scheduled for George Frank, Tiny Sandford and Gertrude Astor.

Hecht left by plane from New York City to Hollywood on Monday, November 2, his position on the film already confirmed. Once in California, he interviewed 200 girls and 150 men, in order to find the twelve girls and six men necessary for the dance numbers. Hecht hired Frances Grant (stage/screen name of the actress, dancer, and dance teacher Stella McCarron), fresh from assisting Larry Ceballos at Fanchon and Marco, to help him with the new routines on Chi Chi and Her Papas. But a week after Hecht's arrival, the film was put on hold. Earlier that fall, RKO had acquired the Pathé Exchange film studio and a number of issues had come of it. New studio head, David O. Selznick clashed with equally positioned Charles Rogers and similar arguments went on between producer William LeBaron and former vice-president Joseph I. Schnitzer. Not only were crew positions scheduled to be cut (as the two studios merged into a single location), but some of the pictures too were cancelled. As part of the agreement, all 20 Pathé pictures in production at the time of the acquisition were to be made at RKO's studio. However, the 16 films on RKO's production schedule were not given the same security and for a variety of reasons, Chi Chi and Her Papas was one of the few to get shut down. LeBaron had already spent $100,000 within the four weeks of pre-production but neither Selznick nor Schnitzer liked the idea of the film and felt it was too racy and non-conducive to the American taste.

A few weeks later Hecht found work in the Los Angeles theater business. LeRoy Prinz was producing and directing the Edmunt Joseph and Nat Perrin story Lucky Day with financial backing from Rodney Pantages, Arthur Silber and Harold Morehouse. Prinz had clashed with the original choreographer, Billy Grant and Hecht came in to replace him. Other crew members included Earl Dancer staging the choir with music by Otis René and Leon René and lyrics by Ben Eilleon. Lucky Day opened at the Mayan Theater in L.A. on December 27 starring Alex Lovejoy, Eddie Anderson, Alma Travers, LeRoy Broomfield and Aurora Greeley. The play was relatively successful, gaining interest from RKO as a potential property.

Contract choreographer at Paramount

In mid-March 1932 Hecht signed a one-year agreement and became a contract choreographer and dance director for Paramount Pictures. Stories exist that it was his friend Busby Berkeley who helped him get in touch with the right people at Paramount, where the two are said to have worked on films together. Hecht's first assignment at Paramount was directing two dance ensembles in the Marx Brothers' college football comedy film Horse Feathers. One of the numbers Hecht directed was I'm Against It, a scene where Groucho Marx, playing Quincy Adams Wagstaff, is first installed as the new headmaster of Huxley College. Hecht trained Groucho alongside twenty elder actors, aged 61 to 77 years old, with naturally grown beards and dressed in academic gowns. Considering that his first known assignment at Paramount Pictures was a Marx Brothers film, it is quite possible that Hecht found his way to that studio through Nat Perrin, whom he had just worked with on Lucky Day and was Groucho's close friend and collaborator. Hecht was reported to have worked on additional Marx Brothers films, though no specific titles have surfaced to confirm this (i.e.: "Hecht worked on Marx Brothers films", in plural form). If he did work on additional Marx Brothers films, the only plausible ones that were made during the remainder of his first venture in Hollywood were Duck Soup at Paramount in 1933 and A Night at the Opera at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1935. The exact shooting dates for Duck Soup have not been established, but it is known to have been filmed during the summer of 1933, after Hecht's contract at Paramount had expired. It is always possible that the studio reached out to Hecht, though no screen credits were provided for the dance numbers (no screen credits were provided for Horse Feathers either). As for A Night at the Opera, it was filmed at M-G-M Studio in the summer of 1935, during a time when Hecht was associated with the studio. However, the film gives screen credits to Chester Hale for the choreography. Whether Hale worked alone or if Hecht had any input in the film is unknown.

Following Horse Feathers, Hecht worked on Lady and Gent (at the time known under the title The Challenge), directed by Stephen Roberts and starring George Bancroft and Wynne Gibson, and Devil and the Deep, directed by Marion Gering and starring Tallulah Bankhead, Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton and Cary Grant. In June and July 1932, Hecht was loaned out from Paramount to M-G-M for the Marion Davies film Blondie of the Follies (then known under the title Good Time Girl). The film was produced by Davies who sought out Hecht herself and was directed by Edmund Goulding, who would later reunite with Hecht. The film also starred Robert Montgomery, Billie Dove and Jimmy Durante.

