Dawn Steel facts for kids

Dawn Leslie Steel (born August 19, 1946 – died December 20, 1997) was a pioneering American film studio executive and producer. She made history as one of the first women to lead a major Hollywood film studio. She started in merchandising and production, eventually becoming the head of Columbia Pictures in 1987.

Dawn Steel's Early Life and Family

Dawn Steel was born into a Jewish family in the Bronx, New York. Her father, Nathan "Nat" Steel, sold zippers and was a semi-professional weight lifter. He was even known as the "Man of Steel." Her mother, Lillian Steel, was a businesswoman.

Dawn's mother, Lillian, passed away from lung cancer at age 55. Lillian's parents were Polish immigrants. Dawn grew up in Manhattan and Great Neck, New York. She had one brother, Larry Steel.

Both of Dawn's parents had Russian-Jewish backgrounds. When Dawn was nine years old, her father went through a difficult time. Because of this, her mother became the only person supporting the family.

Steel attended the School of Business Administration at Boston University from 1964 to 1965. She left due to financial reasons. She later studied marketing at New York University from 1966 to 1967, but she did not finish her degree.

Dawn Steel's Journey in Film Production

In 1968, Dawn Steel started her career as a sportswriter. She wrote for Major League Baseball Digest and the NFL in New York.

In 1975, she started her own company called Oh Dawn! Inc. This company made fun, new products. One product was toilet paper with a designer logo. The company that owned the logo had a legal issue with Steel. The case was settled out of court.

In 1978, Steel moved to Los Angeles. There, she worked as a consultant for merchandising.

Working at Paramount Pictures

In 1978, Steel sold her share of the Oh Dawn! business. She then joined Paramount Pictures as the Director of Merchandising and Licensing. She helped plan marketing for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. She quickly moved up the ranks.

She became vice president of production in 1980. By 1983, she was the senior vice president of production. She was mentored by Barry Diller, who was the CEO of Paramount at the time.

While at Paramount, Steel strongly supported the movie Flashdance (1983). The huge success of this film helped her become president of production for the studio in 1985. She also oversaw other big movies like Top Gun (1986), Fatal Attraction (1987), and The Accused (1988). Steel was one of the first women to lead a major film production department.

Leading Columbia Pictures

Steel became president of Columbia Pictures in 1987. This made her the first woman to be a studio head. The first film she approved as president was Casualties of War. This movie was considered very brave for its time.

During her time, the studio also released When Harry Met Sally.... This movie was made by another company, Castle Rock. Steel's two years at Columbia were a bit difficult for the studio. She was asked to leave in 1989. Columbia was later sold to Sony Corporation of Japan. She officially resigned on January 8, 1990.

Becoming an Independent Producer

Steel Pictures

In 1990, Steel started her own company called Steel Pictures. She had a deal with The Walt Disney Company. She left Disney in 1993 after making two films. These were Cool Runnings (1993), a comedy about the Jamaican bobsled team, and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Cool Runnings was her first film as a producer for Disney.

Atlas Entertainment

In 1994, Steel created Atlas Entertainment with her husband Charles Roven and Bob Cavallo. They had a deal with Turner Pictures. Her last two films before she passed away were Fallen and City of Angels.

Writing Her Memoir

In 1993, Dawn Steel wrote a book about her life called They Can Kill You But They Can't Eat You. In the book, she shared her experiences at Columbia. She also wrote about finding out she was fired from Paramount after giving birth to her daughter.

Dawn Steel's Lasting Impact

Nora Ephron, a famous writer, wrote about Dawn Steel after she died. Ephron said that Dawn was not just powerful in Hollywood, but she also made sure other women could become powerful too. She hired many women in important roles, like executives, producers, and directors. Many women in powerful positions in Hollywood today are there partly because of Dawn Steel's efforts.

Steel's career at Paramount was even mentioned in the TV show Entourage.

Awards and Recognition

In 1989, Steel received the Women in Film Crystal Award. This award honors women who have helped expand the role of women in the entertainment industry through their hard work and excellent achievements.

Dawn Steel's Personal Life

Dawn Steel's father changed the family name from "Spielberg" before she was born. He chose "Steel" to reflect his weightlifting career.

In 1975, Steel married Ronnie Rothstein, who had been her business partner. She also dated actor Richard Gere in 1975 and director Martin Scorsese in 1983.

In 1985, she married film producer Charles Roven. They had a daughter together in 1987.

Her Passing

In April 1996, at age 49, Dawn Steel was diagnosed with brain cancer. She bravely fought the illness for 20 months. She passed away on December 20, 1997. Her film City of Angels was dedicated to her memory.

Dawn Steel's Film Work

She worked as a producer on these films:

She also worked on this television special:

Dawn Steel's Books

• Steel, Dawn. They Can Kill You but They Can't Eat You: Lessons from the Front. New York: Pocket Books, 1993. ISBN: 978-0-671-73833-4
• Steel, Dawn. They Can Kill You but They Can't Eat You. New York: Simon & Schuster AudioWorks, 1993. Audio book read by the author (cassette format). ISBN: 978-0-671-86555-9.