Saul David

Producer Saul David was behind such popular films as Logan's Run (1976), Fantastic Voyage (1966), and In Like Flint (1967). Before coming to Hollywood, David attended the Rhode Island School of Design on a scholarship he won during an art competition. He was a good artist back then and in 1939, a mural he helped create was hung at the New York World's Fair. During WWII, David worked for Stars and Stripes and was stationed in Europe and North Africa. After the war, David worked for Bantam Books under company leader Oscar Dystel, whom David had met while in Cairo. He proved to have an exceptional talent for promotion and therefore was able to considerably expand Bantam Books' readership. David launched his Hollywood career in 1960 and over the decade held executive positions at Columbia, Warner Bros., and Twentieth Century Fox. His 1960's work as a producer was exclusively for the latter studio. During his tenure at the different studios, David was credited with helping Raquel Welch get discovered and for significantly boosting the careers of Burt Reynolds and James Coburn. David worked at Universal, Rastar, and MGM during the '70s. In 1981, he published his autobiography The Industry. Upon retirement from his executive positions, David became an instructor at the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California. He also helped develop screenplays for Touchstone and Interscope. Saul David passed away on June 7, 1996, following complications from congestive heart failure. He was 74 years old.

~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide