Elliott Kastner

Elliott Kastner (January 7, 1930 – June 30, 2010) in New York City. His father died when he was young, and he was raised by his mother in Harlem. Kastner then got Goldman to write a sequel The Chill, but it was never made.

Winkast then made The Bobo (1968), starring Peter Sellers and his then-wife Britt Ekland, and Sweet November (1968), with Sandy Dennis. Both were released through Warners, but Sol Madrid (1968) was released through MGM.

Sol Madrid was directed by Brian G. Hutton who helmed Kastner and Gershwin's next film, Where Eagles Dare (1968). The producer had managed to persuade Alistair MacLean to write an original screenplay as a vehicle for Richard Burton (it was later turned into a novel). The movie was a big hit and led to Kastner adapting several other MacLean stories and working with Burton a number of other times. Other MacLean adaptations included When Eight Bells Toll (1971), Fear is the Key and Breakheart Pass (1975).

Less popular was The Night of the Following Day (1969) with Marlon Brando.

Burton was meant to star in Laughter in the Dark (1969) but was fired during filming and replaced by Nicol Williamson. Kastner had involvement in Man on Horseback (1969).

In the late 1960s Kastner wanted rock star Jim Morrison to play Billy the Kid in a movie adaption of Michael McClure's The Beard.

Kastner also partnered with noted producers Alan Ladd, Jr. and Jay Kanter between 1969 and 1972, producing with them the films The Walking Stick, A Severed Head, Tam-Lin, Villain, The Nightcomers (directed by Michael Winner, with Marlon Brando), X Y & Zee (with Burton's then-wife Elizabeth Taylor) and Fear Is the Key (from a novel by Alistair MacLean).

Kastner is also famous for his film adaptations of three Raymond Chandler's novels based on the exploits of one of Chandler's most famous creations, Philip Marlowe: The Long Goodbye (1973), Farewell, My Lovely (1975) and The Big Sleep (1978). The first starred Elliot Gould and was directed by Robert Altman, with finance from United Artists. The latter two both starred Robert Mitchum as Marlowe and were financed by Lew Grade's ITC; The Big Sleep was shot in Britain under the direction of Michael Winner.

As part of the ITC deal, Kastner produced Dogpound Shuffle.

Kastner admired Altman's work on The Long Goodbye and wanted to collaborate with him in a production of 92 in the Shade by Tom McGuane, however the two men had a disagreement and the film was directed by McGuane himself. It was one of three McGuane projects produced by Kastner, the others being Ranchlo Deluxe and The Missouri Breaks. The latter starred Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. Kastner famously got each star to commit by lying and telling them the other one had already signed.

Colleague Jay Kanter said Kastner's reputation in Hollywood was "Some good, some bad. He was relentless in pursuing what he wanted. I mean dogged in his pursuit." He added "If Elliott believed in some material, he'd never hesitate to put his own money into buying it and hiring writers to develop a screenplay. He was passionate about what he did, and he was a terrific salesman as well."

Later years Kastner planned to make Nightwork from a novel by Irwin Shaw directed by Frank Perry but the film was not made.

He made Absolution starring Richard Burton.

Kastner independently financed Oxford Blues which he sold to MGM. Peter Bart, an executive at MGM at the time, called Kastner "a maverick filmmaker... a stooped, rumpled, wizened little man" who "had a reputation in the industry for coming up with deals that were far more intriguing than his movies. Though over the years he’d produced a couple of highprofile films... he’d also proven remarkably adept at funding obscure films that failed to find audiences." Bart claims the film was made for $1.8 million but Kastner sold it to MGM for $6 million, including his $1 million fee.

In the mid-1980s Kastner frequently worked with his step son, Cassian Elwes. In the 1970s he had mentored Arnon Milchan.

Kastner produced Heat from a novel by William Goldman starring Burt Reynolds. Robert Altman was going to direct but he and Kastner clashed and Altman left the project. Kastner replaced him with Dick Richards, who had directed Farewell My Lovely for Kastner, but Richards clashed with Reynolds and left the project during filming.

In 1987 Kastner and Andre Blay bought 70% of Cinema Group Home video. In the late 1980s he was going to make Jericho with Marlon Brando. Instead he made Angel Heart with Alan Parker. Parker called Kastner " an irascible gadfly in the film industry, having been involved with more films than Technicolor and outlived fifty studio heads and as many lawsuits. Many was the time I’ve seen him ‘work’ the tables in the Pinewood Studios restaurant on the way to the men's room. He usually stayed just long enough to blow his nose in your napkin, dispense some wickedly cynical aphorism about the movies and move on. There is an oft-told story that Marlon Brando finally said yes to doing Missouri Breaks because he could not face the prospect of Elliott Kastner, on his knees, crying in front of him one more time."

In 1988 he declared bankruptcy.

In the late 1990s he bought Roger Corman's Concorde New Horizons for $100 million.

Kastner had a financial interest in A Chorus of Disapproval directed by Michael Winner.

Kastner's career was marked by a number of lawsuits, including with Mickey Rourke and David McClintick, and over the film Frank and Jesse.

Kastner was sued by Marlon Brando over a proposed musical film version of Treasure Island.

