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Ted Kurdyla

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Ted Kurdyla is an American film, television and stage producer.

Kurdyla attended Mater Dei High School.[1]

Career highlights

1980s

Kurdyla began his film career as the location manager for the Brian De Palma film Blow Out, starring John Travolta.[2] The following year, he served as assistant unit production manager on Fighting Back, which starred Tom Skerritt.[3]

In 1984, Kurdyla worked as the production liaison for the New York unit of Once Upon a Time in America, which was directed by Sergio Leone and starred Robert De Niro.[4]

In 1985, Kurdyla served as assistant unit production manager on the Michael Cimino film Year of the Dragon, starring Mickey Rourke.[5] The following year, he was production manager on the Robert Downey Sr. film America.[6] In 1987 he was unit manager on *batteries not included, starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy.[7]

In 1988, Kurdyla was the production manager on the documentary Imagine: John Lennon,[8] assistant unit production manager for Bright Lights, Big City, starring Michael J. Fox,[9] and unit production manager for the Bud Yorkin comedy Arthur 2: On the Rocks, which starred Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli.[10]

Kurdyla was the associate producer of the Walter Hill crime drama Johnny Handsome in 1989, starring Mickey Rourke,[11] and ended the decade with the Chevy Chase comedy Fletch Lives, on which he served as production manager.[12]

1990s

In 1990, Kurdyla was the production manager for the Robin Williams/Tim Robbins comedy Cadillac Man.[13] In 1992 he was the unit production manager for Final Analysis, which starred Richard Gere and Kim Basinger.[14]

In 1993, Kurdyla began producing television programs, serving that year as producer for Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth, starring Kris Kristofferson,[15] then as co-producer for The Cosby Mysteries in 1994.[16]

Also in 1994, Kurdyla produced the television sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, titled The Birds II: Land's End, featuring the star of the original film, Tippi Hedren.[17] In 1996 he produced another television thriller, Twilight Man, which starred Tim Matheson.[18]

Toward the close of the decade, Kurdyla returned to theatrical cinema and served as executive producer for Fallen, starring Denzel Washington (1998),[19] and, in 1999, was co-executive producer of The Confession, starring Ben Kingsley and Alec Baldwin.[20]

2000 to present

The new decade saw Kurdyla continuing his role as executive producer of both film and television, beginning with the war drama Tigerland, directed by Joel Schumacher,[21] and then the Bette Midler/Nathan Lane comedy Isn't She Great,[22] both in 2000.

In 2002, Kurdyla collaborated again with Joel Schumacher, serving as executive producer for Schumacher's Phone Booth, starring Colin Farrell.[23]

From 2003–2005, Kurdyla produced two television mini-series for the USA Network: Helen of Troy (2003)[24] and Spartacus (2004).[25] In 2005, Kurdyla produced and directed World S.U.M.O. Challenge: Battle of the Giants for the ESPN network.[26]

In 2010, Kurdyla entered the world of theater, teaming up with writer/director Charles Messina and serving as executive producer for the staged reading of the Vincent Gogliormella/Messina comedy 'Twas the Night Before a Brooklyn Christmas, which starred Mario Cantone and which was also directed by Messina.[27]

Later that year, Kurdyla executive produced a staged reading of the Messina penned and directed comedy A Room of My Own, starring Ralph Macchio, Cantone, and Gina Ferranti.[28]

In 2012, a play about the life of singer Dion DiMucci, in collaboration with the singer himself, is scheduled to debut in New York City, with Kurdyla serving as executive producer and with Messina signed on as writer and director.[citation needed]

Teaching career

In the 1970s and 'early 80s, Kurdyla taught in the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District, where he directed the district's performing arts program. He took a five-month leave in 1981, in the wake of a suit against the school board, which denied him an administrator position. He did not return to teaching when the leave was up.[29][30] He also had taught in the district's Lloyd Road Middle School.[31]

