Allan Carr Biography

(Producer)

Birthday: May 27, 1937 (Gemini)

Born In: Chicago, Illinois, United States

An individual with a knack for visualizing what ticks and what does not, Allan Carr is the producer of notable mainstream movies like ‘Survive’ and ‘Grease’ as well as award winning Broadway plays like ‘La Cage aux Folles’. With the financial success of ‘Survive’, his career was catapulted in Hollywood, and the boy from the suburbs of Chicago, became a millionaire with the success of ‘Grease’. He was also a successful personal manager, with celebrities like Joan Rivers, Ann Margaret, Paul Anka, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing benefiting from his managerial services. He was known as man for organizing lavish parties. One of the parties, he organised, was in an abandoned jail of Los Angeles and the guests were sent subpoenas instead of invitations for the party. After his bypass surgery for weight loss, he went on to organize the most extravagant party in the town. For the two day affair the guests were invited in two clusters named in alphabetical order. His reputation to add a dash of grandeur into things made him the producers’ choice for organizing the ‘61st Academy Awards’. Though the producer is remembered as the pioneer of ‘The Oscar goes to..’ trend. He continued to work for theatre and lost his life after a tenuous battle with cancer
0
Quick Facts

Also Known As: Allan Solomon

Died At Age: 62

T V & Movie Producers American Men

Died on: June 29, 1999

place of death: Beverly Hills, California, United States

Cause of Death: Liver Cancer

City: Chicago, Illinois

U.S. State: Illinois

More Facts

education: Northwestern University

Childhood & Early Life
Born in Chicago, Illinois on May 27th 1937, he was the only child born to his parents, who divorced when the boy reached his early teens. His father was a furniture dealer who made lots of profits through his business.
Allan studied at the ‘Lake Forest College’ and later went to the ‘Northwestern University’. During his time at the ‘Lake Forest College’, Allan took to his calling and went on to start his own theatre. He rented the Civic Theatre and some of the first productions were the Bette Davis and Gary Merrill starrer ‘The world of Carl Sandburg’, ‘Mary Stuart’ - an acclaimed work which was directed by Sir Tyrone Guthrie and Tennessee Williams's play 'Garden District'
He later discontinued his studies to pursue a career in the showbiz industry, which had always fascinated him. He then got his name changed from Allan Solomon to his Allan Carr at around the same time.
Continue Reading Below
Career
The teenager started working at the ‘Chicago Symphony’, lent a hand at his father’s furniture store and also did a stint as a skip tracer in a financial firm, during his teen years.
The showbiz aspirant then took all of his savings and invested a sum of $750 in the ‘Broadway’ show ‘Ziegfeld Follies’, when he was just 18. This show which starred actress Tallulah Bankhead, earned modestly, and was closed before reaching the Broadway.
The showbiz enthusiast next worked for the world-famous adult magazine ‘Playboy’, after being taken under the wings of Hugh Hefner, the publisher of the magazine and a famous business tycoon. Allan helped Hefner with the creation of a television series titled ‘Playboy Penthouse’.
Allan donned the hat of a personal manager in 1966, when he founded the talent management agency ‘Allan Carr Enterprises’. Among the few actors and entertainers in his clientele were Olivia Newton-John, Keir Dullea, Roz Russell, Tony Curtis, Mama Cass Elliott, Marvin Hamlisch, Nancy Walker and ‘Won Ton Ton’, the German Shephard.
This producer was renowned in Hollywood for shaping the career of Ann Margaret, a famous actress and singer of Swedish-American descent. He also produced the 1970 movie ‘C.C. and Company’, featuring her as a fashion journalist.
Carr then worked under producer Robert Stigwood as a marketing and promotion consultant in 1975. The first project he undertook was the movie based on the rock opera named ‘Tommy’, which narrates the story of a boy who is deaf, dumb and blind.
The movie which followed the success of ‘Tommy’ was ‘Survive’ in 1976, which was based on a real life disaster. The Mexican movie was dubbed and re-edited by Carr, and its box-office success brought significant financial gains for him.