Family He was married and divorced twice. In 1960 he first married actor Carolyn Hughes. He was the second husband of the interior designer Tessa Kennedy (m 1971), with whom he had two children, a son, Dillon and a daughter, Milica. He had been introduced to Kennedy by Warren Beatty.

"The marriage worked very well", says Kennedy. "For eight years we'd only spend three or four days a month together. It wouldn't have lasted more than a year if we'd been together because we're very different and volatile." Kennedy and Kastner separated in 1995.

He was also a stepfather to Kennedy's three sons from a previous marriage: film producer Cassian Elwes, artist Damian Elwes and actor Cary Elwes.

Death Elliott Kastner died of cancer on June 30, 2010, in London at the age of 80.

Towards the end of his life he had approached David Thomson to see if he was interested in writing Kastner's biography. Thomson recalled: He was the way producers were once supposed to be—showily cynical yet deeply attached to his projects; absolutely aware that a producer had to make a lot of pictures before the trash and the triumphs got sorted out; belligerent but sensitive, tough-mouthed sometimes; arrogant and Cagneyesque, but very well read; devoted to writers and alert to children... He admitted he had been a scoundrel sometimes—you had to be—but he knew there was good work to show for it.

In 2014 it was announced a deal had been struck to release all of his films on DVD.

Filmography He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film Year Film Credit Notes 1965 Bus Riley's Back in Town 1966 Harper Kaleidoscope 1967 The Bobo 1968 Sol Madrid Sweet November Where Eagles Dare 1969 The Night of the Following Day Executive producer Man on Horseback Executive producer Laughter in the Dark 1970 The Walking Stick Executive producer Tam-Lin Executive producer A Severed Head 1971 When Eight Bells Toll Villain Executive producer The Nightcomers Executive producer 1972 X Y & Zee Executive producer Cry for Me, Billy Executive producer Fear Is the Key Executive producer 1973 The Long Goodbye Executive producer Jeremy Cops and Robbers 1974 11 Harrowhouse 1975 Rancho Deluxe Farewell, My Lovely Executive producer Russian Roulette Executive producer 92 in the Shade Executive producer Breakheart Pass Executive producer Dogpound Shuffle 1976 The Missouri Breaks Swashbuckler Executive producer 1977 Black Joy A Little Night Music Equus The Stick Up 1978 The Big Sleep Absolution 1979 Goldengirl Yesterday's Hero Executive producer 1980 Saturn 3 Executive producer North Sea Hijack The First Deadly Sin Executive producer 1982 Death Valley 1983 Man, Woman and Child Executive producer 1984 Oxford Blues Garbo Talks Big Truck and Sister Clare Executive producer 1986 Nomads Heat 1987 Angel Heart White of the Eye Zombie High 1988 Jack's Back The Blob Homeboy Zits 1989 Never on Tuesday 1994 Frank and Jesse 1996 Love Is All There Is 2001 Sweet November 2005 Opa! Final film as a producer

Miscellaneous crew

Year Film Role 1973 Cops and Robbers Presenter 1975 Rancho Deluxe Russian Roulette 92 in the Shade 1976 The Missouri Breaks 1977 Black Joy The Stick Up 1978 The Medusa Touch In association with Absolution Presenter 1979 Yesterday's Hero 1980 Saturn 3 Presents in association with North Sea Hijack Presenter The First Deadly Sin 1986 Heat 1988 The Blob 1989 A Chorus of Disapproval

Thanks

Year Film Role 1965 Wild Seed Special thanks 1979 Natural Enemies 1989 Warm Summer Rain The producers wish to thank 1991 The Dark Backward Grateful acknowledgment 2011 A Thousand Kisses Deep Special thanks 2012 Papadopoulos & Sons Dedicated to the memory of

Unmade films The Children of Sanchez (1962) Flight into Camden from novel by David Storey (1962) Hanno's Doll with Jane Fonda and Stanley Kramer (1962) adaptation of Boys and Girls Together (1966) – to be directed by Sydney Pollack The Telephone Book an original script by Harry Cohn (1966) Sard Harker based on a book by John Masefield The Chill (1967) – sequel to Harper – at one stage to be directed by Sam Peckinpah Rose of Tibet (late 1960s) adaptation of The Forty Days of Musa Daugh (1969) The Pictures of Fidelman (1971) based on novel by Bernard Malmud Sleep is for the Rich based on novel by Donald MacKenzie (1972) The Boy Who Invented the Bubble Gun (1973) Untitled Tony Bennett/Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet Documentary This Funny World (working title) (1973) adaptation of The Fountainhead (1975) – to be directed by Michael Cimino Gunfighters (1977) Serpentine based on life of Charles Sobhraj (1977) The Quest of St. James Elk (1981) – to be directed by John McTiernan adaptation of The Deer Park by Norman Mailer (1987) adaptation of book Indecent Exposure (1987) Jericho with Marlon Brando (1988) The Madman's Tale based on novel by John Kaztenbach (2004)

Television Year Title Notes 1969 Michael Kohlhaas Phantom India Documentary 1979 Mr. Horn Television film

Theatre credits Two Weeks Somewhere Else by Herman Raucher (1966) Marilyn! The Musical (1983)