Loan-outs to RKO

Shortly before Hecht's Paramount contract expired, producer Lou Brock at RKO borrowed him to direct the dance numbers on the musical Melody Cruise (at the time known under the title Maiden Cruise). Hecht put together a number that included a line of 36 girls for the Mark Sandrich film starring Charlie Ruggles and Phil Harris. However, after two weeks of working on Maiden Cruise, Paramount recalled him claiming the RKO production had been delayed and that Hecht's work on Paramount's own International House was a priority. Dave Gould took over Hecht's work on the RKO film and received screen credits for the dance routines.

Once Hecht was free from his Paramount contract in April 1933, RKO hired him again, this time to direct the dance numbers on Bed of Roses, a film directed by Gregory La Cava starring Constance Bennett, Joel McCrea, Pert Kelton and John Halliday. For this picture, Hecht trained two hundred girls for the dances and selected the best nine to appear in the film. One number in particular, which took place at the New Orleans Mardi Gras carnival in the film, was taken on the road to help promote the picture, with the girls performing it on stage.

Meanwhile, Hecht put on a new play for the "Symphonies Under the Stars", a week-long festival beginning on July 25. Skyscrapers opened on Saturday July 29 at the Hollywood Bowl to a cast of over one hundred dancers. Hecht directed the play and choreographed the dances to music originally composed by John Alden Carpenter. Hecht refashioned the work into an eight-scene ballet with the help of Blanding Sloane, who worked on the sets, lights and made the masks, and Kay Otteson who designed the costumes. Richard Lert, husband of Vicki Baum, conducted the orchestra.

Freelancing at Warner Brothers, Fox and Universal

In October 1933, Hecht was offered opportunities to direct dance numbers at Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures, Fox Films and Columbia Pictures within a short period of time. Hecht first went to Warner Bros. to choreograph a Vitaphone Technicolor two-reeler short, produced by Gordon Hollingshead. Morocco Nights was directed by Edward Cline and starred Fuzzy Knight, Shirley Ross and future Hecht client Francis McDonald. Morocco Nights was initially to be included in Warner's Broadway Brevities but was never added.

Scheduled to make an undisclosed Columbia film in 1934 (it has not been established if this plan was fulfilled), Hecht made plans to work at Universal in October 1933 with Stanley Bergerman on I Like It That Way. The film was directed by Harry Lachman and starred Gloria Stuart and Roger Pryor. But shortly before starting production on I Like It That Way in November, Hecht instead opted to go to work on Buddy DeSylva's film Bottoms Up at Fox. The large production was directed by David Butler and starred Spencer Tracy and Pat Paterson with music and lyrics by Gus Kahn. Hecht's numbers in the picture were lauded by critics.

In January 1934, Hecht was approached by Universal again, this time for Glamour a film produced by B. F. Zeidman, directed by William Wyler and starring Constance Cummings and Paul Lukas. In May he was approached by Stanley Bergerman for another Roger Pryor film, Romance in the Rain. This time Hecht provided the dances in the film directed by Stuart Walker.

Film directing at M-G-M

Hecht is said to have worked on the Edmond Goulding film Hollywood Party (at the time known under the title Star Spangled Banquet) at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in March 1934, though no official credit has surfaced to confirm this. In the fall of 1934 Hecht started working on a series of shorts, which he was to direct, under the title Goonies. The shorts were to be based on errors made by college students in filing out official forms, hence making them "goonies". Hecht's new production unit, formed for the purpose of making these shorts in December 1934, was called Goonies Inc. However, the Goonies shorts were never produced, for reasons unknown.

In January 1935, Hecht and his friend Josef Berne were given the go ahead to direct their own Technicolor (using the three-strip process) short at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The color process was still considered a novelty at the time, making this deal, for a new director, quite a generous one. Gypsy Night (known under the working title Song of the Gypsies) was produced by Harry Rapf from a story by Richard Goldstone. The short was filmed throughout March and April. Through cinematography and lighting Hecht and Berne "emphasized on particular colors which most effectively carried out the moods of the music in each scene", a concept that Disney somewhat recreated half a decade later in Fantasia.

The short was based on a romantic perspective of the Russian Gypsies' lives, with dance numbers by Hecht and music by Burton Lane and Harold Adamson. The cast featured Mary Jo Mathews, Perry Askam, Joseph Mario and Ilia Khmara. Gypsy Night opened on Friday, May 24, 1935, at the Capitol Theater in New York City. It was considered avant-garde by some but received generally praising reviews towards its artistic aspect.

Hecht later claimed that his initial departure from Hollywood was caused by a lack of work in the fast-paced, constantly evolving musical pictures business. His style of dances were refreshing when he arrived in 1931. But by 1935 they had been adapted and used by other choreographers and had been well-used at all the major studios.

