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Lew Grade

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The Right Honourable
The Lord Grade
OStJ
1997artistic portraitbyThe Earl of Snowdon.
Born
Lev Winogradsky

(1906-12-25)25 December 1906
Tokmak,Taurida Governorate,Russian Empire
Died13 December 1998(1998-12-13)(aged 91)
London, England
Resting placeLiberal Jewish Cemetery, Willesden,London
NationalityRussian (1906–1912)
British (1912–1998)
Other names
  • Louis Grad (as professional dancer)
  • "The Dancer with the Humorous Feet"
EducationRochelle Street Elementary School
Occupations
Years active1926–1998
Spouse
Kathleen Moody
​
(m.1942)​
[1]
Children1
RelativesBernard Delfont(brother)
Leslie Grade(brother)
Michael Grade(nephew)

Lew Grade, Baron Grade,OStJ(bornLev Winogradsky;[2]25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was aRussian-bornBritishmedia proprietorandimpresario.Originally a dancer, and later atalent agent,Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 when he founded theIncorporated Television Company(ITC; commonly known as ITC Entertainment) to distribute programmes, and following the success ofThe Adventures of Robin Hooddecided to focus on bringing them to the American market. Grade had some success in this field with such series asGerry Anderson's manySupermarionationseries such asThunderbirds,Patrick McGoohan'sThe Prisoner,andJim Henson'sThe Muppet Show.Later, Grade invested in feature film production, but several expensivebox-office failurescaused him to lose control of ITC, and ultimately resulted in the disestablishment of ATV after it lost its ITV franchise.[3]

Early life

[edit]

Grade was born inTokmak,Berdyansky Uyezd,Taurida Governorate,Russian Empire(nowUkraine), to Isaak and Olga Winogradsky.[4]In 1912, when Grade was five years old, hisJewishfamily escaped thepogromsby emigrating fromOdessa,viaBerlinto London and resettled inShoreditchonBrick Lanein theEast End of London.[5][6]

Isaak worked as atrouser-presserwhile his three sons (Grade and his younger brothers, Bernard (laterBernard Delfont) andLeslie) attended the Rochelle Street Elementary School nearShoreditch,whereYiddishwas spoken by 90% of the pupils. For two years the Winogradskys lived in rented rooms at the north end of Brick Lane, before moving to the nearbyBoundary Estate.[7]

Early professional life

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At the age of 15, Grade became an agent for a clothing company, and shortly afterwards started his own business. In 1926, he was declaredCharlestonChampion of the World at a dancing competition at theRoyal Albert Hall.[4]Fred Astairewas one of the judges.[3]Grade subsequently became a professional dancer going by the name Louis Grad; he changed this name to Lew Grade, which came from a Paris reporter's typing error that Grade liked and decided to keep.[8]He was signed as a dancer by Joe Collins (father ofJackieandJoan Collins) in 1931.[9]Decades later, the octogenarian Lord Grade once danced the Charleston at a partyArthur Ochs Sulzbergergave in New York.[10]

Talent agent

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Around 1934, Grade went into partnership with Joe Collins and became atalent agentin their company Collins & Grade. Among their earliest clients were the harmonica playerLarry Adlerand the jazz groupQuintette du Hot Club de France.[11]

Following the beginning of theSecond World Warin 1939, Grade became involved in arranging entertainment for soldiers inHarrogate,[8]and later joined theBritish Army.He was discharged after two years when an old problem withswelling of the knees,which had earlier ended his dancing career, recurred.[11]In 1945, the arrangement with Collins having been terminated, Grade formed a partnership with his brother Leslie (Lew and Leslie Grade Ltd., or the Grade Organisation). That year, the brothers travelled in the United States, where they developed their entertainment interests. His connections included, among others,Bob HopeandJudy Garland,who performed in Britain for the first time.[11]The brothers became the main bookers of artists for theLondon Palladiumin 1948, then managed byVal Parnellfor theMoss EmpiresGroup owned by the family ofPrince Littler.[12]The agency became the most successful in the UK and in 1967 it was acquired byEMIfor $21 million with Grade and his two brothers joining the EMI board.[13]

Media career

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Television: 1954–1962

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In 1954, Grade was contacted by the manager of singerJo Stafford,Mike Nidorf,[14]who notified him of an advertisement inThe Timesinviting franchise bids for the new, commercialITVnetwork.

