Marvin Worth
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Marvin Worth
Biography
Over the course of his more-than-40-year entertainment industry career, Marvin Worth went from comedy writer to one of Hollywood's most respected producers of comedies and dramas. Worth has won a Peabody Award and received three Oscar nominations for his feature films. A native of Brooklyn, NY, Worth was 15 when he became a promoter of jazz concerts. This quickly led him to book and manage jazz artists, including the legendary Charlie Parker and Billie Holliday. A few years later, Worth took on Lenny Bruce, helping the controversial young comic land his career-making spot on The Arthur Godfrey Show. Through the '50s and '60s, Worth wrote comedy for Bruce and other comedians, including Alan King, Joey Bishop, and Buddy Hackett. He also became a successful television writer, contributing to programs ranging from The Colgate Comedy Hour, Get Smart, and The Judy Garland Show. Worth debuted as a movie screenwriter in 1962 with Boy's Night Out, but subsequently only penned a few more scripts. In the '70s, Worth translated his intimate knowledge of Lenny Bruce and his career into a powerful and popular Broadway show, Lenny, winning a Tony for lead actor Cliff Gorman. In 1974, Dustin Hoffmann played Bruce in the acclaimed Worth-produced film version. That year, the drama received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Worth began producing in 1970 with Carl Reiner's jet-black comedy Where's Poppa? In 1972, Worth received his first Oscar nomination for his documentary production Malcolm X. Twenty years later, Worth would produce Spike Lee's version of the great black leader's life. This time, lead actor Denzel Washington would win an Oscar nomination. In the mid-'90s, Worth added the production of made-for-cable movies and miniseries such as HBO's miniseries Norma and Marilyn and the network's movie Gia (1998). ~ Sandra Brennan, RoviFilmography:
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Marvin Worth
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Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Marvin Worth
| Marvin Worth | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 6, 1925 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | April 22, 1998 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California |
| Other names | Film producer, screenwriter, actor |
| Spouse | Joan Worth (ca. 1954 - April 22, 1998) |
Marvin Worth (June 6, 1925 - April 22, 1998) was an American film producer, screenwriter and actor perhaps best known for his efforts to bring the biography of Malcolm X to the big screen. His efforts spanned from 1967, when he purchased the rights to The Autobiography of Malcolm X that led to the production of the 1972 documentary for which he received an Oscar nomination. Later on, he would help produce Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee.
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Early life and career
Worth's career began at a very early age when he began promoting jazz concerts, which led to relationship with many artists. At one time, he managed the musical careers of Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday. Later, Worth's employment as an agent branched into comedy, and he took on the contentious comedian, Lenny Bruce. In the 1950s, he forged a partnership with Arne Sultan and began writing material for Bruce. The duo went on to pen the scripts for Three on a Couch and Boys' Night Out and the story for Promise Her Anything. In 1958, Worth won a Peabody Award for his writing on The Steve Allen Show.[1]
In 1975, Worth brought the story of Lenny Bruce to Broadway in the production Lenny, which won a Tony Award for its star, Cliff Gorman.[1][2] for the remainder of his career, Worth continued to produce biopics including the 1978 film The Rose (loosely based on Janis Joplin), the 1996 television movie Norma Jean & Marilyn, the 1998 television movie Gia, and the 2001 television movie James Dean.
Personal life and death
Worth was married to his wife Joan, an artist, for 44 years. They had three children.[3] On April 22, 1998, Worth died of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, a form of lung cancer, in Los Angeles.[4]
Selected filmography
Actor
- Fire Sale (1977)
Producer
- Where's Poppa? (1970)
- Up the Academy (1980)
- Soup for One (1982)
- Falling in Love (1984)
- Less Than Zero (1987)
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
- Flashback (1990)
- Diabolique (1996)
Writer
- The Polly Bergen Show (Unknown episodes, 1957-1958)
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1 episode, 1958)
- The Ann Sothern Show (Unknown episodes, 1958)
- Get Smart (2 episodes, 1965)
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Academy Award | Nominated | Best Documentary, Features | Malcolm X (Shared with Arnold Perl) |
| 1975 | Best Picture | Lenny | ||
| 1998 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Made for Television Movie | Gia (Shared with James D. Brubaker, David R. Ginsburg, and Ilene Kahn) | |
| 1985 | Golden Raspberry Award | Worst Picture | Rhinestone (Shared with Howard Smith) |
References
- ^ a b Oliver, Myrna (1998-04-24). "Marvin Worth; Producer of ‘Lenny,’ ‘Malcolm X’". The L.A. Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/apr/24/news/mn-42635. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ "Cliff Gorman: Dynamic star of 'Lenny' and 'The Boys in the Band'". independent.co.uk. 2002-09-16. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/cliff-gorman-642883.html. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (2006-12-31). "Joan Worth, 72; theatrical writer-producer". boston.com. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/12/31/joan_worth_72_theatrical_writer_producer/. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ Galloway, Doug (April 1998). "Marvin Worth (Writer/producer, age 72)". findarticles.com. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb1437/is_199804/ai_n5949075. Retrieved 2009-02-09.[dead link]
External links
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Mentioned in
Arne Sultan
(Writer, Comedy)
I Heard It Through the Grapevine!
(1968 Album by Marvin Gaye)
Let the Buyer Beware
(2004 Album by Lenny Bruce)
Last Time I Saw Him
(1973 Album by Diana Ross)
Malcolm X
(1972 film)
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