Gordon Lawrence

Contents:

• Newspaper article

• Brief encyclopedia sumnnarv

Location: Vertical Flies at B.S. Ricks Memorial

Library of the Yazoo Library Association | 310N. Main Street, Yazoo City, Mississippi 39194

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4C, THE YAZOO HERALD PROFILE EDITION, SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2004

Yazoo's Gordon: legendary Hollywood producerSpanning four decades,

Lawrence Gordon n^smaintained a career as one oithe entertainment industry smost prolific and successfulproducers. He has been behindsuch timeless films as Field ofDreams," which wasnominated for several Oscars,including Best Picture; thelandmark action film "DieHard" and the ultimate buddypicture, "48 Hrs." starringEddie Murphy and Nick Nolte.

Born in Yazoo City, Gordongraduated from TulaneUniversity with a degree inbusiness administration.Upon moving to Los Angelesin the early '60s, he went towork as executive assistant toAaron Spelling at Four StarTelevision and soon became awriter and associate producerof many Spelling shows.He followed with a stint as

head of West Coast talentdevelopment for ABCTelevision and later as anexecutive with Bob BannerAssociates. In 1968, he joinedSam Arkoff and Jim Nicholsonat American InternationalPictures (AIP) as vicepresident in charge of projectdevelopment. He then movedto Screen Gems, the televisiondivision of Columbia Picturesas vice president, where hehelped develop the classictelevision movie, "Brian'sSong," as well as the first"novel for television," theadaptation of Leon Uris' "QBVII."Accepting an offer to become

the first executive in thecompany's history to be incharge of worldwideproduction, Gordon returnedto AIP. His many projectsincluded "Coffy;" "FoxyBrown;" "Hell's i^gels 069;""Wild in the Streets;" JohnMilius' "Dillinger," (for whichGordon also served asexecutive producer); andRalph Bakshi'sgroundbreaking andcontroversial animated hit"Heavy Traffic," which wasamong The New York Times'

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Gordon: Has worked with Eddie Murphy^ Kevintop 10 films of1973.Gordon then formed his own

vprodnction company, Lawrence^Gordon Productions, andhegan a long and successfulassociation with directorWalter Hill. Among the duo'snxe^prable titles are "HardTiates," starring CharlesBrpnson; Briver," withHyan O'Neal and IsabelleAdjani; the cult classic, ̂ 'TheWarriors;" the memorable "48Hours,'* starring Nick Nolteand a then-unlnown EddieMurphy; the rock-and-rollfable "Streets of Fire;""Brewster's Millions," withRichard Pryor and JohnCandy; and "Another 48Hours," which re-paired thecomedic team from theoriginal.Gordon also produced the

comedy hit "The End," starrmgBurt Reynolds, andcollaborated again withReynolds on the box-officesmash, "Hooper." Also duringthis period, he produced thePaul Scluader-penned "RollingThunder," starring WilliamDevane and Tommy Lee Jones;and the movie musical"Xanadu," starring Gene EeUyand Olivia Newton-John.In 1982, Gordon reunited

with his old boss AaronSpelling to create andexecutive produce the long-running ABC television series"Matt iSouston."In 1984, Gordon becaine

presiitent and chief operatingoffieer of Twentieth Centiiry

Fox, where he oversaw suchsuccessful titles as JamesCameron's "Aliens;" James L.Brooks' "Broadcast News;""Commando," starring Arnold

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Douglas, Kathleen Turner andDanny DeVito.AJ^r his Stmt at Fox, he

produced the criticallyaccla^ed, "Lucas," markingthe directorial debut of DavidSeltzer; and "Jumpin' Jack

starring Whoopi^Idberg, which was PennyMarshall's first film as adirectonGordon has also produced for

the stage. For Broadway, hepmduced the musical ''Smile,"with music by Tony, Grammyand Academy Award winnerMarvin Hamlisch and book^d lyrics by Tony andAcademy Award winnerHoward Ashman. Off-Broadwayhe was awarded theprestigious Hrama DeskAward for his' revival pf JoeOrton's "Entertaining Mr.Sloane."In i!987, Gordon produced

the simmier smash "^edator,"starring ArnoldSchwarzehei^er and later, itssequel. And then in 1988, heproduced the summerhlodihuster gjie Hard,'^ whiritintroduiG^' ill^U^ WHfis as* anaction hero and spawned tsyohit sequels as one of cmema'sall-time most suGcessfidiznitated fiiancteises;in 1989^ ̂ produced^ 'Weld

of Dreams," the much belovedfilm starring Kevin Costnerand directed by Phil AldenRobinson. The Universalrelease received severalAcademy Award nominations,including one for Best Picture,and the title itself, field ofdreams, has become part of theAmerican vernacular.Subsequently, he produced

"Family Business," directed bySidney Lumet and starringSean Connery, DustinHoffinan and MatthewBroderick; the comedy hit'^-9" starring James Belusm;"ilie Rocketeer," directed byJoe Johnston, for the WaltDisney Company; and LockUp," starring SylvesterSt^one. i. jIn 1989, Gordon formed

Largo Entertainment with thebacking of JVC EntertainmentInc. of Japan, representing thefirst major Japaneseinvestment ^entertainment mdustiy. As thenomuany's chairman and chief^Twtive officer, he wasresponsible for the productionof such fihns as "Point Break,"starring Patrick Swayze andKeanu Roeves; "UidaivfiilEntry," starring Kurt Ru^efl,Ray Liotta and Madeleine.Stowe; "Used People," starringShirley MacLaine, JessicaTandy, Kathy Bates; MmciaGay Harden, and Marcelo.Mastoianni; and "TimeCop,fstarring Jean-Claude VanDamme. Largo Mso co-