Return to New York and Broadway plays

In November 1935, exactly four years after leaving, Hecht returned to New York City and took employment at the Summer Hotel. He was then hired by the Theatre Guild and positioned as assistant director and assistant stage manager for the Leonard Lawrence Atlas play But for the Grace of God in 1936. The play was produced by Sidney Harmon and directed by Benno Schneider. Hecht was not the original stage manager of the play and only came in through Schneider's insistence. But for the Grace of God opened on January 12, 1937, and ran for forty-two performances.

It was during this time that Hecht became a member of the Communist Party, subscribing to the Daily Worker and attending select meetings at the New York City Communist Party headquarters on 4th Avenue and the Workers Alliance of America. He also studied five hours a week, taking classes like labor studies, political economy, current events and the rise of Marxism and Leninism. Even though he had a general interest in the party, he was apparently never a devoted Communist and did not seek higher placement or positions.

In 1937 he became employed at the Federal Theatre Project and was put in charge of producing the musical revue Sing for Your Supper. It took Hecht two years to get the play together, compiling songs, lyrics, sketches, seeking out writers and hiring the cast, designing costumes, choreographing dances and other aspects of the production. Sing for Your Supper featured an elaborate cast of different ethnicity, nationalities, religious and political beliefs and Hecht showed no discrimination when hiring actors or crew members. During one of the rehearsals, on May 30, 1938, one of the African American cast members approached one of the leading ladies of the play, Viennese actress Sally Saunders, for a date. The actress was so insulted that she rushed to Hecht, asking for the man to be fired. Hecht gloriously championed the rights of blacks by responding to her "Sally, I'm surprised at you. He has just as much right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness as you and I have". Saunders was horrified by Hecht's approval of racial equality and in August of that same year testified against him, the Federal Theater, the Workers Alliance of America and entire production of Sing for Your Supper at an anti-communist hearing in Washington, D.C. Sing for Your Supper eventually opened on either March 15 or April 24 (the date is debated) 1939 at the Adelphi Theatre. It was reasonably successful, running forty-four performances and closing on June 30. Feeling that his employment at the Federal Theatre would not be renewed after the play, Hecht left New York in either July or August 1939.

Second trip to Hollywood

New career as literary agent

In either July or August 1939 Hecht returned to Hollywood and found it difficult to secure employment. He was then living with writer Roland Kibbee and the two became good friends. Kibbee later collaborated with Hecht and Lancaster as a writer for their production companies, and became an equal partner of Lancaster's post-Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions venture, Norlan Productions. In late 1939, after months of unemployment, Hecht was hired by Nat Goldstone as a talent agent for the Goldstone Agency. The Goldstone Agency initially dealt with actors and Hecht established for them a literary department, first becoming head of the new division and then being promoted to a partner in the company. He worked two years for the Goldstone Agency, eventually handling up to thirty-six writers. Hecht hired one of these writers, George Willner, to be his assistant. Willner later formed his own literary agency.

World War II service

Hecht enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps on August 29, 1942, in support of World War II. His army serial number was 19126700. He was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant and placed in Special Services, the entertainment department. He produced live shows for servicemen with in person appearances by some of the biggest stars of the day: including songwriter Johnny Mercer, vocalist Francis Langford, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and personal friend, actor John Garfield. Hecht was honorably discharged on September 3, 1945.

Formation of the Hecht-Rantz Agency

After his service in World War II, Hecht returned to Hollywood with plans to head his own talent agency. In the fall of 1945 he formed the Hecht-Rantz Agency with friend and former Goldstone Agency employee, Louis Rantz. Rantz had also worked in Hollywood during the mid-1930s, as an associate producer, mostly with Metropolitan Pictures, George A. Hirliman Productions and B.F. Zeidman Productions. Hecht and Rantz set up their office at 324 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, California.

During a show-going holiday in New York City in late November 1945, Lillian Schary, Dore Schary's sister, suggested to Hecht that he go see a new Broadway play at the Lyceum Theater. A Sound of Hunting, which had opened off-Broadway a couple of weeks earlier, was showcasing a brand new actor, Burt Lancaster. Hecht was immediately impressed with Lancaster's performance. He later said of that night "When I saw Burt Lancaster in A Sound of Hunting on Broadway (in 1945), I knew he had it. I don't know how you could miss it. He was so dominating, so much larger than life". Hecht attended the play many more times before it closed after twenty-three performances on December 8. When nearly all the major Hollywood studios starting coming at Lancaster with offers, his friend and co-star in the play, Sam Levene, an established stage and film actor, offered to represent him. Together they were invited to restaurants, hearing offers from David O. Selznick, 20th Century-Fox and Hal B. Wallis, who had a deal at Paramount Pictures.