Assembling a consortium that included impresarios Val Parnell and Prince Littler, the Incorporated Television Programme Company (ITP), which soon changed its name toIncorporated Television Company(ITC; also known as ITC Entertainment), was formed. ITC's bid to theIndependent Television Authority(ITA) was rejected on the grounds of its conflict of interest from its prominence and involvement in artist management.[15]

The Associated Broadcasting Development Company (ABD) had gained ITA approval for both the London weekend andMidlandsweekday contracts, but was undercapitalised; Grade's consortium joined with the ABD to form what becameAssociated Television(ATV). Reflecting his background in variety, Grade's favourite show[16]and a success for the new company wasSunday Night at the London Palladium(1955–1967, 1973–1974), one of the most popular programmes on British television in its day. Grade did not avoid the other end of the cultural spectrum and in 1958Sir Kenneth Clarkbegan to talk about the history of art on television.[17]

Meanwhile, Grade committed the funds for what would become the first trans-Atlantic success of the ITP subsidiary:The Adventures of Robin Hood(1955–1960), commissioned by UK-based American producerHannah Weinstein.ITC became a wholly owned ATV subsidiary in 1957,[18]That same year ATV established a music publishing division withATV Musicand gained a half interest inPye Recordsin 1959;[19]later Pye became a wholly owned subsidiary.

Television: 1962–1968

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Grade was deputy managing director of ATV under Val Parnell until 1962, when he became managing director having contrived to have the board oust Parnell.[12]Grade soon decided that the Midlands deserved its own regular soap opera as a rival toCoronation Street.Crossroads,much derided but ultimately a serious challenge to Granada's series in the ratings, began its initial quarter century run in November 1964.[20]

ITC's success continued and had many internationally successful TV series, leadingHoward Thomas,managing director ofABC Weekend TV,to complain that Grade distributed programming for "Birmingham, Alabama,rather thanBirmingham,England ".[21]These series includedThe Saint(1962–1969), which was sold to over 80 countries,[22]and two featuringPatrick McGoohan:Danger Man(1960–1968) andThe Prisoner(1967–1968). The series, exclusively thrillers, were normally used as summer replacements for American-made programmes until the mid-1960s.[23]While many of Grade's series used American actors in lead roles (The BaronandMan in a Suitcase,for example) it was those series which used an exclusively British cast, such asThe Saint(andThe Avengers,made by another ITV contractor), which were more successful in the United States.[24]

In 1962,AP Filmsbecame a subsidiary of ITC. Co-founded byGerry Anderson,AP Films produced two marionette puppet ( "Supermarionation") series for children during the 1960s:Thunderbirds(1965–1966) and (as Century 21)Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons(1967–1968). After a screening of the pilot forThunderbirds( "Trapped in the Sky",1964), Grade insisted that the episodes be lengthened to fill a one-hour slot.[25]Unusually forchildren's television series,thesecolourprogrammes were generously budgeted for the time (Grade paid £22,000 per episode), and were successfully repeated internationally.[26]

In 1966, Grade's companies were re-organised again to form the Associated Communications Corporation (ACC). That year,The Sunday Timesinvestigated the interconnected nature of the companies controlled by Grade and his two brothers, Bernard Delfont and Leslie Grade. Their firms, effectively amounting to a "cartel", were agents for most of the major talents in acting as well as entertainment and controlled theatres in both London and the rest of the UK and ATV was a major provider of televised entertainment.[16]

Later television productions

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The following year, ATV lost its London franchise to what would becomeLondon Weekend Television(LWT);[27]at the same time, however, ATV's Midlands franchise was expanded to run throughout the week from July 1968. Through ATV Music, Grade acquiredNorthern Songs,gaining control of theLennon–McCartneysong catalogue.[28]

Foreign sales remained strong for a time (valued at $30 million in 1970)[29]and the ACC received theQueen's Awards for Exportin both 1967 and 1969.

Some of the 1970s distributions performed poorly: these includedThe Julie Andrews Hour(1972–73), which aired for only one season on theABC Television Networkin the United States. This received positive reviews and sevenEmmy Awards,including the title of 'Best Variety Series'. The action seriesThe Protectors(1972–74) andThe Persuaders!(1971–72),[18]were not especially successful. Gerry Anderson moved to live actionscience fictionshowsUFO(1969–71) andSpace: 1999(1975–77). AfterSpace: 1999,Anderson made no new series for ITC, but maintained a connection with Grade until Grade lost control of his companies in 1982.

In the mid-1970s, Grade approached American puppeteerJim Henson,who was in need of assistance for his latest television project. Henson wanted to create a newvariety showstarring hisMuppetcharacters, but had been dismissed by American networks on account of his contributions to children's programmes such asSesame Street(1969–present).[citation needed]CBScame close to agreeing to broadcastThe Muppet Show,but only if it was during asyndicated blockof its programming.[clarification needed]After watching one of Henson's pilots and recalling a special made in one of his studios, Grade allowed Henson to realise his project in Britain (the series was recorded at theATV Elstree Studios,later bought by the BBC, primarily used forEastEnders) and distributed internationally by ITC. Grade's action was instrumental in bringingThe Muppet Showto the screen in 1976 and ensuring its success; it ran until 1981.[citation needed]

Grade's other accomplishments in television included the mini-seriesJesus of Nazareth(1977), which was successfully sold to the American market and secured a record-breaking $12 million in revenue. Several years in preparation, the deal with the Italian broadcasterRAIand directorFranco Zeffirellihad been announced three years previously.[30]

Film

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Grade approachedBlake Edwardsto revive the Pink Panther franchise as a TV series, an option Edwards was not keen on,[31]but he did work on developing scripts. Eventually, he persuaded Grade to finance the property as a feature film project with he andPeter Sellerswaiving their fees in return for a profit-sharing arrangement.[32]Both men's careers had not been prospering for a few years.[33]Only Grade's second big budget feature,[12]ITC produced the eventual filmThe Return of the Pink Panther(1975), whileUnited Artists(UA), who had earlier rejected the project themselves, gained distribution rights and a 5% share of the profits.[34]Distribution in other countries was undertaken by ITC.The Return of the Pink Pantherwas a commercially successful release.[12]

It also prompted Grade to move into the film industry, where he had success withFarewell My Lovely(1975).[35]Other films of the period made with Grade's involvement include the co-releasesThe Boys From Brazil(1978) with20th Century FoxandMovie Movie(also 1978) withWarner Bros.He was a producer on theIngmar BergmanfilmsAutumn Sonata(1978) andFrom the Life of the Marionettes(1980). Grade was executive producer ofThe Muppet Movie(1979) andThe Great Muppet Caper(1981);Orson Wellesportrayed a studio executive named "Lew Lord" in the first film. One domestic British film made by the ITC subsidiary Black Lion Films,The Long Good Friday(1980) was purchased and released byHandMade Filmsafter Grade and his company had effectively disowned it for, in Grade's reputed opinion, seeming to be sympathetic to theIRA.[36]

Grade's backing of an expensive "all-star" flop was to prove decisive. OfRaise the Titanic(1980), an adaptation ofthe novelbyClive Cussler,Grade himself observed that "It would have been cheaper to lower theAtlantic".[4][18]The film was panned by critics and, after costing $36 million, returned only $8 million in rentals.[6]This film along with other expensive box office failures – includingSaturn 3(1980) andThe Legend of the Lone Ranger(1981) – marked the end of Grade's involvement in major film production.[citation needed]Despite this, several of the most critically acclaimed films produced by Grade were released after the failure ofRaise the Titanic:these includedOn Golden Pond(1981) andSophie's Choice(1982), both winners ofAcademy Awards,as well asThe Dark Crystal(1982), which was Jim Henson's final project created in association with ITC.[37]

Later years

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In 1980, Grade's standing in the mass media industry was damaged by two events: the poor reception forRaise the Titanic,and a decision that, effective from 1 January 1982ATV Midlandswould be permitted to keep its licence only on the condition that it terminate its association with Grade and ITC (ultimately leading to its re-branding asCentral Television). Grade resigned his position in the company while it underwent a series of partnerships and mergers. In 1982, he lost control of ACC toRobert Holmes à Court,who dismissed him and all his staff.[3]