* handled the

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ostner, etc...i jreign distribution of thei cclaimed "Malcolm X,"(irected by Spike Lee andf jarring Denzel Washington.In 1994, Gordon left Largo in

i ivor of a lon^term producingleal wilh Universal Pictures.\X Universal, his first1 reduction was the< Dutroversial Kevin Costnerstarrer "Waterworld," whichlas grossed $275 millionWorldwide.Among the other Lawrence

^rordon Productions are "Thei Jevil's Own," starring: [arrison Ford and Brad Pitt;

critically-acclaimed.ae

Academy Award-nominatedfeoogie Nights," directed by''aul Thomas Anderson andi tatthig Mark Wahlberg, BurtReynolds, Heather Grahami nd Julianne Moore; and'Mysteiy Men," starring Beniltiller.Gordon is still going strong,

in 2001, he produced twomotion pictures that opeued: lumber one at the box office —he summer hit "Tomb Raider,"ftamng Oscar-winneririigalina Jolie, and theacclaimed "K-PAX," starring1 Wo-time Oscar winner KevinIJpacey and four- time Oscar1 lominee Jaff Bridges.7 His most recent release wasfTomb Raider 11," where'Angehma Jpha 'returned (aSiiLs^a Croft in the summer ofioOS Gordon is currentlybroducing "Hellboy," whichleeently completed productionto be released in April

NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Lawrence Gordon Page 1 of2

Encyclopedia > LawrenceGordon

Jump to: navigation, searchLawrence Gordon (born March 25.1936 in Yazoo Citv. Mississippi) is anAmerican producer and motion pictureexecutive. A film producer overseesthe making of movies. ...

Gordon specializes in producing actionoriented films. Some of his most

popular productions include Predator(19871. Die Hard (1988) and Lara Croft:Tomb Raider (2001). This is a list offilm-related events in 2001....

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He served as President of 20th Centurv Fox from 1984 to 1986.

Selected Filmography

Producer:

■ Hellboy

' bara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)• Waterworld (19951 11

■ Another 48 Hrs. (1990) I. BWltSniijFsnilijW- D/e Hard (19881 ^ ̂mg|Hg||||||||||_' Predator (19871 li '- Hrs. (1982)Executive Producer: This is a list of film- learn morerelated events in 2004. ... Categories:Movie stubs | Action films | Adventurefilms I 2001 films | Films based on videogames ... This is a of film-related

... movie posterWaterworld was a 1995 film that wasco-produced by Kevin Costner and directed by Kevin Reynolds. ... This Is a list offilm-related events in 1995. ... Another 48 Hours is a 1990 film, the sequel to 48Hours, starring Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Brion James,Andrew Divoff.and EdORoss.... This is a list of film-related events in 1990. ... Jump to: navigation, searchDie Hard is an action film released in 1988, written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. deSousa, starring Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, William Atherton,directed by John McTiernan. ... See also: 1987 in film, other events of 1988, 1989 infilm, list of years in film. Events Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Topgrossing films Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who FramedRoger Rabbit Coming to America Big, starring Tom Hanks Crocodile Dundee II...Jump to: navigation, search Predator is a 1987 science fiction movie that wasdirected by John McTiernan and released on Friday, June 12.... See also: 1986 infilm, other events of 1987. 1988 in film, list of years in film. // Events May 9 - ActorTom Cruise marries actress Mimi Rogers.... 48 Hours is a 1982 comedy/action filmdirected by Walter Hill, starring Eddie Murphy (in his film debut), Nick Nolte, JamesRemar, David Patrick Kelly. Brion James, and Annette OToole. ... See also: 1981 infilm 1982 1983 in film 1980s in film years in film film// Events January 11 -Production begins on the Star Wars sequel. Return of the Jedi. ...

■ Boogje Nights (1997)Boogie Nights is a 1997 film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.... This

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Lawrence-Gordon 11/19/2008

vfationMaster - Encyclopedia: Lawrence Gordon Page 2 of2

is a list of film-related events in 1997....

External links

* Lawrence Gordon at the Internet Movie DatabaseCategories: 1936 births | People from Mississippi | Film biographical stubs

Results from FactBltes:

An Obituary for Alexander Lawrence GORDON (646 words)

a Gordon's health and enabling him to consult a specialist with reference to his complaint, which at the time wasthought to be a nervous breakdown, but we now understand to have been a growth on the brain.

a Gordon, who is faced with such terrible trouble far away from home, (here will be widespread sympathy, andwe sincerely trust she may have strength to bear her irreparable loss without complete breakdown,

O Gordon, sen. (who are now living in Woodville) and the brothers and sisters of our deceased townsman, wefeel deep sympathy, in which, it is needless to say, the whole community joins.

Lawrence Gordon Bowden (1466 words)

a Buried in the National Cemetery in St. Augustine, FL Lawrence was the oldest of the four children of Georgeand Edith Bowden.

Q Lawrence excelled In sports and was a star football player for Landon High School in the late l930Ds.

O Lawrence had a nickname as all soldiers do of'Cracker^ and at times I bunked next to him at Fort Bliss Texas.

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