The film producer and longtime production chief of the studio Paramount Pictures, Robert Evans, is dead. According to his spokeswoman, he died last Saturday, as the US broadcaster CNN reported. Evans was 89 years old.
Hollywood hits such as "Rosemary's Baby" (1969), "Love Story" (1970) and "The Godfather" (1972) were created under his responsibility as a studio boss. His other film productions included classics such as "Chinatown", "The Marathon Man" and "Cotton Club".
Evans was also known in Hollywood as a womanizer. He was married seven times, including with "Love Story" star Ali MacGraw. From the 1969 closed marriage son Joshua Evans emerged. He also made headlines with drug problems
"He had a strong instinct"
In 1966, Evans took over at the age of 36 years, the production management of the film studio Paramount Pictures. With films like "Rosemaries Baby" (1968) by director Roman Polanski and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" (1972), he ushered in a highly successful era for the studio. "He had a strong instinct as evidenced by the long list of great films throughout his career," director Coppola told AFP. For the production of Polanski's "Chinatown" (1974) Evans was nominated for an Oscar.
Evans was born in 1930 as the son of a New York dentist. He first worked as a partner in a clothing company before moving to Los Angeles to become an actor. In 1957 he starred in the film "Between Madrid and Paris" after the novel "Fiesta" by Ernest Hemingway, but soon moved into production.
MacGraw responded to the death of Evans in a bulletin on Hollywood Reporter. "Our son Joshua and I will miss Bob very much," the actress wrote. They are very proud of Evans' "tremendous contribution" to the film industry.
