Joe Pasternak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Pasternak
Pasternak in 1957
Born	József Paszternák September 19, 1901 (1901-09-19) Szilágysomlyó, Austria-Hungary
Died	September 13, 1991 (1991-09-14) (aged 89) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Nationality	American
Occupation	Film producer
Years active	1929–1968
Spouse(s)	Dorothy Darrell (1942–1991) (his death) (4 children)
Parent(s)	Samuel Salamon Israel Alter Saul Pasternak, Rosa Rakhel Janowitz

Joseph Herman Pasternak (born József Paszternák; September 19, 1901 – September 13, 1991) was a famous Hungarian-American film producer in Hollywood. He was known for making many popular musicals during Hollywood's "Golden Age."

Pasternak worked at MGM Studios and helped make stars out of singers like Deanna Durbin, Kathryn Grayson, and Jane Powell. He also produced films for the swimming star Esther Williams. He even produced Judy Garland's last film for MGM, Summer Stock, in 1950, and some early movies for Gene Kelly. Joe Pasternak worked in the film industry for 45 years, from the time of silent movies until the early 1960s.

Joe Pasternak's Life and Career

Early Years and Moving to America

Joe Pasternak was born into a Jewish family in Szilágysomlyó, which was part of Austria-Hungary (today it's Șimleu Silvaniei, Romania). His father was a town clerk, and Joe was one of eleven children.

In 1920, when he was a teenager, Joe moved to the United States. He lived with an uncle in Philadelphia. He worked many different jobs, like punching holes in leather belts in a factory. He also studied acting in New York City.

Starting in Movies: Assistant Director

In 1922, Pasternak got a job as a busboy at Paramount's Astoria studio in New York City. He earned $8 a week. After a year, he became the head waiter and made much more money.

In 1923, he left that job to become an assistant for director Allan Dwan. He started as a fourth assistant and worked his way up to first assistant director. He helped make movies like The Phantom of the Opera (1925) and It's the Old Army Game (1926).

Later, he tried directing a short film. This led to a job at Universal Studios as an assistant director.

Working in Europe: Germany and Hungary

In 1928, Universal Studios sent Joe Pasternak to Europe. He worked as a producer on German-language films for audiences around the world. He produced many movies, often with director William Dieterle or starring Eddie Polo.

When Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, Pasternak moved to Hungary. There, he made several films starring the actress Franciska Gaal. These included Romance in Budapest (1933) and Spring Parade (1934).

Becoming a Star Maker at Universal Hollywood

Pasternak (right) receiving his star on Hollywood Boulevard with Gene Kelly on the left on July 29, 1991.

Universal Studios called Pasternak back to Hollywood and gave him a good contract. He brought director Henry Koster with him. Pasternak wanted to make movies that were fun and entertaining. He famously said, "No one's going to get sick or die in my pictures. That's no form of entertainment."

After seeing her in a short film, Pasternak cast 14-year-old Canadian singer Deanna Durbin in Three Smart Girls (1936). This movie was a huge success and is even said to have saved Universal from going out of business! He made ten films with Durbin in total, including One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) and Mad About Music (1938).

Pasternak also discovered another talented singer, Gloria Jean, who started her own movie series in 1939. He had a big hit with the comedy Western Destry Rides Again (1939), starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. This movie helped make Dietrich a big star again.

He continued to produce many successful films, often switching between his popular female stars. Some of these included It's a Date (1940) with Durbin, A Little Bit of Heaven (1940) with Jean, and Seven Sinners (1940) with Dietrich and John Wayne. In June 1941, Pasternak left Universal due to disagreements with the studio's management.

Producing at MGM Studios

In June 1941, Joe Pasternak joined MGM Studios as a producer. He was paid a lot of money, and the studio's head, Louis B. Mayer, gave him special agreements. Mayer wanted Pasternak to turn young singer Kathryn Grayson into a big star, just like he did with Deanna Durbin. Pasternak became one of the most important people at MGM.

At MGM, he kept making musical films. He started with Seven Sweethearts (1942) starring Grayson and Presenting Lily Mars (1943) with Judy Garland. Both movies did well. He then produced Thousands Cheer (1943) with Grayson and Gene Kelly, which was a huge hit. Other successful films included Two Girls and a Sailor (1944) and Music for Millions (1944).

