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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 29 OcTOber 2019
Robert Evans, iconic producer of 'Chinatown,' dies at 89

By JAKE COYLE (later turned into a 2002 "The Odd Couple," ''Rose-
Associated Press documentary) came from mary's Baby" and "Good-
NEW YORK (AP) — Robert an early story of his improb- bye, Columbus." He was
Evans, the protean, fast- able success. a pivotal figure not only
living Hollywood producer After he appeared in "Man restoring Paramount but
and former Paramount Pic- of a Thousand Faces" Darryl in a halcyon period of au-
tures production chief who Zanuck signed Evans to a teur-driven moviemaking,
backed such seminal 1970s contract at Twentieth Cen- backed storied directors
films as "Chinatown," ''The tury Fox and cast him as a including Sidney Lumet, Hal
Godfather" and "Harold bullfighter in "The Sun Also Ashby and Peter Bogda-
and Maude," has died. He Rises." The filmmakers insist- novich.
was 89. ed the young actor wasn't Albert Ruddy, who won an
This June 27, 2013 file photo shows Robert Evans at "Helmut New-
ton: White Women - Sleepless Nights - Big Nudes" exhibit open- Evans publicist, Monique right for the role, so Zanuck Oscar as producer of "The
ing at the Annenberg Space Photography in Los Angeles. Moss, confirmed that Evans went to Mexico City, where Godfather," credited Ev-
Associated Press died on Saturday. No other the film was being made, ans with filling an essential
details Monday were im- to see for himself. His ver- role in the picture's success.
mediately available. dict: "The kid stays in the When Paramount's head of
His career was a story of picture." distribution objected to the
comebacks and reinven- It was Evans who optioned nearly three-hour running
tions. Evans had launched "The Godfather" while Ma- time, Evans backed up the
a successful women's rio Puzo was writing it. As filmmakers and insisted that
clothing line with his broth- Paramount chief, Evans the movie not be cut.
er, Charles, and was visit- presided over Francis Ford "He said, 'I'll quit before I
ing Los Angeles on busi- Coppola's production but cut the movie,'" Ruddy said
ness when actress Norma his role in the movie, itself, Monday. "He saved the
Shearer saw him sunbath- has sometimes been exag- movie."
ing by the pool at the gerated — including by Ev- Evans didn't share in Para-
Beverly Hills Hotel. She per- ans, himself. But Coppola, mount's prosperity, how-
suaded producers to hire recalled Evans fondly on ever. He wasn't granted
the handsome, dark-haired Monday, recollecting the any bonuses, and his string
26-year-old to play her late producer's "charm, good of marriages and divorces
husband, movie mogul Ir- looks, enthusiasm, style and drained away much of the
ving Thalberg, in "Man of sense of humor." money he did make. After
a Thousand Faces," a film "He had strong instincts as brief marriages to actress-
about horror movie star Lon evidenced by the long list es Sharon Hugueny and
Chaney. of great films in his career. Camilla Sparv, he married
After acting roles faded, When I worked with Bob, MacGraw, who became a
Evans re-emerged at Par- some of his helpful ideas star with her performance
amount and quickly con- included suggesting John in "Goodbye, Columbus."
verted the studio from a Marley as Woltz and Ster- She gave birth to Evans'
maker of mediocre films to ling Hayden as the Police only child, Joshua.
the biggest hit machine in Captain, and his ultimate MacGraw became a su-
Hollywood, home to "The realization that 'The God- perstar after "Love Story,"
Godfather" and "Love Sto- father' could be 2 hours then went off to Texas to
ry" among others. and 45 minutes in length," spend four months making
For decades, and with said Coppola, also noting "The Getaway" with Steve
many flops in between, the Evans' contributions to "The McQueen, with whom she
ever-tanned, large glasses- Cotton Club." had one of Hollywood's
wearing Evans was one of "May the kid always stay in more notable affairs. She
Hollywood's most outsized the picture," added Cop- and Evans divorced in 1972
and flamboyant personali- pola. and he married former Miss
ties, encapsulating the ro- Evans was born Robert America Phyllis George in
mance of a now bygone J. Shapera in New York, 1977. They split a year later.
movie era where films were the second son of Archie Meanwhile, Evans had
greenlit more on instinct Shapera, a dentist, and his formed his own production
than market research. He wife, Florence, a home- company, and he quickly
was married and divorced maker. He began acting turned out one of the big-
seven times. He was the in radio while in junior high gest hits of 1974, Roman
model for Dustin Hoffman's school, going on to appear Polanski's "Chinatown." It
petty-minded Hollywood in more than 300 shows. earned Evans his lone Os-
producer in the 1997 satire After "The Sun Also Rises," car nomination.
"Wag the Dog." Evans left Hollywood to The next decades brought
"The higher you get, the join his brother in the cloth- a period of failures, how-
lower you can fall," Evans ing business, but was lured ever, including Coppola's
mused in a 2003 interview. back in 1966 when Zanuck "The Cotton Club," and
"You pick yourself up at the offered him a three-picture the "Chinatown" sequel
count of nine, you come contract as a producer. "The Two Jakes" and the
back and win and be done That same year Paramount thrillers "Sliver" and "Jade."
with it. I believe in being a Pictures hired him to head In 1980 he pleaded guilty
survivor." production. to cocaine possession and
The title of his 1994 memoir, From 1966 to 1974 Evans was placed on a year's
"The Kid Stays in the Picture" presided over such hits as probation.q