Paul Gregory (producer)
| Paul Gregory | |
|---|---|
| Born |
James Burton Lenhart August 27, 1920 Waukee, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died |
December, 2015 (age 95) Desert Hot Springs, California |
| Occupation | Film, stage and television producer, sometimes writer |
| Spouse(s) |
Janet Gaynor (1964-1984, her death) Kathryn Obergfel (her death)[1] |
Paul Gregory (August 27, 1920 – December, 2015) was an American film, theatre and television producer. F Paul Gregory was the son of a butcher and graduated from Lincoln High School in Des Moines, Iowa in 1938. Gregory went to Hollywood where he worked as an assistant for clients like Horace Heidt and Carmen Cavallaro. He became friends with actor Charles Laughton and they made a successful lecture through America between 1949 and 1950.[1] They earned $200,000 during this reading tour. Gregory afterwards produced numerous Broadway plays during the 1950s and 1960s, among them The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, The Marriage Go-Around and Lord Pengo.
Gregory read the novel The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb and bought the film rights of Grubb's book. He then produced the important thriller The Night of the Hunter (1955), directed by Laughton and considered by many film critics as a masterpiece.[2] His second and last movie as a producer was The Naked and the Dead (1958). As a television producer, he won a Emmy Award in 1955 for Best Television Adaptation for his television adaption of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. Paul Gregory married former film star Janet Gaynor in 1964. At the large ranch of his wife, Gregory raised cows, hogs and pigeons.
Paul Gregory and Gaynor were involved in a very serious car accident in 1982, two years later Gaynor died a result of her injuries in this accident. After the death of Gaynor, Gregory married art gallerist Kathryn Obergfel. Paul Gregory lived in Desert Hot Springs, just north of Palm Springs, California.[1]
Gregory died in December 2015 at the age of 95.[3]
Filmography
As a producer
- The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- Front Row Center (1955; 1 episode)
- Ford Star Jubilee (1955/1956; 2 episodes, also writer for one)
- The Naked and the Dead (1958)
As himself
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1955)
- This Is Your Life - James Garner (1955)
- The Hollywood Greats - Charles Laughton (1978)
- Moving Pictures (1995)
- Biography - Janet Gaynor (2001)
References
- 1 2 3 "Famous Iowans - Paul Gregory - DesMoinesRegister.com". desmoinesregister.com. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ↑ "American Legends Interviews..... Paul Gregory Charles Laughton and Night of the Hunter". americanlegends.com. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ↑ Bruce Fessier (2016-11-07). "Producer Paul Gregory died the way he wanted to in Desert Hot Springs". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2016-11-17.