Grade was brought in by American producerNorman Learin June 1982 to head the London division ofEmbassy Communications International,to be involved in the production and distribution of films and television programmes.[38]Subsequently, he became a producer ofAndrew Lloyd Webber's musicalStarlight Express.[39]AfterCoca-Colahad bought Embassy, he became the head of a new venture, the Grade Company, in 1985, and was elected a vice-president of theLoews Groupchain of cinemas in the United States.[4][40]The Grade Company produced adaptations for television of works by novelist DameBarbara Cartland;he owned the rights to 450 of her romances.[6]

By the early to mid-1990s, Grade had returned to ITC to head the company one final time until his death in 1998. Grade was a member of the Founding Council of theRothermere American Instituteat theUniversity of Oxford.[citation needed]

Honours

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In 1969, Grade wasknighted.[41]He was created alife peer(asBaron GradeofElstreein the County of Hertfordshire) on 22 June 1976.[42]He reportedly chose Elstree as histerritorial designationbecause ATV's main studios were based there.

Coat of arms of Lew Grade
Coronet
That of a Baron
Crest
A sinister cubit arm erect vested Vert cuffed Argent charged with a mask of comedy Or the hand Proper holding a balalaika Or sound box to the dexter.
Escutcheon
Per chevron grady Vert and Or in chief two pierced mullets Or and in base a bear's jamb erased Sable armed Gules.
Supporters
Dexter upon a lightning flash Or a lion Proper gorged with a cord pendent therefrom a representation of itself all Or, sinister upon a lightning flash Or a horse Sable gorged with a cord pendent therefrom a representation of itself all Or.
Motto
Quod Promitto Perficio (What I Promise I Carry Out)[43]

Death

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In 1978, Grade, then aged 71, told interviewerMike Wallaceon theCBSprogram60 Minutes,"I don't intend to retire until the year 2000."[44]Grade died of heart failure aged 91 on 13 December 1998 in London.[45]He was buried at theLiberal Jewish Cemeteryin London's Willesden neighbourhood.

BBC Radio 2transmitted two one-hour tribute programmes on 24 and 25 December 2006 as a celebration of Grade's life and marking the centenary of his birth.[46]

