Robert Emile Relyea(May 3, 1930 - March 5, 2013) was an American film producer and executive.[1]He was known for several films produced in collaboration withSteve McQueen.Relyea served as President of Production atMGM/United Artists(MGM/UA) from 1997 to 2001.[2]
Life and career
editRelyea was born inSanta Monica, California.He attended UCLA and was a member ofAlpha Sigma Phifraternity. Relyea began his career in 1955 as a crew member at MGM. He worked with directorJohn Sturgesas assistant director on the 1959 World War II filmNever So Fewand the 1960 western,The Magnificent Seven.He also worked as an Assistant Director forJohn WayneonThe AlamoandRobert WiseandJerome RobbinsonWest Side Story.Wise was so impressed with Relyea he offered him a job running his production company as a partner but Relyea felt indebted to Sturges and joined his production company, Alpha Corp Development Pvt Ltd., in 1961. There, he worked on the 1963 filmThe Great Escape,starringSteve McQueenwhere he shot many of the night scenes and doubled for James Garner in the flying sequences, including crashing the stolen plane, which sent Relyea to the hospital with lifelong injuries. He also worked with Sturges onThe Satan Bug,andThe Hallelujah Trail.
Relyea was also a sort of in-house production executive forThe Mirisch Companywhere he worked on many of their productions forUnited Artists,includingWilliam Wyler'sThe Children's Hour,633 Squadron,Kings of the Sun,"'and Blake Edward's second Inspector Clouseau film,A Shot in the Dark.Relyea then joined McQueen to run his Solar Productions in 1966, producingBullittin 1968 andThe Reiversin 1969. Following the commercial failure ofLe Mansin 1971, they ended their partnership, and Relyea returned to MGM/UA in 1993 after working as an independent producer in film and television and heading production at Paramount Studios. He oversaw production on severalJames Bondfilms, includingGoldenEye,Tomorrow Never Dies,The World Is Not EnoughandDie Another Day.
Relyea was highly respected in the film industry and California governorPete Wilsonappointed him chair of theCalifornia Film Commissionin 1996. Relyea's 2008 autobiography, "Not So Quiet on the Set," described film production during "Hollywood's macho era."[3]He died of natural causes inThousand Oaks, California.
References
edit- ^Lang, Derrik J. (March 16, 2013).Robert Relyea dies but leaves Hollywood legacy.Christian Science Monitor
- ^King, Susan (March 17, 2013).Robert Relyea dies at 82; film producer and MGM/UA executive.Los Angeles Times
- ^Relyea, Robert, with Craig Relyea (2008).Not So Quiet on the Set: My Life in Movies During Hollywood's Macho Era.iUniverse,ISBN9780595914739