Lawrence Turman Explained

Lawrence Turman
Birth Date:28 November 1926
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation:Film producer
Known For:Director of The Peter Stark Producing Program
Spouse:
    Children:3
    Years Active:1961–2001

    Lawrence Turman (November 28, 1926 – July 1, 2023) was an American Academy Award-nominated film producer.

    Early life

    Turman was born in Los Angeles, California on November 28, 1926, into a Jewish family.[1] His father was Jacob Turman and his mother Esther Gldman Turman.[2] Turman served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[3]

    Career

    Turman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture as producer of The Graduate (1967).[4] [5] He also produced other films such as Pretty Poison (1968), The Great White Hope (1970), The Thing (1982),[6] Mass Appeal (1984), Short Circuit (1986), The River Wild (1994), and American History X (1998).[7]

    Turman also directed two films: The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971) and Second Thoughts (1983).

    Turman was co-partner on The Turman/Foster Company with David Foster, which was established in 1972, to make theatrical films, which was increasingly prominent in television production, in order to eye on television movies, and planned work on series, and eyeing television sales, and the company ran under contract to Warner Bros., developing their failed television pilots, like Mass Appeal.[8]

    Turman was a member of the Producers Guild Hall of Fame. He served as the director of The Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California.

    Turman published the book So You Want to be a Producer in 2005.[9]

    In 2014, he appeared as a guest critic on the fourth season of the web series On Cinema. In 2015, he appeared as himself in ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary Trojan War.[10]

    Death

    Turman died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles on July 1, 2023, at the age of 96.[11]

    Filmography

    He was producer for all films unless otherwise noted.

    Film

    YearFilmCreditNotes
    1961 The Young Doctors
    1963 I Could Go On Singing
    Stolen Hours Executive producer
    1964 The Best Man
    1967 The Flim-Flam Man
    The Graduate
    1968 Pretty Poison Executive producer
    1970 The Great White Hope
    1971 The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker
    1974 The Nickel Ride Executive producer
    1975 The Drowning Pool
    1977 First Love
    Heroes
    1979 Walk Proud
    1981 Caveman
    1982 The Thing
    1983 Second Thoughts
    1984 Mass Appeal
    1985 The Mean Season
    1986 Short Circuit
    Running Scared
    1988 Short Circuit 2
    Full Moon in Blue Water
    1989 Gleaming the Cube
    1994 The Getaway
    The River Wild
    1997 Booty Call Executive producer
    1998 American History X Executive producer
    2001 Kingdom Come Executive producer
    What's the Worst That Could Happen?
    2011 The Thing Executive producer Final film as a producer
    Miscellaneous crew
    YearFilmRole
    1963 I Could Go On Singing Presenter
    1964 The Best Man
    1980 Tribute
    As director
    YearFilm
    1971 The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker
    1983 Second Thoughts

    Television

    YearTitleCreditNotes
    1969 The Flim-Flam Man Executive producer Television pilot
    1973 She Lives! Executive producer Television film
    1974 Get Christie Love! Executive producer Television film
    The Morning After Executive producer Television film
    Unwed Father Executive producer Television film
    1982 Between Two Brothers Executive producer Television film
    The Gift of Life Executive producer Television film
    1986 News at Eleven Executive producer Television film
    1996 Pretty Poison Executive producer Television film
    1998 The Long Way Home Executive producer Television film
    2000 Executive producer Television film
    Miscellaneous crew

    Notes and References

    1. Book: Erens, Patricia . . . 1998 . 392. 978-0-253-20493-6.
    2. News: New York Times. pg B9 . July 8, 2023.
    3. https://web.archive.org/web/20230711005505/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-07-03/lawrence-turman-oscar-nominated-producer-the-graduate-dies-american-history-x Lawrence Turman, Oscar-nominated producer of ‘The Graduate,’ dies at 96
    4. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WagkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UAMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6416%2C2108560 Hello Again, Mrs Robinson
    5. http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1968 The 40th Academy Awards (1968) Nominees and Winner
    6. News: Canby . Vincent . The Thing, Horror and Science Fiction . . June 25, 1982 . March 4, 2009 .
    7. News: Saperstein . Pat . Lawrence Turman, Oscar-Nommed for Producing ‘The Graduate,’ Dies at 96 . 3 July 2023 . Variety . 3 July 2023.
    8. News: 1986-12-31. Theatrical Production Company Turman Foster Eyeing TV Sales. 32. Variety.
    9. News: Clack . Erin . Lawrence Turman, Oscar-Nominated Producer of 'The Graduate,' Dead at 96 . 4 July 2023 . People . en.
    10. News: Fienberg . Daniel . ’30 for 30: Trojan War’: TV Review . 3 July 2023 . The Hollywood Reporter . 12 October 2015.
    11. News: Barnes . Mike . Lawrence Turman, Oscar-Nominated Producer of ‘The Graduate,’ Dies at 96 . 4 July 2023 . The Hollywood Reporter . 3 July 2023.