Paul Heller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Heller
Born	Paul M. Heller 25 September 1927 New York, United States
Died	28 December 2020(2020-12-28) (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Film producer
Years active	1953–present

Paul Heller (born September 25, 1927, died December 28, 2020) was an American film producer. He lived in Southern California and was known for making many popular movies. Some of his most famous films include Enter the Dragon, Withnail and I, and My Left Foot. He helped bring many exciting stories to the big screen!

About Paul Heller

Making Movies and TV Shows

Paul Heller started his career as a film producer with the movie David and Lisa. This film was very successful and was nominated for two Oscars. He was also an executive producer for My Left Foot in 1990. This movie won two Oscars for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

Another film he produced, The Eavesdropper, was named Best Film at the Mar del Plata festival. It also received honors at the New York and London Film Festivals. His film Secret Ceremony, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mia Farrow, was nominated for Best Foreign Film in France.

Heller worked as an executive at Warner Bros. There, he helped oversee movies like Skin Game and Dirty Harry.

In 1973, Paul Heller started his own company, Sequoia Pictures, Inc. This company worked with Warner Bros.. Their first movie was Enter the Dragon. This film became very famous and introduced the martial arts star Bruce Lee to people all over the world.

His company, Paul Heller Productions, made other well-known films. These include First Monday in October and the British film Withnail and I. He also produced Falcon's Gold, which was one of the first movies made specifically for cable TV. Later, he produced Pygmalion for Showtime, starring Peter O'Toole.

Paul Heller also produced several TV movies. These include Wait Until Dark in 1982 and a new version of David and Lisa in 1998. The 1998 version was made with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions.

Teaching and Helping Others

Paul Heller loved to teach young people about making movies. The American Film Institute asked him to create a program for their new school in Los Angeles. He had also taught at New York University and Columbia University. He even helped start the Community Film Workshop Council.

Later, he gave lectures and taught master classes at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also led the education committee for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Los Angeles.

Giving Back to the Community

In 1989, Heller started ASK Theatre. This was a group that helped new plays and playwrights. It worked with famous theaters like the Mark Taper Theatre in Los Angeles, The Royal Court Theatre in London, and Lincoln Center in New York.

He was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He also served on the board of directors for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He was part of several other important groups, including the Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation.

In 2010, Paul Heller spoke at the United States Martial Arts Festival. This event was organized by the Koyamada International Foundation. Heller was on the board of directors for the Koyamada Foundation.

Multimedia and Live Shows

Paul Heller was also a leader in creating multimedia and live shows. He produced The New York Experience, which was shown for 16 years at Rockefeller Center. He also created The South Street Venture, a popular attraction in New York City. He helped design the audiovisual exhibits for the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Movies Paul Heller Produced

Films

• David and Lisa (1962)
• Once Upon a Tractor (1965)
• The Eavesdropper (1966)
• The Best of Laurel and Hardy (1967)
• Secret Ceremony (1968)
• Stop (1970)
• Enter the Dragon (1973)
• Black Belt Jones (1974)
• Truck Turner (1974)
• The Ultimate Warrior (1975)
• The Wilby Conspiracy (1975)
• The Barony (1975)
• Dirty Knight's Work (1976)
• Crazy Animals (1976)
• Hot Potato (1976)
• The Pack (1977)
• The Promise (1979)
• First Monday in October (1981)
• Withnail & I (1987)
• My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989)
• Fatal Inheritance (1993)
• The Annihilation of Fish (1999)
• Blood and Steel: Making 'Enter the Dragon (2003)

Television Movies

• Wait Until Dark (1982)
• Falcon's Gold (1982)
• David and Lisa (1998)

Movies Paul Heller Acted In

• Enter the Dragon (1973) as Radio Operator
• The Annihilation of Fish (1999) as Milkman