Ray Stark

Producer

About

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Also Known As

Raymond Otto Stark

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

October 03, 1914

Died

January 17, 2004

Cause of Death

Heart Failure

Biography

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One of the most influential Hollywood producers who has succeeded in combining serious, ambitious projects with commercial success. Former newsman, press agent, literary agent and high-powered talent agent, Stark co-founded the Seven Arts Production Company, specializing in made-for-TV-movies, with film executive Eliot Hyman in 1957.He produced his first independent feature in 1960 and, ...

Filmography

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Lost in Yonkers (1993)

Barbarians At the Gate (1993)

Steel Magnolias (1989)

Biloxi Blues (1988)

Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986)

The Slugger's Wife (1985)

Photos & Videos

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Annie (1982) -- (Movie Clip) President Roosevelt Called Three Times

Annie (1982) -- (Movie Clip) She's A Drunk!

Family & Companions

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Frances Stark

Wife

Daughter of Fanny Brice and Nick Arnstein; born in August 1919; married from c. 1939 until her death on May 31, 1992.

Dee May

Companion

Widow of department store heir David May; dating as of 1996.

Notes

Stark endowed a chair at USC's School of Cinema-Television in April 1998

Biography

One of the most influential Hollywood producers who has succeeded in combining serious, ambitious projects with commercial success. Former newsman, press agent, literary agent and high-powered talent agent, Stark co-founded the Seven Arts Production Company, specializing in made-for-TV-movies, with film executive Eliot Hyman in 1957.

He produced his first independent feature in 1960 and, with the formation of Rastar Productions in 1966, embarked on a highly successful career as an independent producer beginning with "Funny Girl" (1968), the first of his many popular Barbra Streisand vehicles. Stark has also enjoyed multi-film collaborations with Neil Simon, Jackie Gleason, John Huston, Herbert Ross and Sydney Pollack. Married to Fanny Brice's daughter, Frances, until her death in 1992.

Filmography

Producer (Feature Film)

Lost in Yonkers (1993)

Barbarians At the Gate (1993)

Steel Magnolias (1989)

Biloxi Blues (1988)

Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986)

The Slugger's Wife (1985)

Seems Like Old Times (1980)

The Electric Horseman (1979)

Chapter Two (1979)

Casey's Shadow (1978)

California Suite (1978)

The Cheap Detective (1978)

The Goodbye Girl (1977)

Murder By Death (1976)

The Sunshine Boys (1975)

Funny Lady (1975)

The Way We Were (1973)

Fat City (1972)

To Find a Man (1972)

Executive Producer

The Owl and the Pussycat (1970)

Funny Girl (1968)

Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad (1967)

This Property Is Condemned (1966)

Promise Her Anything (1966)

Is Paris Burning? (1966)

Arrivederci, Baby! (1966)

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

The World of Suzie Wong (1961)

Production Companies (Feature Film)

The Owl and the Pussycat (1970)

Funny Girl (1968)

Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

Cast (Special)

The American Film Institute Salute to John Huston (1983)

Producer (Special)

Steel Magnolias (1990)

Executive Producer

Funny Girl to Funny Lady (1975)

Executive Producer

Misc. Crew (Special)

The 69th Annual Academy Awards (1997)

Archival Footage

The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996)

Archival Footage

The 67th Annual Academy Awards (1995)

Archival Footage

Cast (Short)

The Lion Roars Again (1975)

On the Trail of the Iguana (1964)

Life Events

1957

Formed Seven Arts Productions (with Eliot Hyman)

1960

Produced first independent feature film, "The World of Suzie Wong"

1964

Produced first Broadway musical, "Funny Girl"

1968

Resigned as executive vice president and head of production of Seven Arts to become independent producer; formed Rastar Productions to produce film, "Funny Girl"

Videos

Annie (1982) -- (Movie Clip) President Roosevelt Called Three Times After a big musical number celebrating her arrival at the home of billionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks (Albert Finney), Aileen Quinn (the “Little Orphan” title character) hides as the man makes his first appearance, confronting his aide Miss Farrell (Ann Reinking), in producer Ray Stark and director John Huston’s Annie, 1982.

Annie (1982) -- (Movie Clip) She's A Drunk! Hired orphanage boss Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett) had assumed she was about to get busted for various drunken deeds but is much happier when she realizes Miss Farrell (Ann Reinking) represents a billionaire interested in temporary adoption, the title character (Aileen Quinn) volunteering, early in Annie, 1982.

Annie (1982) -- (Movie Clip) I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here A bigger-still production number, shot inside Wilson Hall, Monmouth University in Long Branch, NJ, John Huston directing with choreography by Arlene Phillips to a tune by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin from the original Broadway hit, Aileen Quinn (title character) supported by Anne Reinking (as Miss Farrell) and other members of the Warbucks household, in Annie, 1982.

Annie (1982) -- (Movie Clip) Sign! Having warmed to the title character (the orphan whom he originally meant to adopt for just one week), wealthy Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney) pressures the orphanage boss (Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan) to sign the deal, but she has her own agenda, in Annie, 1982, song by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin.

