Harold Hecht (1907–1985) was an Academy Award-winning Hollywood film producer, dance director and film director. He was also a talent agent, a literary agent, a theatrical producer, a theatre director and a Broadway actor. He was a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the Screen Producers Guild."18 Added to Academy", Boxoffice, December 20 1952, p56
During his first stay in Hollywood in the early to mid-1930s, Hecht was one of the leading dance directors in the movie industry, working with the Marx Brothers, Mae West, Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, W.C. Fields, Gary Cooper, Maurice Chevalier and Marion Davies.The Courier Journal, June 23 1933, p25Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, July 1 1933, p5The Wilkes-Barre Record, July 3 1933, p20 In 1947, he co-founded Norma Productions, an independent film production company, with his business partner and managed actor, Burt Lancaster."Newcomer Burt Lancaster Gets Own Outfit For Film", Louella O. Parsons, St. Petersburg Times, Friday, August 1st 1947, p16 From 1954 to 1959, the Norma Productions subsidiary Hecht-Lancaster Productions (later renamed Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions with the addition of James Hill), was the biggest and most important independent production unit in Hollywood."The Struggle for Survival", Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin, September 2 1957, p23"What's With Hecht-Hill-Lancaster?", The Tuscaloosa News, September 24 1959, p5"Burt Lancaster Termed Enigma", The Spokesman Review, May 27 1961, p77 Following the end of the Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions team, Hecht continued as one of the top three independent producers in Hollywood, a position he shared with Stanley Kramer and the Mirisch brothers, for the next ten years."Writer Strike Finds Hollywood", The Bridgeport Post, November 1 1959, p32"Pact Ends Hollywood Writers' Guild Tieup", The Oregon Statesman, November 1 1959, p3"The Hollywood Scene", Eureka Humboldt Standard, March 31 1962, p4
At the 28th Academy Awards ceremony in 1956, Hecht received a Best Picture Oscar for the 1955 Hecht-Lancaster Productions film Marty. He was again nominated three years later at the 31st Academy Awards ceremony for the 1958 Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions film Separate Tables.1959 Oscar Winners The film did not win but Hecht did accept the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in place of Wendy Hiller who could not be present. The Broadway play version of Separate Tables, produced by Hecht-Lancaster Productions, was nominated for the Best Play Award at the 11th Tony Awards ceremony in April 1957"Separate Tables Awards", Internet Broadway Database In November 1959 Hecht was chosen by United States President Dwight Eisenhower to accompany the cultural exchange program committee in a trip to Russia when Marty was selected by the USSR as the first American film to be screened in that country since World War II."Johnston View", Motion Picture Daily, October 6 1959, p13"U.A. Officials to Attend Marty Bow in Russia", Motion Picture Daily, October 22 1959, p2
Fourteen of Hecht's film productions (and an additional three on which he was a choreographer) have won and been nominated for several awards and prizes at various ceremonies and film festivals, including; Academy Awards, Golden Globe Award, British Academy Film Awards, Bodil Awards, Directors Guild of America Award, Writers Guild of America Award, National Board of Review Awards, New York Film Critics Circle Award, Laurel Awards, David di Donatello Award, Bambi Award and the Online Film & Television Association Award; and at the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. Four of the films Harold Hecht worked on have been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States National Film Preservation Board and have been selected for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry; Duck Soup in 1990, Sweet Smell of Success in 1993, Marty in 1994, and She Done Him Wrong in 1996.National Film Preservation Board, List of Films
As dance director or choreographer
Year Film Distribution Company Awards 1931 Chi Chi and Her Papas RKO Radio Pictures 1932 Horse Feathers Paramount Pictures 1932 Lady and Gent Paramount PicturesNominated—Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay 1932 Devil and the Deep Paramount Pictures 1932 Blondie of the Follies Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures 1932 The Big Broadcast Paramount Pictures 1932 Ruby Red Paramount Pictures 1933 She Done Him Wrong Paramount PicturesNational Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films National Film Preservation Board National Film Registry Nominated—Academy Award for Best Picture 1933 A Bedtime Story Paramount Pictures 1933 College Humor Paramount Pictures1933Duck SoupParamount PicturesNational Film Preservation Board National Film Registry 1933 Melody Cruise RKO Radio Pictures 1933 International House Paramount Pictures 1933 Bed of Roses RKO Radio Pictures 1934 Morocco Nights Warner Brothers Pictures 1934 I Like It That Way Universal Pictures 1934 Bottoms Up Fox Film 1934 Glamour Universal Pictures 1934 Hollywood Party Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures 1934 Romance in the Rain Universal Pictures 1935 Gypsy Night Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