Stories are told about the time Hecht was introduced to Lancaster on the last night of the play. The actor said he'd been courted by the big agencies. Hecht told him, "If you sign with a big agency, you'll be assigned to a junior agent who gets a salary, and has two dozen unknowns to find work for." Hecht opted for honesty. "I know everybody, but I have only a few clients. If you signed with me, you'd be at the top of my list and I have to eat so I'd have to keep you working". Lancaster signed with Hecht and they went out to celebrate at a restaurant. There Hecht said, "You know, I really don't like being an agent. I want to produce pictures". Lancaster replied that he wanted the same, which led to Hecht's famous retort, "Come with me and in five years maybe we can make it". The actual time was 19 months.

Through Hecht's negotiations, Lancaster signed a seven-year contract, the longest term a studio was legally allowed to keep an actor under contract at the time, with Hal B. Wallis' Paramount-financed, independent production company, Hal Wallis Productions. The exclusive contract gave Lancaster an option for one outside, independent picture a year, giving the agent/actor room to produce a yearly film, thought they initially never believed the clause would be used. A few months later, in April 1946, Hecht and Lancaster were sitting in the bar of the Barbizon-Plaza Hotel in New York City, having a last drink before Lancaster was off for the filming of The Killers for Mark Hellinger Productions. Lancaster was worried about the kind of movies he'd be getting in Hollywood when Hecht jokingly told him "Well Burt, if you don't like what you get into out there, we'll just produce our own films. That's the one way you're sure to get what you want!". Throughout the 1940s, every actor, producer and director wanted to start their own production company but few were able to accomplish it due to contractual obligations. The few that did manage to venture into productions of their own, most often did not last long enough to make an impact and rarely made more than a handful of movies.

Prosperity in Hollywood

Harold Hecht Productions

In 1946 Hecht formed his own company, Harold Hecht Productions, and set up his new office at 8747 Sunset Boulevard West in Hollywood. The new name reflected what he and Lancaster hoped to accomplish; producing movies. However, Harold Hecht Productions also had an agency division and he retained many of the actors and writers already under contract with the Hecht-Rantz Agency. Hecht also signed new talents such as actors Art Smith and Francis McDonald and writers Walter Bernstein, Roland Kibbee and Meta Rosenberg. During this time Hecht became an officer at Irving Mills' music publishing company, Mills Music Inc., though little is known of his work there. By 1947, Harold Hecht Productions was doing very well as a talent agency and Hecht started hiring staff from other noted Hollywood agencies. In May 1947, E. Henry Lewis left the Goldstone Agency to head Harold Hecht Productions' literary staff.

Norma Productions and Halburt Productions

In the summer of 1947 Hecht co-founded Norma Productions with Burt Lancaster, who named the company after his second wife, Norma Anderson. They worked out a deal with Universal-International, for whom Lancaster had already done The Killers and Brute Force, both for Mark Hellinger Productions. Hecht and Lancaster's first production was Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, a film noir based on British author Gerald Butler's best-selling novel. The movie starred Lancaster, Joan Fontaine and Robert Newton and was directed by Norman Foster, famous for the Mr. Moto crime series starring Peter Lorre, with a soundtrack by Miklós Rózsa, a noted film noir composer. Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, a co-production through Norma Productions and Harold Hecht Productions, was released in late 1948 to moderate success. Following this, Hecht worked exclusively through Norma Productions for the next ten years.

In early 1949 Norma Productions made a three-picture deal with Warner Brothers Pictures, all to be produced by Hecht and to star Lancaster. The inaugural picture was The Flame and the Arrow, a Technicolor swashbuckler directed by Jacques Tourneur. The big-budget film featured some of the biggest names from the Warner Brothers lot at the time, including Virginia Mayo (fresh from White Heat) as the leading lady and Max Steiner (famous for Casablanca and Gone with the Wind) who was hired to compose the soundtrack. The Flame and the Arrow was released in the summer of 1950 and became one of the year's top grossers, earning two nominations at the 23rd Academy Awards ceremony in March 1951; one for Best Dramatic or Comedy Score (Max Steiner), another for Best Color Cinematography (Ernest Haller).

Hecht's next production for Warner Brothers was The Crimson Pirate, another Technicolor swashbuckler starring Lancaster and Nick Cravat, a close friend since boyhood, and former acrobat who had worked with Lancaster in the circus (he had also co-starred in The Flame and the Arrow). It was directed by Robert Siodmak, written by Roland Kibbee and featured an early appearance by Christopher Lee. The Crimson Pirate was made entirely in remote locations, with filming in Ischia, an island off the Gulf of Naples, Italy and at Teddington Studios in England. Released in the fall of 1952, it also went on to be a top-grosser for Warner Brothers. Years later Hecht attempted to develop a sequel, Jolly Roger: Son of the Crimson Pirate, but this film was never made.