Annie (1982) -- (Movie Clip) It's The Hard-Knock Life Immediately following the restrained first number, the girls (Aileen Queen the “Little Orphan” title character, Toni Ann Gisondi as little Molly) have scared up their minder, Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan, director John Huston exercising a tight grip in his first musical, song by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, choreography by Arlene Phillips, production design by Dale Hennesy, in producer Ray Stark’s Annie, 1982.

Steel Magnolias (1989) -- (Movie Clip) Serve Him On Toast Amid bedlam preparing the house for the small-town Louisiana wedding reception for Shelby (Julia Roberts, not seen here), the first scene for Shirley MacLaine as nutty neighbor Ouizer, enraged with father-of-the-bride Tom Skerritt, who’s frightened her dog by using gunshots to scare away birds, early in Steel Magnolias, 1989, from Robert Harling’s play.

Steel Magnolias (1989) -- (Movie Clip) Dearly Beloved About 30 minutes in, the Louisiana wedding of Julia Roberts as Shelby (the credited singer is Gale. J. Odom), Sally Field her mom, Shirley MacLaine as cranky Ouizer, Dolly Parton as stylist Truvy, Olympia Dukakis the widow Belcher, Tom Skerritt the father, his hearing compromised by earlier efforts to scare off birds, and Dylan McDermott the groom, in Steel Magnolias, 1989.

Owl And The Pussycat, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) Sit On Your Tire Director Herbert Ross, from Bill Manhoff’s play and Buck Henry’s screenplay, introduces his two leads, first Barbara Streisand as Manhattan streetwalker Doris, sheltering under the New York Post, and George Segal as bookworm Felix, toting Henry James, in The Owl And The Pussycat, 1970, Jacques Sanduescu their super.

Owl And The Pussycat, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) What's Your Last Name? Still on their epic first night together, both thrown out of the same building, now in his friend’s apartment, after their improbable tryst, bookworm Felix (George Segal) and hooker Doris (Barbra Streisand) find a whole new range of topics to argue, in The Owl And The Pussycat, 1970, from the Bill Manhoff play.

Owl And The Pussycat, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) You Rat Fink Fruitcake! First meeting between the principals, neighbors in the same apartment, after aspiring novelist Felix (George Segal) has called the management to alert them that Doris (Barbra Streisand) appears to be transacting prostitution, seen through his window, early in director Herbert Ross’ The Owl And The Pussycat, 1970.

California Suite (1978) -- (Movie Clip) God Will Punish Us Droll Britishers Sidney (Michael Caine) and Oscar-nominated actress wife Diana (Maggie Smith), in town for the ceremonies, taking a call from her producer, in Neil Simon's California Suite, 1978.

California Suite (1978) -- (Movie Clip) Offer Me A Monarchy Long-divorced Hannah (Jane Fonda) from New York visiting her successful screenwriter ex Bill (Alan Alda), arguing over their teenage daughter, in Neil Simon's California Suite, 1978.

This Property Is Condemned - (Original Trailer) A small-town girl (Natalie Wood) fights her mother's opposition when she falls for a big-city businessman (Robert Redford) in This Property Is Condemned (1966).

Annie - (Original Trailer) An orphan attracts the attention of a Wall Street tycoon and a con artist in John Huston's movie version of the Broadway hit Annie (1982).

Sunshine Boys, The - (Original Trailer) A feuding comedy team reunites for a television comeback in Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys (1975) with an Academy Award®-winning performance by George Burns.

Way We Were, The - (Original Trailer) Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford in one of the '70's greatest romances wrapped around the turbulent American politics of the 30's and 40's.

Seems Like Old Times - (Original Trailer) Lady lawyer Goldie Hawn tries to hide her ex-husband Chevy Chase when he's wrongly accused of bank robbery in Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times (1980).

Goodbye Girl, The - (Original Trailer) Richard Dreyfuss won a Best Actor Oscar playing an aspiring actor who sublets an apartment from dancer Marsha Mason in Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl (1977).

Murder By Death - (Original Trailer) An all-star cast parodies famous detectives in the Neil Simon whodunit spoof Murder By Death (1976).

Night of the Iguana, The - (Original Trailer) A defrocked priest (Richard Burton) surrenders to the sins of the flesh in a Mexican hotel in The Night of the Iguana (1964).

Funny Girl -- (2001 Re-issue Trailer) Comedienne Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) fights to prove that she can be the greatest star in the musical Funny Girl (1968).

Steel Magnolias - (Original Trailer) Small-town Southern women help each other through the trials of life in Steel Magnolias (1989) starring Sally Field and Julia Roberts.

Family

Fanny Brice

Mother-In-Law

Vaudevillian, comedian. Nicknamed Stark "The Rabbit".

Jules W Arnstein

Father-In-Law

Peter Stark

Son

Died in 1970.

Wendy Stark Morrissey

Daughter

Editor. Los Angeles editor of <i>Vanity Fair</i>; married to producer John Morrissey until 2000.

Allison Morrissey

Granddaughter

Companions

Frances Stark

Wife

Daughter of Fanny Brice and Nick Arnstein; born in August 1919; married from c. 1939 until her death on May 31, 1992.

Dee May

Companion

Widow of department store heir David May; dating as of 1996.

Bibliography

Notes

Stark endowed a chair at USC's School of Cinema-Television in April 1998

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