Charles W. Fries
| Charles W. Fries | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 30, 1928 Cincinnati, Ohio |
Charles W. "Chuck" Fries (b. 1928 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American film producer, television producer, and executive producer who has worked on many TV series, made-for-TV movies, and theatrical films.[1][2]
Charles moved to Los Angeles, California in 1952 and began working for the production and syndication company Ziv Television Programs. He later worked at Screen Gems, Columbia Pictures, Metromedia, and Fries Entertainment. Among the projects he produced are The Amazing Spider-Man television series, which aired in the USA between 1977-1979, the 1980 television miniseries The Martian Chronicles, based on the book by Ray Bradbury, the 1981 television docudrama Bitter Harvest, and the 1989 made-for-TV movies Small Sacrifices and The Neon Empire. For theatrical release, he produced the 1982 film Cat People, the 1986 film Thrashin', and the 1989 film Troop Beverly Hills, which he co-produced with his wife, Ava Ostern Fries.
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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[edit] Early Life
Fries worked for his father's produce company, Charles Fries Produce, while attending Elder High School in Cincinnati. He graduated in 1946 and went on to attend Ohio State University, where he became a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After graduating from Ohio State in 1950, Fries continued to work for his father's produce business until, in 1952, a relative who worked at Ziv Television offered Fries the opportunity to move to California and work for the company.[3]
[edit] Ziv and Screen Gems
Fries began to work for Ziv Television in 1952 at California Studios, which is now known as Raleigh Studios, in Hollywood, California. During his time at Ziv, the company produced shows such as The Cisco Kid, Highway Patrol, and Sea Hunt. In 1960, he was appointed Vice President In Charge of Production for Screen Gems, the Columbia Pictures television arm, and was involved in the production of such series as Naked City, Route 66, Bewitched, and Father Knows Best.
[edit] Columbia and Metromedia
In 1968, Fries became Vice President In Charge of Feature Film Production for Columbia Pictures, where he worked on theatrical films such as Five Easy Pieces with Jack Nicholson.
After two years at Columbia, Fries became Executive Vice President In Charge of Production for Metromedia, where he produced and supervised 26 movies for television and 13 television series, including The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. It was at Metromedia that Fries began to form his reputation as the "godfather" of the television movie.[4]
[edit] Chuck Fries Productions
In 1974, Fries established Chuck Fries Productions, where he produced and/or supervised more than 275 hours of television movies and mini-series.
[edit] References
- ^ "ABC Gets Film Rights - Gilmore's Life". The News and Courier. December 3, 1976. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gQU1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=QU8KAAAAIBAJ&pg=1278,450891&dq=charles+fries&hl=en. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ Marill, Alvin H. (2005-08). Movies made for television, 1964-2004. Scarecrow Press. pp. 110, 135, 159.... ISBN 9780810851740. http://books.google.com/books?id=lEEOAQAAMAAJ. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ Boylson,Monica, "West Sider's move is made for TV," Delhi-Price Hill Press, Cincinnati, OH, May 11, 2011, page B8
- ^ . http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295594/bio. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