Before completing their contract at Warner Brothers, Hecht and Lancaster signed a two-picture deal with Columbia Pictures through the Norma Productions subsidiary, Halburt Productions. The two moderate-budget Columbia films were shot back-to-back at Columbia Studios and marked the beginning of a professional relationship between Hecht, Lancaster and Robert Aldrich, who was Hecht's assistant producer at the studio. Halburt Productions' first film, Ten Tall Men (released in late 1951) was another Technicolor adventure flick about the French Foreign Legion during the Rif War in Morocco. It was written and directed by Willis Goldbeck, co-written by Roland Kibbee and starred Lancaster, Jody Lawrance and Gilbert Roland. It also featured memorable parts by character actors George Tobias, Nick Dennis, Mike Mazurki and Robert Clary. But the real turning point was when Columbia allowed Hecht and Lancaster to produce their first film without Lancaster acting in it. The First Time (released in early 1952) was a comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin starring Robert Cummings and Barbara Hale, based on a short story by Hugo Butler and Jean Rouverol as first-time parents.

House Un-American Activities Committee testimony

Harold Hecht's name was given to the House Un-American Activities Committee by Martin Berkeley on September 19, 1951. At the time that Hecht's name was brought up, he was in Italy working on Norma Productions' The Crimson Pirate for Warner Brothers and a subpoena for his testimony was only procured two years later. On March 23, 1953, Hecht appeared in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, represented by his lawyer Edward Bennett Williams. Many of the writers, actors and directors that Hecht and Lancaster had worked with through Norma Productions and Halburt Productions had been named as known or suspected Communists and the Committee was eager to hear Hecht's side of the story. Hecht cooperated with the Committee on every aspect, feeling no shame about his past and answering all their questions regarding his affiliation with the Communist Party. Hecht admitted to once being a member of the Communist Party but informed the Committee that he was no longer of that state of mind. Because of his cooperation with the Committee and his testimony of known Communists from his past, Hecht was not blacklisted and was allowed to resume his position as a successful producer in Hollywood.

Hecht-Lancaster Productions

In the summer of 1953 Hecht co-founded another Norma Productions subsidiary, Hecht-Lancaster Productions, with Burt Lancaster and signed a two-picture deal with United Artists (the deal would be renegotiated and extended several times over the next few years). Their first production for UA was Apache (released in the summer of 1954), a western told from the perspective of a Native American Apache. It starred Lancaster and Jean Peters with a feature role by John McIntire and an early appearance by Charles Bronson (credited under his real name, Charles Buchinsky). Robert Aldrich was hired as director and James R. Webb wrote the script from an original novel by Paul Wellman. Apache was another box office success for the company and despite the controversy that both leading actors had striking blue eyes, the film met with the approval of Native Americans, who were consulted at private screenings prior to the opening dates.

Apache was followed by Vera Cruz, another western, based on the Mexican Revolution. This was another top-budget Technicolor picture and one of the earliest films to use the widescreen format, using the SuperScope process. Hecht's production company traveled to Mexico and filmed entirely on location, including scenes at the famous Chapultepec Castle. Robert Aldrich and James R. Webb returned as director and writer with Roland Kibbee coming in to help with the script. It starred Lancaster and Gary Cooper with featured roles by Denise Darcel, Sara Montiel, Cesar Romero, George Macready, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson (again credited as Charles Buchinsky), Jack Elam and Jack Lambert. Vera Cruz became Norma Productions' top grosser and one of UA's best box office success, earning over $11 million and boosting Hecht and Lancaster to the top as Hollywood's most prominent independent producers, a position they would keep for five years. Vera Cruz was later considered as one of the potential TV shows that Hecht-Lancaster Productions was to produce and they hired a young western TV writer, Sam Peckinpah, to write a teleplay. But the pilot was never produced.

After Vera Cruz, Hecht-Lancaster Productions delivered three more successful box office films financed by UA. One of the best remembered films of the 1950s, Marty was originally a television episode on The Philco Television Playhouse. The teleplay was written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Delbert Mann. Hecht hired both of them to develop the story into a movie and approached Ernest Borgnine, who had never been given a starring role in a film, to play the lead. Gene Kelly's wife, Betsy Blair, won the role of the love interest, bringing her out of the HUAC blacklist. Marty was produced as a low-budget film, shot mostly on location in New York City, with a bank roll of a little over $250,000 (with an additional $100,000 for advertising and publicity).

Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions

In 1956 Burt Lancaster announced that writer James Hill was made an equal partner in the company. The new name officially came into effect at the beginning of 1957, with Hecht-Lancaster Productions being updated to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions. The first film released under the new name was The Bachelor Party (released in the spring of 1957), another Paddy Chayefsky dramatic teleplay adapted for the screen with hopes to recreate the success of Marty. Delbert Mann was hired again as director with Alex North composing the soundtrack. The film starred E. G. Marshall, Don Murray and Jack Warden with a notable featured part for actress Carolyn Jones who later portrayed Morticia Addams in the television series The Addams Family. Carolyn Jones played the role of a beatnik at a party and made a considerable impact with viewers. The Bachelor Party won a National Board of Review Award and was nominated for the Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, the BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source and the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (for Carolyn Jones).

One of today's best remembered film from Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions is Sweet Smell of Success, released in late 1957. Though it was a flop at the box office when first released, it has since grown to become one of the most iconic films of the 1950s and has been referenced as a major influence for critically acclaimed directors, including Barry Levinson (who made references to it in his films Diner and Rain Man) and Martin Scorsese. The New York City-based (and filmed) drama represented Hecht and Lancaster's return to the film noir genre since their first picture, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands. It starred Lancaster and Tony Curtis (who also co-produced the film through his production company Curtleigh Productions) from a screenplay by Ernest Lehman and Clifford Odets (who was at the time under contract to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions). Director Alexander Mackendrick was hired with top cinematographer James Wong Howe and composer Elmer Bernstein (fresh from working on Otto Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm) wrote a memorable soundtrack. The film won the Bambi Award for Best International Actor and was nominated at the British Academy Film Awards for the Best Foreign Actor, the Golden Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance and the Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance. In 1993 it was selected by the National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. It also appeared on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list and was added to the Online Film & Television Association Hall of Fame. It was also released on DVD and Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection. In 2002 it was made into a Broadway musical by Marvin Hamlisch, Craig Carnelia and John Guare.

Music industry venture

In July 1956, Hecht, his brother-in-law Loring Buzzell (brother of Hecht's first wife Gloria) and Lancaster formed two music publishing firms; Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music (copyrighting exclusively through ASCAP) and Calyork Music (copyrighting exclusively through BMI). The purpose of the new venture (a subsidiary of the Hecht and Lancaster Companies/Norma Productions) was to publish and copyright songs from their films' soundtracks and license them to record labels for release in the booming business of vinyls for the home market. The compositions published through Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music have been released through Columbia Records, Warner Bros. Records, MGM Records, ABC-Paramount Records, Capitol Records, London Records, United Artists Records, Decca Records, Mercury Records, RCA Victor Records, Jubilee Records, Coral Records, Top Rank Records, Date Records, Kapp Records, Apollo Records, Maine Records and Cabot Records.

Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music also published songs from non-film related composers, who in turn had their work adapted and recorded by musicians and gained royalties. One notable non-movie hit that Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell had was the McGuire Sisters's version of May You Always which peaked to No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 list in January 1959 and became the second best-selling sheet music in the United States. Some of the notable soundtracks published through Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music include Trapeze, Sweet Smell of Success, Cry Tough and The Unforgiven. The soundtrack to Sweet Smell of Success was quite notable and critically important as it was the first film to feature two completely different soundtracks released on LP; one with Elmer Bernstein's score, the other with Chico Hamilton's jazz band.

Plans after Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions

When Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions announced a hiatus (which eventually led to their breakup) in the spring of 1959, Hecht was approached with two offers. The first was for a major executive position at Paramount Pictures as Production Chief, succeeding Young Frank Freeman. But Hecht had enjoyed the freedom of being an independent film producer for twelve years and was reluctant to deal with a major Hollywood studio's problems. He had also been offered a similar position at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer two years earlier, which he had not accepted for the same reason. Hecht turned down Paramount's offer and the position was eventually filled by Jack Karp.

The second proposal interested him much more. Producer Alan J. Pakula had purchased the film rights to Elliott Arnold's action novel, Flight from Ashiya, and approached Hecht to co-produce it. Hecht and Lancaster had previously purchased the screen rights to one of Arnold's Western books, Blood Brother, and came very close to turning it into a picture (it was eventually made as Broken Arrow with James Stewart). Pakula commissioned Arnold to adapt Flight from Ashiya into a screenplay while Hecht approached such stars as Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan and Tuesday Weld for the leads. But that summer Hecht became involved with other film projects that soon took on priority and it would be four years before Flight from Ashiya was filmed, with a different script and an all-new cast including Yul Brynner.

