Biography

Academy award winning film producer, Jerome Hellman was born on September 4, 1928, in New York City. After a brief stint at the Ashley/Steiner Agency, he founded his own agency, the Jerome Hellman Associates which represented several figures from television. He closed the agency in 1959 in order to focus on film producing.

His first film as a producer was George Roy Hill's comedy The World of Henry Orient (1964), followed by A Fine Madness (1966). In 1969, he challenged audiences with the daring and controversial Midnight Cowboy (1969). Directed by John Schlesinger, the adaptation from James Leo Herlihy's novel followed two misfits trying to make their living in a crazed New York City. Dealing with strong sexual themes and the ordinary lives of two low-life characters the movie became a massive hit and defined a whole generation, winning the Best Picture Oscar in 1970 (of which Hellman is the winner).

Again with Schlesinger, Hellman followed with the adaptation of Nataniel West's novel The Day of the Locust (1975), a monumental film by Paramouont Pictures that failed to impress viewers and some critics. But he found success again with the Vietnam War themed film Coming Home (1978) starring Jane Fonda and Jon Voight , also lead in Midnight Cowboy (1969). The movie was well-received and won three Oscars, but losing Best Picture.

That same year of the Oscars, Hellman directed his first film Promises in the Dark (1979).

The following decade only got him working in one movie, Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast (1986), which was a moderate success.

He died on May 26, 2021.