Charles FitzSimons
Charles B. FitzSimons
1924-2001
Charles B. FitzSimons, longtime executive director of the Producers Guild of America died on February 14th. The brother of actress Maureen O'Hara, FitzSimons, suffered from complications of Hepatitis-C contracted from a blood transfusion in open-heart surgery.Charles FitzSimons had been Executive Director of the Producers Guild of America Inc. since 1981, retiring in 1999 with a 46-year professional career as a Producer in theatrical motion pictures and television. As executive director of the Producers Guild, his key goal was "to get a fair break for producers so that they would have parity with the other creative professions." Part of his focus was to establish guidelines that would put limits on notoriously easy-to-earn producer credits.
In 1990 Charles received the first Lifetime Honorary Membership Award--now known as the Charles B. FitzSimons Award--for service to the guild. "The guild would not have survived without his support and leadership during his 18 years," said Vance Van Patten, the current executive director. "He was always a colleague, always supporting the producers as brethren and looking out for the higher need of the group."
Charles' educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Legal and Political Science, graduating
Summa cum laude from the National University of Ireland. He has a Barrister-at-Law Degree, summa cum laude - