Milton H. Bren
Milton H. Bren | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 14, 1904 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 14, 1979 (aged 75) Orange, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation(s) | movie producer real estate developer |
| Spouse(s) | Marion Newbert (1930-1948; divorced; 2 sons) Claire Trevor (1948-1979; his death) |
| Children | Donald Bren Peter Bren |
| Parent(s) | Harry Bren Sadie Simon |
Milton H. Bren (June 14, 1904 – December 14, 1979) was a Hollywood movie producer and real estate developer.
Biography
Bren was born in Los Angeles in 1904 to a Jewish family,[1] the son of Sadie (née Simon) and Harry Bren. He first worked as a talent agent. In 1937, he accepted a job at Hal Roach Studios as an associate producer[2] where he produced the film Topper, the studio's first feature film, which was wildly successful. In 1938, he was elevated to producer. In March 1939, he accepted a job at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a producer[2] eventually becoming an Executive Vice President.
He later served in the United States Navy during World War II as a lieutenant commander.[3]
Milton Bren later became a real estate developer known for developing part of Sunset Strip.[4]
Select filmography
- Topper (1937) - associate producer
- Merrily We Live (1938) - producer
- Swiss Miss (1938) - production supervisor (uncredited)
- There Goes My Heart (1938) - producer
- Topper Takes a Trip (1938) - producer
- Remember? (1939) - producer
- Wyoming (1940) - producer
- Free and Easy (1941) - producer (uncredited)
- Barnacle Bill (1941) - producer
- Tars and Spars (1946) - producer
- Borderline (1950) - producer and presenter
- Three for Bedroom "C" (1952) - Writer and director
Personal life
In 1930, at age 27, Bren married 18-year-old Marion Newbert who was of partial Irish descent. They divorced in 1948. (Marion Newbert remarried in 1953 to steel business man Earle M. Jorgensen and became a prominent philanthropist.)[1] They had two sons: Donald, who became chairman of the Irvine Company in Newport Beach, California, and Peter, a senior partner with KBS Investors in New York City.[3][5]
In 1948, Bren remarried, to Academy Award-winning actress Claire Trevor; they remained married until his death. Bren's grandson, Steve, is a former Grand Prix racing champion.
Death
Milton Bren died on December 14, 1979, aged 75, in Orange, California from a brain tumor.
References
- ^ a b Ronnie and Nancy: Their Path to the White House--1911 to 1980 By Bob Colacello retrieved January 14, 2012
- ^ a b History of the Hal Roach Studios By Richard Lewis Ward retrieved March 7, 2013
- ^ a b Orange County Register: "Marion Jorgensen, Don Bren's mother, dead at 96" by Jon Lansner; June 20, 2008; retrieved April 13, 2014.
- ^ Los Angeles Times: "Irvine Co. Land Baron to Sell Interest in Properties" by Debora Vrana, March 11, 1996.
- ^ Businessweek: "Peter Milton Bren - Co-Founder, KBS Companies"; retrieved March 7, 2013
External links
- Milton Bren profile, IMDb.com; retrieved March 7, 2013
