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James Hill

1916 – 2001

American film producer

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About James Hill

Lived 1916 – 2001 (aged 84). James Hill was an American film producer, screenwriter and film director.

James Hill (August 1, 1916 – January 11, 2001) was an American film producer and screenwriter active from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and came to Hollywood as a writer, working on films and televisions shows for Warner Brothers Pictures and Columbia Broadcasting System. He was eventually teamed with film producer Harold Hecht and actor Burt Lancaster when the pair produced His Majesty O'Keefe for their own film production company, Norma Productions. The movie was filmed in 1952 in the Fiji Islands, but only released in 1954.

In 1953, Hecht and Lancaster formed the imprint Hecht-Lancaster Productions and began producing films for United Artists, hiring Hill as producer for Vera Cruz, The Kentuckian and Trapeze. In early 1956, before Trapeze was released, Lancaster and Hecht announced in a press conference that Hill had been made an equal partner in their film production company; Hecht-Lancaster Productions would be changing name to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions at the start of the next fiscal year in January 1957. From 1954 to 1959, the Norma Productions subsidiaries Hecht-Lancaster Productions and later Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions, were the biggest and most important independent production units in Hollywood.

Hill was the fifth and final husband of actress Rita Hayworth, married from 1958 to 1961. The pair met when Hayworth was filming Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions' Separate Tables. Like Hayworth, he developed Alzheimer's disease. He died in Santa Monica, California in 2001.

Filmography Berlin International Film Festival Silver Berlin Bear Award for Best Actor Berlin International Film Festival Bronze Berlin Bear Award for Audience Poll Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source National Film Preservation Board National Film Registry Online Film & Television Association Award – Film Hall of Fame Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actress Golden Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated—Academy Award for Best Picture Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Nominated—Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Nominated—Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Director Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Dramatic Performance Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Film Promoting International Understanding

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Important facts

Family & relationships

Spouse
Rita Hayworth

People in James Hill's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Hill's

Frequently asked questions

Who was James Hill?

American film producer (1916–2001)

When was James Hill born?

James Hill was born on 1 August 1916 in Indiana.

When did James Hill die?

James Hill died on 11 January 2001 in Santa Monica.

What was James Hill's occupation?

James Hill was a film producer, screenwriter and film director.

What nationality was James Hill?

James Hill was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Hill

· Wikidata: Q212236

· DBpedia: James Hill (American film producer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Hill. https://biography.guide/james-hill-film-producer/

MLA: "James Hill." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-hill-film-producer/.

Chicago: "James Hill." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-hill-film-producer/.

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