Ronald Louis Schwary (May 23, 1944 – July 2, 2020) was an Academy Award winning American producer and director. Films that he was either producer or executive producer include Ordinary People for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture, Havana, Scent of a Woman, Sabrina, Meet Joe Black and Random Hearts.
He also worked as a producer alongside Sidney Pollack in Absence of Malice and in Tootsie, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1983. He received another Academy Award for Best Picture nomination for A Soldier's Story in 1985 as well.
Schwary did not receive a Best Picture nomination for Scent of a Woman in 1992, which was both nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes for best picture, since he was the executive producer and the academy only recognized those credited solely as producers.
Schwary was also the producer of the Rolling Stones documentary Lets Spend the Night Together in 1982. Schwary served as an executive producer on the Barbra Streisand directed film The Mirror Has Two Faces. From 2005 to 2011 he produced the Medium TV series.
Personal life
Schwary was in The Dalles, Oregon, the son of Mitchell Schwary (1903- 1986) who was a real estate broker and Lorraine Ablan. Schwary was of Lebanese descent and both his paternal and maternal grandparents were born in Lebanon. He attended the University of Oregon but transferred to the University of Southern California where he graduated in 1967. At USC, Schwary became friends with actor John Wayne who was a USC alumni who got him a job as a stand-in for Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate. Schwary worked as an assistant director in the 1970s and later as a production manager.
He was married to Emmy-nominated hairstylist Susan Carol Schwary from 1971 to 1994. Both of their sons, Brian and Neil Schwary, work in the film industry. Schwary was married to Karen Feldman from 2009 to 2014.
Schwary died on July 2, 2020 from a rare neurological disease.
Filmography
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
| Year |
Film |
Credit |
Notes |
| 1976 |
Shadow of the Hawk |
Associate producer |
|
| 1978 |
California Suite |
Associate producer |
|
| 1979 |
The Electric Horseman |
Associate producer |
|
| 1980 |
Ordinary People |
|
|
| 1981 |
Absence of Malice |
Executive producer |
|
| 1982 |
Tootsie |
|
Uncredited
|
| 1984 |
A Soldier's Story |
|
|
| 1987 |
Batteries Not Included |
|
|
| 1990 |
Havana |
Executive producer |
|
| 1992 |
Scent of a Woman |
Executive producer |
|
| 1994 |
Cops & Robbersons |
|
|
| 1995 |
Sabrina |
Executive producer |
|
| 1996 |
The Mirror Has Two Faces |
Co-executive producer |
|
| 1998 |
Meet Joe Black |
Executive producer |
|
| 1999 |
Random Hearts |
Executive producer |
Final film as a producer |
- Second unit director or assistant director
| Year |
Film |
Role |
| 1973 |
Save the Tiger |
Second assistant director |
| 1974 |
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry |
Assistant director |
| 1975 |
Breakout |
| Breakheart Pass |
First assistant director |
| 1976 |
Shadow of the Hawk |
Assistant director |
| St. Ives |
| 1978 |
Casey's Shadow |
- Production manager
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1977 |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind |
Unit production manager: Additional scenes - 1980 special version |
Uncredited
|
| 1978 |
The Cheap Detective |
Unit production manager |
|
| California Suite |
Production manager |
|
| 1979 |
The Electric Horseman |
|
| 1980 |
Ordinary People |
Unit production manager |
|
| 1981 |
Absence of Malice |
Production manager |
|
| 1995 |
Sabrina |
|
- As an actor
- Miscellaneous crew
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1967 |
The Graduate |
Dustin Hoffman's stand-in |
Uncredited
|
Television
| Year |
Title |
Credit |
Notes |
| 1987−88 |
Tour of Duty |
|
|
| 1991 |
The Brotherhood |
Executive producer |
Television film |
| 1999−2000 |
Now and Again |
Executive producer |
|
| 2001 |
Fling |
Executive producer |
|
| 2002 |
Jo |
Executive producer |
Television film |
| 2003 |
Partners and Crime |
Executive producer |
Television film |
| 2008 |
The Meant to Be's |
Executive producer |
Television film |
| 2005−11 |
Medium |
Executive producer |
|
- Second unit director or assistant director
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1971 |
Hawaii Five-O |
Second assistant director |
Uncredited
|
| 1973 |
Kung Fu |
Assistant director |
|
| The Blue Knight |
Television film |
| 1974 |
The Stranger Who Looks Like Me |
|
| 1975 |
Barnaby Jones |
|
| Movin' On |
|
| The Entertainer |
First assistant director |
Television film |
| 1976 |
Spencer's Pilots |
Assistant director |
|
| 1977 |
In the Glitter Palace |
Television film |
| 1987−88 |
Tour of Duty |
Second unit director |
|
- As director
| Year |
Title |
| 1988 |
Tour of Duty |
| 1996 |
Sisters |
| 2000 |
Now and Again |
| 2005−09 |
Medium |
- Production manager
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1977 |
In the Glitter Palace |
Unit production manager |
Television film |
| 1991 |
The Brotherhood |
Production manager |
Television film |
- Thanks
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 2021 |
93rd Academy Awards |
In memoriam |
Television special |