As director
Year Film Distribution Company 1935 Gypsy Night Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
As producer Year Film Production company Distribution Company Awards 1948 Kiss the Blood off My Hands Norma Productions / Harold Hecht Productions Universal-International Pictures 1950 The Flame and the Arrow Norma Productions / Frank Ross Productions Warner Brothers Pictures Nominated—Academy Award for Best Dramatic or Comedy Score Nominated—Academy Award for Best Color Cinematography 1951 Ten Tall Men Norma Productions / Halburt Productions Columbia Pictures 1952 The First Time Norma Productions / Halburt Productions Columbia Pictures 1952 The Crimson Pirate Norma Productions Warner Brothers Pictures 1954 His Majesty O'Keefe Norma Productions Warner Brothers Pictures 1954 Apache Hecht-Lancaster Productions / Linden Productions United Artists 1954 Vera Cruz Hecht-Lancaster Productions / Flora Productions United Artists 1955 Marty Hecht-Lancaster Productions / Steven Productions United ArtistsAcademy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress Bodil Award for Best American Film Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Cannes Film Festival OCIC Award Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures National Board of Review Award for Best Film National Board of Review Award for Best Actor National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Drama National Film Preservation Board National Film Registry Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Nominated—Academy Award for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source 1955 The Kentuckian Hecht-Lancaster Productions / James Productions United Artists Nominated—Venice Film Festival Golden Lion 1956 Trapeze Hecht-Lancaster Productions / Joanna Productions / Susan Productions United ArtistsBambi Award for Best Actress - International Berlin International Film Festival Silver Berlin Bear Award for Best Actor Berlin International Film Festival Bronze Berlin Bear Award for Audience Poll Nominated—Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures 1957 The Bachelor Party Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Norma Productions United Artists National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source Nominated—Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or 1957 Sweet Smell of Success Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Norma Productions / Curtleigh Productions United ArtistsBambi Award for Best Actor - International National Film Preservation Board National Film Registry Online Film & Television Association - Film Hall of Fame Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance 1958 Run Silent, Run Deep Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Jeffrey Productions United Artists Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Cinematography - Black and White 1958 Separate Tables Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Clifton Productions United Artists Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actress Golden Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated—Academy Award for Best Picture Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Nominated—Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Nominated—Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Director Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Dramatic Performance Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay Nominated—Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Drama 1959 The Rabbit Trap Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Canon Productions / Anne Productions United Artists Locarno International Film Festival Award for Best Actor 1959 Cry Tough Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Canon Productions / Anne Productions United Artists 1959 The Devil's Disciple Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Films / Brynaprod United Artists Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best British Actor 1959 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Hecht-Hill-Lancaster (Australia) Proprietary Limited United Artists 1959 Take a Giant Step Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Sheila Productions United Artists Locarno International Film Festival Silver Sail Award Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Film Promoting International Understanding Nominated—BAFTA United Nations Award 1960 The Unforgiven Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / James Productions United Artists 1961 The Young Savages Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Contemporary Productions United Artists 1962 Birdman of Alcatraz Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Norma Productions United Artists BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor Golden Laurel Award for Top Drama Golden Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup Award for Best Actor Venice Film Festival San Giorgio Prize Award Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role