Martin Ransohoff
Encyclopedia
Martin Ransohoff is a cinema
and television
producer, and member of the Ransohoff family
.
Ransohoff was born in New Orleans, Louisiana
in 1927. He founded the film production company Filmways, Inc. in 1960 and remained with the company until 1972. He attempted to "create" female movie stars during the 1960s; the actresses who achieved the greatest success under his tutelage were Ann-Margret
, Tuesday Weld
and Sharon Tate
, who featured in several of his films from 1964 until her death in 1969. He is a cousin of neurosurgeon Joseph Ransohoff
.
The Beverly Hillbillies
brought Ransohoff his first success in 1962 and thereafter he turned his attention to films.
Ransohoff is vividly described and featured in a chapter of screenwriter Joe Eszterhas's
memoir, Hollywood Animal, about the making of the film Jagged Edge
.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
producer, and member of the Ransohoff family
Ransohoff
Ransohoff, or Ransonov is a family of mixed Jewish and Russian ancestry originating in Smolensk, allegedly descended from the Rurik Dynasty. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:...
.
Ransohoff was born in New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in 1927. He founded the film production company Filmways, Inc. in 1960 and remained with the company until 1972. He attempted to "create" female movie stars during the 1960s; the actresses who achieved the greatest success under his tutelage were Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret Olsson is a Swedish-American actress, singer and dancer whose professional name is Ann-Margret. She became famous for her starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, The Cincinnati Kid, Carnal Knowledge, and Tommy...
, Tuesday Weld
Tuesday Weld
Tuesday Weld is an American actress.Weld began her acting career as a child, and progressed to more mature roles during the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960...
and Sharon Tate
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate was an American actress. During the 1960s she played small television roles before appearing in several films. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, she was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for...
, who featured in several of his films from 1964 until her death in 1969. He is a cousin of neurosurgeon Joseph Ransohoff
Joseph Ransohoff
Dr. Joseph 'Joe' Ransohoff, II was a member of the Ransohoff family and a pioneer in the field of neurosurgery. In addition to training numerous neurosurgeons, his "ingenuity in adapting advanced technologies" saved many lives and even influenced the television program Ben Casey...
.
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
brought Ransohoff his first success in 1962 and thereafter he turned his attention to films.
Ransohoff is vividly described and featured in a chapter of screenwriter Joe Eszterhas's
Joe Eszterhas
József A. "Joe" Eszterhas is a Hungarian-American writer, best known for his work on the pulp erotic films Basic Instinct and Showgirls. He has also written several non-fiction books, including an autobiography entitled Hollywood Animal.-Early life:Eszterhas was born in Csákánydoroszló, Hungary,...
memoir, Hollywood Animal, about the making of the film Jagged Edge
Jagged Edge (film)
Jagged Edge is a film starring Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, and Peter Coyote. Robert Loggia received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film. It is a courtroom thriller, written by Joe Eszterhas, and directed by Richard Marquand...
.
Selected filmography
- Boys' Night OutBoys' Night Out (film)Boys' Night Out is an American comedy film released in 1962, starring Kim Novak, James Garner, and Tony Randall, and directed by Michael Gordon...
(1962) - The Americanization of EmilyThe Americanization of EmilyThe Americanization of Emily is a 1964 American comedy-drama war film written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Arthur Hiller, loosely adapted from the novel of the same name by William Bradford Huie who had been a SeaBee officer on D-Day....
(1964) - The SandpiperThe SandpiperThe Sandpiper is a 1965 film starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, directed by Vincente Minnelli.-Plot:Laura Reynolds is a free-spirited, unwed single mother living with her young son Danny in an isolated California beach house...
(1965) - The Cincinnati KidThe Cincinnati KidThe Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 American drama film. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best...
(1965) - The Fearless Vampire KillersThe Fearless Vampire KillersThe Fearless Vampire Killers is a 1967 comedy horror film directed by Roman Polanski, written by Gérard Brach and Polanski, produced by Gene Gutowski and co-starring Polanski with future wife Sharon Tate...
(1967) - Eye of the DevilEye of the DevilEye of the Devil is a 1966 British film with occult and supernatural themes directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Deborah Kerr and David Niven. The film was set in rural France and filmed in England.-Plot:...
(1967) - Ice Station ZebraIce Station ZebraIce Station Zebra is a 1963 thriller novel written by Scottish author Alistair MacLean. This was the last of MacLean's classic sequence of first person narratives which began with Night Without End, and represented a return to that earlier novel's Arctic setting...
(1968) - Catch-22Catch-22 (film)Catch-22 is a 1970 satirical war film adapted from the book of the same name by Joseph Heller. Considered a black comedy revolving around the "lunatic characters" of Heller's satirical anti-war novel, it was the work of a talented production team which included director Mike Nichols and...
(1970) - 10 Rillington Place (1971)
- See No EvilSee No Evil (1971 film)See No Evil, also known as Blind Terror, is a 1971 British thriller film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Mia Farrow as a recently-blinded woman named Sarah.-Plot:...
(1971) - Save the TigerSave the TigerSave the Tiger is a 1973 film about moral conflict in contemporary America. It stars Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Laurie Heineman, Thayer David, Lara Parker and Liv Lindeland. The film is directed by John G...
(1973) - A Change of SeasonsA Change of Seasons (film)A Change of Seasons is a 1980 American dramedy film directed by Stephen Frears. It stars Anthony Hopkins, Shirley MacLaine and Bo Derek.-Plot:...
- NightwingNightwing (film)Nightwing is a 1979 American horror film directed by Arthur Hiller. The screenplay by Martin Cruz Smith, Steve Shagan, and Bud Shrake is based on the 1977 novel of the same title by Smith...
(1979) - Jagged EdgeJagged Edge (film)Jagged Edge is a film starring Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, and Peter Coyote. Robert Loggia received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film. It is a courtroom thriller, written by Joe Eszterhas, and directed by Richard Marquand...
(1985)