In 1977, he was assigned the production of the ad campaign for the dance flick ‘Saturday Night Fever’. The success of the film’s star-studded premiere landed him the production rights for the next ‘Paramount’ production ‘Grease’.
Allan roped in actress Olivia Newton-John, his then client, to play the role of ‘Sandy’ opposite John Travolta in the 1978 movie ‘Grease’. He co-produced this movie and also drafted the screen adaptation of this famous flick, which was based on a musical. The movie went on to become the highest grossing film of the year, a feat which was never achieved previously by an under $100 million movie.
Continue Reading Below
In 1978, he also appeared in the closing season of the famous television crime series ‘Police Woman’. He even worked with Stigwood on the Oscar winning war drama ‘Deer Hunter’, the same year.
‘Can’t Stop the Music’, the 1980 movie which was based on the American disco group ‘Village People’, was produced by Carr. A lavish premiere was organized for the movie in his signature style, but it didn’t fare well financially.
Unfazed by the poor performance of ‘Can’t Stop the Music’, he produced a sequel to his earlier hit ‘Grease’, in 1982. It didn’t achieve the same amount of success as its predecessor.
Turning his attention towards the issue of homosexuality, Carr produced the musical of the play ‘La Cage aux Folles’, in 1983. The play was a huge success, showcased for five years, and even won the ‘Tony Award’ for Best Musical.
In 1984, Allan was involved in the production of two movies, ‘Where the Boys Are’-a comedy and ‘Cloak and Dagger’-a spy adventure movie.
Riding on his reputation for organising pompous shows, Allan was approached by the ‘Academy Award’ ceremony’s producers to orchestrate the ‘61st Academy Awards’ show in 1989. The show, which attempted to unite the stars of past and present and create a visual timeline, was a major disappointment. The nail in the coffin was the 12 minute long presentation of ‘Proud Mary’ by Eileen Bowman – actress of ‘Snow White’ fame and Rob Lowe. This debacle marked the end of Alan’s career in Hollywood.
Returning to ‘Broadway’ in 1989, the producer worked with Freddie Gershon and ‘CBS Records’ on the musical ‘Goya A Life in Song’. The musical was based on the story of artist Francisco Goya.
In 1995 he went on to sponsor the much noted productions ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. The shows earned another ‘Tony Awards’ nomination for Carr.
In 1998, he handled the premiere and launch party for the re-release of the movie ‘Grease’.
Major Works
The 1978 movie ‘Grease’ brought path breaking success to Carr. The movie established his reputation as a film maker in the industry. A highest grosser, the movie earned five ‘Golden Globe’ nominations and went on to win two ‘People’s Choice Awards’.
Awards & Achievements
‘La Cage aux Folles’, Carr’s Production won three ‘Drama Desk Awards’ and six ‘Tony Awards’ in 1984. The show had eight nominations in each of the awards, and won him the ‘Tony Award’ in the ‘Best Musical’ Category.
Personal Life & Legacy
An emotional eater, Allan suffered major problems with his 300 plus pound- body. He underwent a gastric bypass surgery wherein the doctors literally stapled 18 inches of his intestines.
Carr died of Liver Cancer in 1999 at his Beverly Hills home, which he developed after his kidney transplant. The immune suppressants which were administered to avoid rejection of the transplanted organ by his body made him vulnerable to the rapidly spreading cancer. A man known to live life king size, Allan died while organizing a grand party for his friends.
Trivia
The producer won the first annual ‘Golden Raspberry Award’ for the ‘Worst Film’ in 1981, for his movie ‘Can’t Stop the Music’

See the events in life of Allan Carr in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Allan Carr Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/allan-carr-4569.php

People Also Viewed

Tom Cruise Biography
Tom Cruise
(American)
 
Leonardo DiCaprio Biography
Leonardo DiCaprio
(American)
 
Ryan Reynolds Biography
Ryan Reynolds
(American)
 
Sylvester Stallone Biography
Sylvester Stallone
(American)
 
Brad Pitt Biography
Brad Pitt
(American)
 
Mark Wahlberg Biography
Mark Wahlberg
(American)
 
Christopher Nolan Biography
Christopher Nolan
(American, British)
 
Paul Giamatti Biography
Paul Giamatti
(American)