View source for Buddy Adler

{{short description|American film producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Maurice "Buddy" Adler
| image         = Buddy Adler.jpg
| caption       = Adler in 1958
| birth_name    = E. Maurice Adler
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1906|6|22}}
| birth_place   = [[New York City]], U.S.
| years_active  = 1939–1960
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1960|7|12|1906|6|22}}
| death_place   = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| resting_place = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery]], [[Glendale, California]]
| spouse        = [[Anita Louise]] (1940–1960)
}}
'''E. Maurice''' "'''Buddy'''" '''Adler''' (June 22, 1906 – July 12, 1960) was an American film producer and production head for [[20th Century Fox]] studios.

In 1954, his production of ''[[From Here to Eternity]]'' won the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]] and in 1956, his ''[[Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (film)|Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing]]'' was nominated for best picture. Adler also produced the 1956 film ''[[Bus Stop (1956 film)|Bus Stop]]'', starring [[Marilyn Monroe]].<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WIZwZOz8LHsC|title=Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History|page=120|author=Aubrey Solomon|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|date=2002|isbn=9780810842441}}</ref>

==Biography==
Adler was born in New York City in 1906 (some references have listed his birth year as 1908 or 1909) with "Buddy" as his childhood nickname. His family ran a small chain of department stores and Adler did advertising copy for the chain. He began writing short stories in his spare time and published them under the name "Bradley Allen". In 1936 he moved to Hollywood where he wrote the [[Pete Smith (film producer)#Pete Smith Specialties|Pete Smith short features]] for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]. He wrote the screenplay for the short documentary film ''[[Quicker'n a Wink]]'', which won an [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film|Oscar in 1940]]. He also owned a small string of movie showhouses, called the Hitching Post.<ref name="los">Producer Buddy Adler Dies at 51: Wife Anita Louise at Bedside of Fox Studio Aide (Los Angeles Times, 13 July 1960. p. B1)</ref>

During [[World War II]], Adler served in the Signal Corps (1941–1945), ending with the rank of colonel. <ref>A. Schmidt. ON THE ELEVATION OF MR. ADLER: How Buddy Adler Became 'White-Haired' Producer At Columbia Studio (New York Times, 27 September 1953</ref>

In 1954 Alder moved from Columbia to [[20th Century Fox|Fox]], where he produced several films.<ref name="los"/> 

===Head of Fox===
In 1956 Adler was named as Head of Production for 20th Century Fox, replacing [[Darryl F. Zanuck]], and in 1957, he established the Fox Talent School, with a $1 million budget. Actors who had their first starring roles under Adler include [[Elvis Presley]], [[Pat Boone]], [[Tommy Sands (American singer)|Tommy Sands]], [[Fabian Forte|Fabian]], [[Stuart Whitman]], [[Suzy Parker]], [[Joanne Woodward]], [[France Nuyen]], [[May Britt]], [[Bradford Dillman]], [[Tony Randall]], [[Barry Coe]], and [[Diane Varsi]].<ref name="los"/><ref>Philip K. Scheuer. $4 MILLION LATER: 20th Has Its Stars of Tomorrow—Today. 20th Builds Stable of Own Stars (Los Angeles Times, 16 August 1959). p. E1</ref><ref>Philip K. Scheuer. Adler Dispels Film Gloom: 20th Executive Cites Upsurge in Business as Bright Omen (Los Angeles Times, 17 February 1958). p. C9</ref>

==Personal life==
Adler was born in New York City. He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1936 and resided there for the rest of his life. In 1940 he married actress [[Anita Louise|Anita Louise Fremault (1915–1970)]], with whom he had two children. The family were at his bedside when he died in 1960, from [[lung cancer]].<ref name="los"/>
[[Joan Collins]] told a story on [[The Graham Norton Show]] about a party where Adler asked Joan if she would like her pick of roles from upcoming Fox productions, and she said yes. He then told her that although he was older than her and married, if she was "nice" to him, he could do that for her. She rebuffed him and said that she was not interested in using the casting couch to get ahead in her career.

==Awards==
Adler received the [[Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award]] in 1957.<ref>THALBERG AWARD FOR BUDDY ADLER: Fox Production Head Hailed by Motion Picture Academy (New York Times, 22 March 1957). p. 26</ref> In 1958 he received the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award]] for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.

==Death==
On July 12, 1960, Adler died of [[lung cancer]], aged 54, in [[Los Angeles]] and was interred in the [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Glendale, California]]. His widow, who is buried there as well, survived him by ten years.<ref>Scott Wilson. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2. McFarland & Co. (2016) {{ISBN|0786479922}}</ref>

==Selected filmography==
{{div col}}
* ''[[Flaming Star]]''  (1960, but died a week before filming started)
* ''[[North to Alaska]]''  (1960, died midway through principal photography)
* ''[[The Inn of the Sixth Happiness]]''  (1958)
* ''[[South Pacific (1958 film)|South Pacific]]''  (1958)
* ''[[A Hatful of Rain]]''  (1957)
* ''[[Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison]]''  (1957)
* ''[[Anastasia (1956 film)|Anastasia]]''  (1956)
* ''[[Bus Stop (1956 film)|Bus Stop]]''  (1956)
* ''[[The Revolt of Mamie Stover]]''  (1956)
* ''[[The Bottom of the Bottle]]''  (1956)
* ''[[The Lieutenant Wore Skirts]]''  (1956)
* ''[[The Left Hand of God]]''  (1955)
* ''[[Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (film)|Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing]]'' (1955)
* ''[[House of Bamboo]]''  (1955)
* ''[[Soldier of Fortune (1955 film)|Soldier of Fortune]]''  (1955)
* ''[[Violent Saturday]]''  (1955)
* ''[[From Here to Eternity]]''  (1953)
* ''[[Last of the Comanches]]'' (1953)
* ''[[The Harlem Globetrotters]]''  (1951)
* ''[[Saturday's Hero]]''  (1951)
* ''[[A Woman of Distinction]]''  (1950)
* ''[[Tell It to the Judge]]''  (1949)
* ''[[The Dark Past]]''  (1948)
* ''[[Quicker'n a Wink]]'' (1940)
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{reflist}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Buddy Adler
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Picture Producers}}
{{Cecil B. DeMille Award 1952–1975}}
{{Thalberg Award}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adler, Buddy}}
[[Category:1906 births]]
[[Category:1960 deaths]]
[[Category:20th Century Studios people]]
[[Category:Film producers from New York (state)]]
[[Category:American film studio executives]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from New York City]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in California]]
[[Category:Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army colonels]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New York City]]