On top of promoting a backlog of Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions films that were coming out in 1959–1960 (The Rabbit Trap, Cry Tough, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, The Devil's Disciple, Take a Giant Step and The Unforgiven), Hecht was busy planning future United Artists-financed films from the H-H-L unit (including The Way West). He also formed a new film production company with Canadian actor Glenn Ford. Their first film together was to be Evan Hunter's novel, A Matter of Conviction, concerning members of a Harlem street gang tried for murder (later released as The Young Savages). Glenn Ford had already starred in another Hunter adaptation, Blackboard Jungle; the film was nominated for four Oscars. Hecht was hoping that the new combo would be as successful and hired more top Hollywood personnel to work on The Young Savages; John Gay to write the screenplay and Robert Rossen to direct. But by the end of the year, Glenn Ford had left the project and in early 1960 Rossen dropped out to focus on his future Oscar-nominated film, The Hustler.

Return to Harold Hecht Productions

Hecht's next project was originally planned for Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions in the late 1950s, after they bought the property from Robert Aldrich. But in early 1960 it was announced that Hecht was taking over the production of Taras Bulba, an action-adventure film that incorporated elements of war and romance. Based on Nikolai Gogol's novella of the same name, Taras Bulba tells the story of a Cossack clan in Ukraine fighting against the Poles, all while a love story develops between the son of the Cossack leader and the daughter of an aristocratic Polish family. The film was a co-production between Tony Curtis' Curtleigh Productions and Hecht's original Harold Hecht Productions, making a comeback after its first use for 1948's Kiss the Blood Off My Hands. Hecht hired J. Lee Thompson as director and Waldo Salt, who had written the script of The Flame and the Arrow in 1949 before being blacklisted, and Karl Tunberg, a two-time Oscar nominee who had just worked on megahit Ben-Hur, to write the screenplay.

The title role was first planned for Lancaster, then for Anthony Quinn and finally landed on Yul Brynner, an Academy Award winner for his role in The King and I, who would provide an authentic performance with his Gypsy background. It co-starred Tony Curtis and Christine Kaufmann, who went on to marry him after the film. Featured roles were played by Sam Wanamaker, Brad Dexter, who had appeared in Hecht's Run Silent, Run Deep and The Magnificent Seven with Brynner, Guy Rolfe, Perry Lopez and George Macready. Hecht also gave a cameo role to his soon-to-be second wife, Martine Millner, as a gypsy dancer.

The production was financed by United Artists with a budget of $3,800,000. Hecht went on location in Salta, Argentina with Eastmancolor equipped Panavision cameras, and two-time Oscar nominated cinematographer, Joseph MacDonald. After a series of delays, extensive hiring of extras for the battle scenes and post-production costs at Columbia Studios, the films' budget skyrocketed to a total of $7,000,000. Taras Bulba was released in late 1962 and featured a score by Franz Waxman, who had worked with Hecht on Run Silent, Run Deep. Waxman's soundtrack was a considerable success, surpassing the fame of the film itself. It was praised by Bernard Herrmann, considered by many to be one of Hollywood's greatest composers. Waxman's score was nominated for three awards; one at the Academy Awards for Best Music Score – Substantially Original, another at the Golden Globe Awards, for Best Original Score and a last at the International Film Music Critics Association for Best Archival Re-Recording of an Existing Score.

Personal life

Marriage to Gloria Buzzell

Hecht was married twice. His first marriage was to Gloria Joyce Buzzell on November 1, 1947, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gloria Buzzell's father, Samuel Jesse Buzzell, was a theatrical and music-patent attorney and her uncle was film director Edward Buzzell. She had previously worked as an executive assistant in MGM's story department. Harold and Gloria had three children together; Steven, Duffy and Alma.

Steven Hecht, born 1948 is an attorney living in the Los Angeles area. Duffy W. Hecht, born June 1950 at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood, is a producer/writer living in Carpinteria, California. Alma Hecht, born September 1955 at the Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica was a landscape designer living in Berkeley, California. She died of adult polyglucosan body disease in May 2019. Her writings and a final note from her brothers, Steven and Duffy, can be found Alma's blog, Better Branches https://betterbranches.tumblr.com/.

Harold and Gloria separated on July 18, 1959, with Harold moving permanently into Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions' luxurious apartment on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, which he had been maintaining during the couples previous arguments. On August 25, 1960, Gloria sued Hecht for divorce alleging mental and physical suffering. Other causes stated included frequent arguments and Harold's extended absence from the family home while working on film productions. Gloria demanded over $1,300,000 in community properties and full custody of their three children. The filing for divorce procedure was granted by the Santa Monica, California court on September 7, 1960, and on June 28, 1961, the divorce was finalized. Harold's estimated $2–4 million value went under appraisal while the ruling over custody of their three children was postponed for an additional 60 days. Part of the estate included original Vincent van Gogh drawing The Plain of La Crau, purchased in 1955. Additional court sessions were held in July 1961, August 1962, April 1963 and June 1963, where Gloria sued for additional alimony. The court's decision concluded that Harold would pay alimony to Gloria for 121 months (a little over 10 years) regardless of occupation or remarriages. If Harold was to pass away before the end of the ten years, his estate was to continue payments. On July 12, 1963, Gloria remarried to Franklin Desser, an attorney from New York City, and became Gloria Hecht Desser. In January 1968, Harold filed for appeal over the alimony ruling but was denied.