Pasternak was also responsible for Esther Williams' first major movie, Thrill of a Romance (1945), which made a lot of money. He also produced Anchors Aweigh (1945) with Grayson, Gene Kelly, and Frank Sinatra. While he mostly made musicals, he also produced some romantic comedies like Her Highness and the Bellboy (1945).

Some of his later musicals at MGM included Two Sisters from Boston (1946) and Holiday in Mexico (1946), which introduced Jane Powell to MGM. However, not all films were hits. The Unfinished Dance (1947) lost money.

In 1948, Pasternak had mixed results. Three Daring Daughters (1948) with Powell was popular but lost money. He also tried a drama, Big City (1948), which lost a lot of money. But musicals like On an Island with You (1948) with Esther Williams and A Date with Judy (1948) with Jane Powell and Elizabeth Taylor were popular. However, The Kissing Bandit (1948) with Sinatra and Grayson was a big flop.

Pasternak bounced back with hits like In the Good Old Summertime (1949) with Garland and That Midnight Kiss (1949), which introduced the singer Mario Lanza. In 1950, The Toast of New Orleans and Duchess of Idaho were hits. He produced Judy Garland's last MGM film, Summer Stock (1950), and then had his biggest hit yet with The Great Caruso (1951), another film for Mario Lanza, which made almost $4 million in profit.

He continued to make musicals like Skirts Ahoy! (1952) with Esther Williams and The Merry Widow (1952) with Lana Turner. While some films like Small Town Girl (1953) lost money, Easy to Love (1953) with Williams was another success.

In 1954, The Student Prince was a huge success. However, the movie industry was changing, and musicals became less profitable for MGM. Pasternak had a big hit with a different kind of film, Love Me or Leave Me (1955), starring Doris Day and James Cagney. In 1956, Pasternak wrote a book about his life called Easy the Hard Way. He left MGM in April 1956 after 14 years.

Independent Producer and Later Career

After leaving MGM, Pasternak started his own production company called Euterpe. He first tried to work with Columbia Pictures, but that didn't work out. So, he brought Euterpe back to MGM.

He had immediate success with four hits in a row: the thriller Party Girl (1958), two comedies with David Niven (Ask Any Girl (1959) and Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) with Doris Day), and a popular teen comedy, Where the Boys Are (1960). This last film introduced new young stars like George Hamilton and Connie Francis.

In the 1960s, Pasternak continued to produce a mix of successful and less successful films. He had a hit with the comedy The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963), which starred Glenn Ford and a young Ron Howard. This showed he could still find new talent. He also produced two films for Elvis Presley, Girl Happy (1965) and Spinout (1966), both of which made money.

Pasternak also produced the Academy Awards ceremonies in 1965, 1966, and 1967. In 1966, his work was celebrated with a special event.

Final Years and Legacy

In 1967, Pasternak left MGM and worked with 20th Century Fox. He made only one film for Fox, The Sweet Ride (1968). He had a stroke before filming, and this ended up being his last movie. In 1968, he was also diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

He once said, "I am proud that I have produced 105 pictures and not one of them is adults only." This means all his films were suitable for families. In 1980, he estimated his films had earned $400 million. His career as a film producer lasted 40 years, and he was nominated for two Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He retired in 1968.

Family Life

Joe Pasternak was married to Dorothy Darrell from 1942 until his death. They had four children. His sons include Michael Joseph Pasternak, who became a radio DJ known as Emperor Rosko; Jeff Pasternak, a playwright and songwriter; and Peter Pasternak, who works in the music industry.

Joe Pasternak also wrote a cookbook called Cooking with Love and Paprika in 1966. The book included stories about his life, tips for entertaining, and delicious Hungarian recipes.

Death and Honors

Joe Pasternak passed away in Beverly Hills, California, on September 13, 1991, just six days before his 90th birthday. He died from problems related to Parkinson's disease. He is buried in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

For his important contributions to the movie industry, Joe Pasternak has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1541 N. Vine Street. His autobiography, Easy the Hard Way, was written by David Chandler (writer) and published in 1956.

Selected Films Produced by Joe Pasternak

Images for kids

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  Pasternak in 1957

See also

In Spanish: Joe Pasternak para niños