Lawrence Gordon (producer)
Lawrence Gordon (born March 25, 1936) is an American producer and motion picture executive.[1] He specializes in producing action-oriented films and other genres. Some of his most popular productions include Predator (1987), Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990), Predator 2 (1990), Point Break (1991), Boogie Nights (1997) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001).
Lawrence Gordon | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupation | Producer, executive |
Years active | 1975–present |
Children | 3 |
Life and career
Gordon was raised in a Jewish family[2] in Belzoni, Mississippi. He graduated from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana. He has enjoyed a long career in film. After moving to Los Angeles he began his career working for Aaron Spelling. He quickly moved up the ranks and began co-producing for Spelling and in the early 1980s created the TV series Matt Houston.
In the 1970s he was a key executive at American International Pictures.[3]
He served as President of 20th Century Fox from 1984 to 1986.[4]
In 1989, he produced Field of Dreams, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. He subsequently formed Largo Entertainment which was backed by the Japanese company JVC.[5] This was revolutionary as it was the first time a Japanese company had seriously invested in a film enterprise. Under the Largo Entertainment banner, Gordon produced Point Break (1991), Mulholland Falls (1996), G.I. Jane (1997), and 23 other films.
In 1994, he left Largo. Gordon Company was split up into two companies Golar, in tandem with the Lawrence Gordon Productions shingle headed by Lawrence Gordon, and Daybreak Productions, headed up by Charles Gordon over the late 1990s.
Gordon also had an independent production deal with Universal Pictures under the shingle Lawrence Gordon Productions. Under Lawrence Gordon Productions, he produced Jumpin' Jack Flash, Boogie Nights, Mystery Men, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider franchise, the Hellboy franchise and Watchmen.
Gordon has been credited with giving some of the most prolific producers their start in entertainment such as Joel Silver, Scott Rudin, Amy Pascal, and James L. Brooks.
He has three children including filmmaker and musician, George Joseph Gordon, who is married to the sister of the late Wall Street Journal columnist Michael J. Ybarra.[6]
Selected filmography
All films, he was producer unless otherwise noted.
Film
Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1973 | Dillinger | Executive producer | |
1975 | Hard Times | ||
1977 | Rolling Thunder | Executive producer | |
1978 | The End | ||
The Driver | |||
Hooper | Executive producer | ||
1979 | The Warriors | ||
1980 | Xanadu | ||
1981 | Paternity | ||
1982 | Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again | ||
48 Hrs. | |||
1984 | Streets of Fire | ||
1985 | Brewster's Millions | ||
1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | ||
1987 | Predator | ||
1988 | The Couch Trip | ||
The Wrong Guys | Executive producer | ||
Die Hard | |||
1989 | Leviathan | Executive producer | |
Field of Dreams | |||
K-9 | |||
Lock Up | |||
Family Business | |||
1990 | Another 48 Hrs. | ||
Die Hard 2 | |||
Predator 2 | |||
1991 | The Rocketeer | ||
1995 | Waterworld | ||
1997 | The Devil's Own | ||
Event Horizon | |||
Boogie Nights | Executive producer | ||
1999 | Mystery Men | ||
K-911 | Executive producer | Direct-to-video | |
Thieves | |||
2001 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | ||
K-PAX | |||
2002 | K-9: P.I. | Executive producer | Direct-to-video |
2003 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life | ||
2004 | Hellboy | ||
2008 | Hellboy II: The Golden Army | ||
2009 | Watchmen | ||
2019 | Hellboy |
- Miscellaneous crew
Year | Film | Notes |
---|---|---|
1991 | Point Break | President: Largo Entertainment |
1992 | Back in the USSR | |
Unlawful Entry | ||
Dr. Giggles | ||
Used People | President: Largo Entertainment Presenter | |
1994 | Timecop | President: Largo Entertainment |
1995 | Waterworld | Presenter |
1997 | The Devil's Own | |
Event Horizon | ||
1999 | Mystery Men |
Television
Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1975 | The Missing Are Deadly | Executive producer | Television film |
Home Cookin' | Executive producer | Television film | |
1977 | Dog and Cat | Executive producer | |
Executive producer | Television film | ||
1978 | Lacy and the Mississippi Queen | Executive producer | Television film |
1980 | Stunts Unlimited | Executive producer | Television film |
1982 | The Renegades | Executive producer | Television film |
1983 | Executive producer | ||
Just Our Luck | Executive producer | ||
Lone Star | Executive producer | Television film | |
1984 | The Streets | Executive producer | Television film |
1982−84 | Matt Houston | Executive producer | |
1985 | Our Family Honor | Executive producer | |
1997 | Timecop | Executive producer | |
2006 | Hellboy: Sword of Storms | Executive producer | Television film |
2007 | Hellboy: Blood and Iron | Executive producer | Television film |
2019 | Watchmen | Consulting producer | |
TBA | The Warriors |
- As writer
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1982 | The Renegades | Television film |
1983 | ||
1982−84 | Matt Houston |
References
- The New York Times
- Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life: "Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities – Belzoni, Mississippi" retrieved October 25, 2017
- Taylor, Clarke (Oct 8, 1978). "Larry Gordon Rolls His Dice". Los Angeles Times. p. n35.
- "New York Times Biography". New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/13/business/company-news-chief-quits-film-venture-financed-by-japanese.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/07/business/media/michael-j-ybarra-author-and-extreme-sports-reporter-is-dead-at-45.html