Emanuel L. Wolf

Emanuel L. Wolf (March 27, 1927 - February 7, 2022) was an American film producer and executive. He was head of Allied Artists in the 1970s. During this period Allied made such films as Cabaret, Papillon and The Man Who Would Be King.[1]

Career

Wolf attended Kentucky University then studied economics at Syracuse University. He worked in the office of the secretary of the Navy and then went into business.[1]

Wolf joined the board of Allied Artists in 1963 when Claude Giroux was made chairman.[2] Allied had just recorded a loss of nearly $3 million.[3] In October 1967 Wolf became chairman when his company, Katlman and Co, took a fifty percent ownership of Allied.[4] In 1969 Wolf was appointed president of Allied. He was also president of another company, Kaldex, which distributed medicine.[5]

When Wolf was chairman of Allied, the studio operated as a distributor - mostly of foreign films - and as source of production finance. Films that Allied released in the US were often advertised as "Emanuel J. Wolf presents". For some films, Allied invested directly in the production. These films included Last Summer, Cabaret and The Man Who Would be King.

Allied Artists Industries

In 1975 it was announced Allied would merge with Kalvex.[6] This was opposed by shareholders.[7] However the merger went ahead and Allied Artists Industries was formed in 1976.[8] Allied Artists Industry declared bankruptcy three years later. Wolf blamed "our inability to finance" films.[9]

In 1978 Allied Artist sued Sean Connery for defamation over his claims that the studio had not paid him his profit participation for The Man Who Would Be King.[10] The same year Allied announced it would form a new subsidiary, Allied Artists video.[11] In March 1979 Allied Artists announced it would seek bankruptcy; it had just reported losses of $3.2 million for the first nine months of the year.[12] It had debts of $14.3 million including $4.2 million to trade creditors and $3.8 million to independent producers and actors under profit participation, $2.6 million to its partnet company Allied Artists Industries and $1 million for other obligations.[13] The poor box office performance of The Wild Geese in the US was blamed.[14]

In 1980 Allied's library was sold to Lorimar.[15]

In 1985 Wolf announced he would be returning to production as an independent producer with a film of the novel Broken Promises, Mended Dreams.[9] No film resulted.

Wolf died of respitory arrest due to Alzheimer's Disease.[1]

Select credits

References

  1. ^ a b c "Emanuel L Wolf obituaty". Los Angeles Times. 16 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Giroux new chairman of movie firm". The Los Angeles Times. 15 March 1963. p. 53.
  3. ^ "Allied Artists meets". Variety. 23 October 1963. p. 18.
  4. ^ "Men at the top". The Los Angeles Times. 18 October 1967. p. 10 Part 3.
  5. ^ "National news". The Los Angeles Times. 6 August 1969. p. 8 Part 3.
  6. ^ "Briefly told". The Los Angeles Times. 3 February 1975. p. 8 Part 3.
  7. ^ "National". The Los Angeles Times. 13 January 1976. p. 6 Part 3.
  8. ^ "Allied Artists merger". The Los Angeles Times. 6 February 1976. p. 21 Part 3.
  9. ^ a b "Comeback". The Los Angeles Times. 24 March 1985. p. 49.
  10. ^ "Nationa". The Los Angeles Times. 7 February 1978. p. 7 Part 3.
  11. ^ "New subsidiary formed". The Los Angeles Times. 10 July 1978. p. 9 Part 4.
  12. ^ "Allied Artists may seek protection under Chapter 11". The Los Angeles Times. 24 March 1979. p. 11 Part 3.
  13. ^ "Amex suspends Allied Artists". The Los Angeles Times. 27 March 1979. p. 13 Part 3.
  14. ^ "Allied Artists seeks protection under Chapter 11". The Los Angeles Times. 5 April 1979. p. 14 Part 3.
  15. ^ "Lorimary to buy Allied Artists film library". The Los Angeles Times. 8 January 1980. p. 1 Part 4.
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