Joe Pasternak — Production | Biography, Movies & Career

Biography

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Joseph Herman "Joe" Pasternak (September 19, 1901 – September 13, 1991) was an Hungarian-born American film producer in Hollywood.

He was born to a Jewish family in Szilágysomlyó, Austria-Hungary (now Șimleu Silvaniei, Romania). His father was a town clerk and Pasternak was one of eleven children.

In 1920 he emigrated to the US as a teenager and went to stay with an uncle in Philadelphia. He worked in a factory, punching holes in leather belts, and did a variety of other jobs. He also studied acting in New York.

Pasternak became an assistant director at Paramount on The Phantom of the Opera (1925). Several years later he was directing at Universal. In 1928 Universal sent him as an associate producer to Germany. Upon return from Europe he produced a number of hits with new talent such as Deanna Durbin and Gloria Jean, reputedly saving Universal from Bankruptcy.

Pasternak also had careers at MGM, Fox and Euterpe. He made mostly musicals.

In 1968 he was stricken with Parkinson's Disease. He recovered slightly two years later but made no more films. He said at the time "I am proud that I have produced 105 pictures and not one of them is adults only."

In 1980 he estimated his films had earned $400 million. "If I had a percentage I'd be the richest man in town," he said.

His career as a film producer spanned 40 years and earned him two Oscar nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations. He retired in 1968, having produced more than ninety feature-length films as well as three Academy Award shows.