References

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  1. ^"Lady Grade, teenage star who gave up a promising career to become the busy and steady presence behind her tycoon husband Lew – obituary".The Telegraph.5 January 2022.Retrieved5 January2022.
  2. ^Horace Newcomb,Encyclopedia of Television
  3. ^abc"Lord Grade of Elstree, showman, died on December 13th, aged 91".The Economist.17 December 1998.Retrieved31 December2013.[H]e felt betrayed when in 1982 he lost control of Associated Communications Corporation, the parent company of his television and other interests, toRobert Holmes à Court,an Australian. Lord Grade had felt so close to the Australian that he allowed him to buy 51% of the voting shares. Holmes à Court then deposed him in a boardroom coup and purged the company of all his staff, even, Lord Grade noted sadly, his tea lady. Later, he observed waspishly, "Robert died quite a young man, for all his millions".
  4. ^abcdHoge, Warren (14 December 1998)."Lew Grade, 91, Flamboyant Shaper of British TV and Movies".The New York Times.Retrieved13 July2017.
  5. ^Palmer, Alan Warwick(2000) [1989].The East End: Four Centuries of London Life.New Brunswick, New Jersey:Rutgers University Press.p. 106.ISBN0813528267.Retrieved31 December2013.
  6. ^abcRaines, Howell (17 April 1988)."Lew Grade, at 81, Retains His Zest for a Deal".The New York Times.Retrieved3 August2020..
  7. ^"Bethnal Green: Building and Social Conditions from 1876 to 1914 | British History Online".www.british-history.ac.uk.
  8. ^abTelevision Greats: Lew Grade,Television Heaven entry.
  9. ^"Joe Collins,DynastyStar's Father ".Chicago Tribune.12 April 1988.Retrieved12 August2017.
  10. ^Brozan, Nadine (22 May 1992)."CHRONICLE".New York Times.Retrieved31 December2013.
  11. ^abcFaith, Nicholas (14 December 1998)."Obituary: Lord Grade".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 14 June 2022.Retrieved12 August2017.
  12. ^abcdSergio Angelini"Grade, Lord Lew (1906–1998)",BFI Screenonline
  13. ^"EMI Buys Grade; Huge Talent Pool In $21-Mil Deal".Variety.22 March 1967. p. 1.
  14. ^Carl Ellis:Lew Grade, Part 3: the War and AfterArchived5 September 2008 at theWayback Machine,TV Heroes, Transdiffusion.
  15. ^"ATV".BFI.Archivedfrom the original on 11 February 2009.Retrieved15 April2008.the ITA felt that the enormous amount of talent ITC controlled could easily lead it to monopolise the fledgling network
  16. ^abMichael Palmer and Jeremy TunstalMedia Moguls,Routledge, 1991, p. 112
  17. ^Jonathan Bignell "" And the Rest is History: Lew Grade, Creation Narratives and Television Historiography ", in Catherine Johnson and Rob Turnock (eds.)Itv Cultures: Independent Television Over Fifty Years,Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2005, p. 50
  18. ^abcSergio Angelini:ITC,BFI screenonline.
  19. ^Louis BarfeWhere Have All the Good Times Gone? The Rise and Fall of the Record Industry,London: Atlantic Books, 2005, p. 134
  20. ^John Williams"Crossroads– The 1960s ",BFI Screenonline
  21. ^Carl EllisLew Grade, Part 4: Embracing the 1950sArchived28 July 2011 at theWayback Machine,TV Heroes, Transdiffusion.
  22. ^James ChapmanSaints and Avengers: British Adventure Series of the 1960s,London: I.B Tauris, 2002, p.100
  23. ^Stuart Hood"Export Backlash",The Spectator,25 November 1966, p. 12
  24. ^Chapman,Saints and Avengers,p. 11
  25. ^"Thunderbirds".Classic TV Info.Retrieved12 April2017.
  26. ^Gilhooly, Rob (26 December 2001)."Still F.A.B. after all these years".The Japan Times.Retrieved12 April2017.
  27. ^Richard G. Elen;ATV,BFI screenonline.
  28. ^Philip NormanShout!: The Beatles in Their Generation,New York: Fireside, 2005, pp. 422–24
  29. ^Entrepreneurs: Top Grade,TIME,4 October 1971.
  30. ^Martin Sullivan"A television Jesus",The Spectator,23 August 1974, p. 15
  31. ^Obituary: Blake Edwards,telegraph.co.uk, 16 December 2010
  32. ^Julian UptonFallen Stars: Tragic Lives and Lost Careers,Manchester, Headpress, 2004, p.28
  33. ^Bob Thomas"Pink Panther Sequel Spelled Success",The Blade(Toledo, Ohio), 17 November 1975, p. 18
  34. ^Roger LewisThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers,London: Arrow Books, 2004 [1994], p. 845n.
  35. ^"Sir Lew Grade the new knight in shining armour for British films",The Irish Times,Dublin, Ireland, 27 October 1975, p. 14.
  36. ^Mark Duguid"Long Good Friday, The(1979) ",BFI Screenonline; accessed 24 December 2015.
  37. ^Vagg, Stephen (10 March 2020)."Ten Billionaires Who Were Stung by Hollywood".Filmink.
  38. ^Cuff, Daniel F. (24 June 1982)."Lord Grade Joins Norman Lear Team".The New York Times.Retrieved13 July2017.
  39. ^Bennetts, Leslie (23 February 1987)."A TransformedStarlight ExpressStrives Towards Broadway Opening ".The New York Times.Retrieved13 July2017.
  40. ^"Lew Grade Biography (1906–1998)".Film Reference.Retrieved12 August2017.
  41. ^"No. 44790".The London Gazette.14 February 1969. p. 1705.
  42. ^"No. 46943".The London Gazette.24 June 1976. p. 8773.
  43. ^Debrett's Peerage.1985.
  44. ^1978 THROWBACK: "LEW GRADE",3 September 2020,retrieved12 June2022
  45. ^"Media legend Grade dead".BBC News.13 December 1998.Retrieved15 October2019.
  46. ^"Lew Grade: the Greatest of Them All!".BBC Genome.BBC.Retrieved17 August2023.

Further reading

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