Richard Shepherd (producer)

Dick Shepherd
Born Richard Allen Silberman
(1927-06-04)June 4, 1927
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Died January 14, 2014(2014-01-14) (aged 86)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation Film producer
Spouse(s)
  • Judith Mayer Goetz (m. 1954–1968; divorced)
  • Patricia Shepherd (m. 1979–2014; his death)
Children Scott
Chris
Tony
Victoria

Richard "Dick" Shepherd (born Richard Allen Silberman, June 4, 1927 – January 14, 2014) was an American film producer.[1]

Biography

They pay ballplayers a lot of money for hitting .333; I'd pay anybody a lot of money if they could be right 33.3 percent of the time in this business.

“
”

— Dick Shepherd, on the film industry[2]

Born Richard Allen Silberman in 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri, he attended Stanford University and studied journalism. After graduating, he worked for talent agent Lew Wasserman, selling syndicated TV shows. In the early 1950s, Jews were somewhat ostracized where he worked, and he changed his name to Shepherd, according to his son Scott.[1] During his employment with Wasserman, Shepherd enlisted in the United States Army, writing stories for the Stars and Stripes newspaper in post-World War II Germany.[2] After his service, he would go on to head production at Warner Bros. in 1970 and MGM in 1976, before founding his own agency, the Artists Agency, where he would work into his 70s.[3]

His notable role as producer came with the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. When Paramount Pictures wanted to replace the signature song Moon River, both Shepherd and co-producer Martin Jurow exclaimed "Over our dead bodies!" The song later won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.[2]

Personal life and death

Shepherd was married to Judith Mayer Goetz from 1954 to 1968. They had three children, Scott, Tony, and Victoria. In 1979, Shepherd married Patricia and had a son, Christopher, by her.[2] Shepherd died at his home in Los Angeles, California, in 2014, at the age of 86, from kidney failure.[1]

Filmography

References

  1. 1 2 3 Colker, David (2014-01-15). "Dick Shepherd, one of the producers behind 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' dies at 86". Latimes.com. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Barnes, Mike (January 15, 2014). "Richard Shepherd, Producer of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' Dies at 86". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ Khatchatourian, Maane (January 15, 2014). "Producer Richard Shepherd, Founder of Artists Agency, Dies at 86". Variety. Retrieved January 18, 2014.

External links

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