Marriage to Martine Millner

Hecht's second marriage was to English model-actress Martine Millner, née Margaret Truefitt. The couple took out a marriage license on Tuesday, October 30, 1962, in Los Angeles and were wed on Thursday, November 1 in San Francisco. They then embarked on a honeymoon in Rome, where part of Hecht's then production, Flight from Ashiya, was being filmed. At the time of their marriage, Millner was 26 while Hecht was 55. Millner had a cameo in Hecht's 1962 film, Taras Bulba. Harold and Martine also had three children together; Harold Jr., Adam and Rebecca.

Harold and Martine separated in September 1974, two months short of celebrating their twelve-year anniversary. This time the court ordered Harold to pay a $4,000 monthly allowance to Martine and she retained possession of the couple's $350,000 home and half of his $2,000,000 community property assets.

Harold Hecht Jr., born September 14, 1963, worked with director John Frankenheimer and is now a three-time Emmy Award-winning sports television producer.

Adam Arthur Hecht was born on August 6, 1965, at the UCLA Medical Center and worked as a tennis coach before mysteriously vanishing on July 7, 1989, from Beverly Hills, California at age 23. He has never been found, but the police do not suspect foul play and classify the case as a missing person. The story of Adam Hecht's disappearance was depicted on the American television series Unsolved Mysteries in 1990.

Rebecca was born in May 1970; her profession is a baking business.

Death

Hecht died in his home in Beverly Hills, of pancreatic cancer on May 26, 1985. It was six days before his 78th birthday. He was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Partial list of companies

Hecht has founded and co-founded a number of companies over the years.

Goonies (1934–1935)

Hecht-Rantz Agency (1945–1946) with Louis Rantz

Harold Hecht Productions (1946–1985)

Norma Productions (1947–1985) with Burt Lancaster

Halburt Productions (1950–1952) with Burt Lancaster

Hecht-Lancaster Productions (1953–1956) with Burt Lancaster

William Service Company (1953–1959) with Burt Lancaster

Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions (1956–1960) with Burt Lancaster and James Hill

Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music (1956–1957) with Burt Lancaster and Loring Buzzell

Calyork Music (1957–1958) with Burt Lancaster and Loring Buzzell

Clifton Productions (1957–1958) with Burt Lancaster and James Hill

Hecht & Buzzell Music (1959–1960) with Lu Ann Simms

Contemporary Productions (1960–1961) with Burt Lancaster

The Harold Hecht Corporation (1962–1985)

Harold Hecht Films (1964–1985)

Harold Hecht Company (1966–1985)

Partial list of clients and contract actors

This section contains a list of people who were managed partly or exclusively by Harold Hecht (through the Goldstone Agency, the Hecht-Rantz Agency or Harold Hecht Productions) and actors who signed long-term or multi-picture contracts with him or his solo production companies. It does not include actors who were under contract to Norma Productions, Hecht-Lancaster Productions or Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions.

Leopold Lawrence Atlas, writer

Edith Barrett, actress

Walter Bernstein, writer

Roman Bohnen, actor

Phil Brown, actor

Paddy Chayefsky, writer

Daniel Fuchs, writer

Danielle Gaubert, actress

Christine Kaufmann, actress

Roland Kibbee, writer

Burt Lancaster, actor

Isobel Lennart, writer

Francis McDonald, actor

Karen Morley, actress

Frances Rafferty, actress

Meta Reis Rosenberg, writer

Art Smith, actor

Eiko Taki, actress

George Willner, writer

Theater credits

As actor

The Straw Hat (October–November 1926)

Big Lake (April 1927)

Much Ado About Nothing (November–December 1927)

Dr. Knock (February–March 1928)

Grand Street Follies (May–October 1928)

The Wild Duck (November 1928 – January 1929)

As dance director/choreographer

Les noces (1930)

Lucky Day (December 1931 – 1932)

Hullabaloo (May–June 1932)

The Merry Widow (November 1932 – 1933)

Skyscrapers (July 1933)

Sing for Your Supper (April–June 1939)

As director

Hullabaloo (May–June 1932)

The Merry Widow (November 1932 – 1933)

Skyscrapers (July 1933)

But for the Grace of God (January 1937 – 1937)

Sing for Your Supper (April–June 1939)

As producer

Hullabaloo (May–June 1932)

Skyscrapers (July 1933)

Sing for Your Supper (April–June 1939)

Separate Tables (October 1956 – September 1957)