Robert J. Shapera
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Robert Evans, head of production at Paramount from the late 1960s, orchestrated the studio’s revival with films like Rosemary’s Baby 1968 and The Godfather 1972. After stepping down in 1975, he personally produced Chinatown 1974 and Marathon Man 1976. His later career included the blockbuster How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 2003. He died in Los Angeles on October 26, 2019.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Robert Evans — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Robert Evans by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Robert Evans — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
On June 29, 1930, Robert J. Shapera was born in New York City. He grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. His father Archie was a dentist with a thriving Harlem practice; his mother Florence was from Odessa. He began as a teenage radio actor but flopped in his first movie role. He then worked for his brother’s clothing company Evan-Picone. In 1957, Norma Shearer spotted him by a pool and recommended him for the role of Irving Thalberg in Man of a Thousand Faces.
Evans caught the eye of Darryl F. Zanuck and played a bullfighter in The Sun Also Rises 1957. Dissatisfied, he switched to producing. In 1966, Charlie Bluhdorn hired him to shake up Paramount Pictures. Within months he became head of production. He revived the studio with slick hits like Rosemary’s Baby 1968, Love Story 1970, and The Godfather 1972. The artistic highlights of his tenure were The Godfather and Chinatown 1974. Eased out of Paramount, his production The Cotton Club 1984 became a notorious fiasco. He bounced back with a Paramount deal in the 1990s and produced How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 2003.
Evans married seven times, including to actress Ali MacGraw 1969–1973 and Miss America Phyllis George 1977–1978. He had one son, Josh Evans, with Ali MacGraw. His 1998 marriage to Catherine Oxenberg lasted ten days. He was linked romantically with Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, and Lana Turner. He owned the Beverly Hills estate Woodland, once belonging to Greta Garbo.
Robert Evans saved Paramount Pictures with his instinct for popular hits, making him the quintessential New Hollywood executive. His autobiography The Kid Stays in the Picture became a bestseller and a documentary. He inspired characters parodied in films like Wag the Dog and S.O.B. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002 and the Mary Pickford Award. His legacy as a producer lives on through classic films like The Godfather and Chinatown.
The complete filmography of Robert Evans — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Robert Evans — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Robert Evans — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
When a Director Hires a Producer, You’re in Deep Shit. a Director Needs a Boss, Not a Yes Man.
I Didn’t Hang Around with Famous People . . . They Hung Around with Me.
The Producer Is the Most Important Element of a Film. It’s the Producer Who Hires the Director . . . the Producer Buys the Property, He Hires the Writer, the Director; He’s Involved in Hiring All the Actors, Involved with Production, Costs, Post-production and Involved with Marketing. He’s on a Film for Four or Five Years and Gets Very Little Credit for It.
A Love Story Could Be for an Evening, a Week, a Month, It Could Be Forever. There Is a Big Difference Between Like, Love, in Love and Lust.
. . . I Believe That Rules Are Made to Be Broken but I Believe That Vows Made Between Two People Must Be Adhered To. and I Got Married Two Weeks Ago, and My Vows Are What We’re Talking About Now: the Four Ls. My Vows Are Very Simple: Like, Love, in Love and Lust – If We Are to Make Our Union Work, I Vow to Adhere to at Least Two of Them Every Day. One of Them Has to Be Like, Because Like Is Very Important. and If You Can’t, Something’s Wrong.
I’ve Always Been a Gambler; I’ve Always Taken Risks. Anyone Who Says You Will Always Win If You Take a Risk Is a Liar, Because It’s Not a Risk Then.
When I Went Out to L.A., I Knew One Thing: Property Is King. No One Wanted Me – There’s Nothing Worse Than a Pretty Boy Actor Who Wants to Be a Producer, Especially a Lousy Actor. and I Bought a Property Called the Detective to Get My Foot in the Door. so I Went to 20Th Century-Fox and Demanded a Three-picture Deal and Got It. Without the Property, They Wouldn’t Have Given Me Anything.
If I Wrote the Truth of What I Know, the Book Would Be 10,000 Pages.
Success Means Never Having to Admit You’re Unhappy.
Little-known facts about Robert Evans — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
The Stanley Motss character played by Dustin Hoffman in Wag the Dog 1997 was inspired by Evans. Hoffman copied Evans’ work habits, mannerisms, clothing, hairstyle, and square eyeglasses. Evans reportedly said he was magnificent in the film.
His older brother Charles Evans started the women’s clothing line Evan-Picone, which provided much of Robert’s income.
Evans had one child, actor/director Josh Evans, with Ali MacGraw.
The Robert Vaughn character in Blake Edwards’ S.O.B. 1981 was based on Evans.
Evans was implicated but never charged in the murder of theatrical impresario Roy Radin, known as the Cotton Club Murder. He had been in contact with Radin as a potential investor in The Cotton Club 1984.
After shepherding hits like Love Story 1970 and The Godfather 1972 without sharing in profits, Evans convinced Paramount owner Charlie Bluhdorn to let him personally produce movies. His first was Chinatown 1974. Its success forced him to step down as production chief to avoid a rebellion from other producers.
Evans was romantically linked with Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Lana Turner, Margaux Hemingway, Cheryl Tiegs, and Beverly Johnson, among others.
He turned down offers to produce Airport 1970, The French Connection 1971, and Jaws 1975.
Sharon Tate invited Evans to be her houseguest the night she was killed, but he declined; she then invited Jay Sebring.
Evans suffered three near-fatal strokes.
Producer David Brown recounted offering Evans the lead in Lawrence of Arabia 1962 as a practical joke.
His Beverly Hills estate Woodland once belonged to Greta Garbo.
His 1998 marriage to Catherine Oxenberg lasted only ten days.
His father Archie ran one of the first racially integrated dental clinics in the country.
Henry Kissinger played tennis with Jimmy Connors at Evans’ estate.
His autobiography The Kid Stays in the Picture was printed in 12 languages, and its film version premiered at Sundance in January 2002.
He received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2002 at 6925 Hollywood Blvd.
He accompanied Raquel Welch to Super Bowl X at Miami’s Orange Bowl, where cameras shot crowd scenes for his film Black Sunday 1977.
He had one grandson, Jackson, born in 2010 to son Josh Evans and daughter-in-law Roxy Saint.
His seventh wife, Lady Victoria White, filed for divorce on June 16, 2006, citing irreconcilable differences.
Evans attended Henry Kissinger’s 50th birthday party at New York’s Harmony Club in 1973.
He was offered the role of Monroe Stahr in The Last Tycoon 1976 but declined; he had earlier played Thalberg in his film debut.
He was an alumnus of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.
He attended Super Bowl I with friend Clint Eastwood in 1967.
His parents were Florence Krasne and Archie Shapera; his father was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts to Russian Jewish parents, and his mother was a Jewish emigrant from Odessa.
Two of his divorces were finalized on July 21st, and two on July 22nd.
Celebrity attorney Robert Shapiro celebrated his 50th birthday at Evans’ estate.
He had one sister, Alice.
He was the ex-father-in-law of Charis Michelsen.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Robert Evans.
Celebrities similar to Robert Evans — same craft, ranked by reach.
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