List of credits

Year Title Type Role Studio
1981 Blow Out Film Location Manager Filmways
1982 Fighting Back Film Assistant Unit Production Manager Paramount
1984 Once Upon a Time in America Film Production Liaison: New York Warner Brothers
1985 Year of the Dragon Film Assistant Unit Production Manager: North America MGM/United Artists
1986 America Film Production Manager ASA Communications, Sony
1987 *batteries not included Film Unit Manager Amblin, Universal
1988 Imagine: John Lennon Film Production Manager Warner Brothers
1988 Bright Lights, Big City Film Assistant Unit Production Manager United Artists
1988 Arthur 2: On the Rocks Film Unit Production Manager: New York Warner Brothers
1989 Johnny Handsome Film Associate Producer Carolco, Tri-Star
1989 Fletch Lives Film Production Manager Universal
1990 Cadillac Man Film Associate Producer Orion Pictures
1992 Final Analysis Film Unit Production Manager Warner Brothers
1993 Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth Television Producer NBC
1994 The Cosby Mysteries Television Co-Producer NBC
1994 The Birds II: Land's End Television Producer Showtime
1996 Twilight Man Television Producer, Unit Production Manager MCA/Universal
1998 Fallen Film Executive Producer Warner Brothers
1999 The Confession Film Co-Executive Producer, Unit Production Manager Conprod Inc., New City Releasing
2000 Tigerland Film Executive Producer 20th Century Fox
2000 Isn't She Great Film Executive Producer, Unit Production Manager, Second Unit Director MCA/Universal
2002 Phone Booth Film Executive Producer, Unit Production Manager 20th Century Fox
2003 Helen of Troy Television Producer Universal/USA Cable Entertainment
2004 Spartacus Television Producer, Unit Production Manager Universal/USA Cable Entertainment
2005 World S.U.M.O. Challenge: Battle of the Giants Television Producer, Director ESPN
2010 'Twas the Night Before a Brooklyn Christmas Theatrical play (staged reading) Executive Producer n/a
2010 A Room of My Own Theatrical play, film (staged reading) Executive Producer n/a
2012 Untitled Dion DiMucci Project Theatrical play, film Executive Producer n/a

References

  1. ^ "Mater Dei to present ‘50 Years of Musicals’ on June 18", The Monmouth Journal, June 13, 2014. Accessed February 3, 2020. "Many talented individuals graced the Mater Dei Prep stage during those years. Returning alumni slated to perform include Grammy- and Emmy-award-winner Trudy Craney; Hollywood producer and director Ted Kurdyla; Broadway, National and World Tour actors Kerrianne Spellman (Les Miserables) and David J.V. Meenan (A Chorus Line, 42nd Street); music legend Joe Rapolla; Hollywood actor and musician Robert McEvilly; director Robert Waldron; musician Robert Marriner; Kathy Smith Logan and Catherine Tarpey."
  2. ^ "Blow Out (1981)". IMDb.com.
  3. ^ "Fighting Back (1982/I)". IMDb.com.
  4. ^ "Once Upon a Time in America (1984)". IMDb.com.
  5. ^ "Year of the Dragon (1985)". IMDb.com.
  6. ^ "America (1986)". IMDb.com.
  7. ^ "*batteries not included (1987)". IMDb.com.
  8. ^ "Imagine: John Lennon (1988)". IMDb.com.
  9. ^ "Bright Lights, Big City (1988)". IMDb.com.
  10. ^ "Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988)". IMDb.com.
  11. ^ "Johnny Handsome (1989)". IMDb.com.
  12. ^ "Fletch Lives (1989)". IMDb.com.
  13. ^ "Cadillac Man (1990)". IMDb.com.
  14. ^ "Final Analysis (1992)". IMDb.com.
  15. ^ "Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth (1993)". IMDb.com.
  16. ^ "The Cosby Mysteries (1994) (TV)". IMDb.com.
  17. ^ "The Birds II: Land's End (1994) (TV)". IMDb.com.
  18. ^ "Twilight Man (1996) (TV)". IMDb.com.
  19. ^ "Fallen (1998)". IMDb.com.
  20. ^ "The Confession (1999)". IMDb.com.
  21. ^ "Tigerland (2000)". IMDb.com.
  22. ^ "Isn't She Great (2000)". IMDb.com.
  23. ^ "Phone Booth (2002)". IMDb.com.
  24. ^ "Helen of Troy (2003) (TV)". IMDb.com.
  25. ^ "Spartacus (2004) (TV)". IMDb.com.
  26. ^ BWW News Desk. "Macchio, Doherty Lead A ROOM OF MY OWN Industry Reading 9/20". BroadwayWorld.com.
  27. ^ Lenzi, Linda (May 12, 2010). "Photo Coverage: 'Twas the Night Before a Brooklyn Christmas' Industry Reading". BroadwayWorld.com.
  28. ^ Lenzi, Linda (September 21, 2010). "Photo Coverage: Cantone, Macchio et al. in A ROOM OF MY OWN". BroadwayWorld.com.
  29. ^ "Kurdyla given 5-month leave". The Independent. 9/2/1981. Retrieved 2013-09-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Kurdyla explains why he quit". The Independent. 1982-09-22. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
  31. ^ Daly, Maureen (1975-02-26). "Students working long and hard to transform Matawan to Camelot". The Independent. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
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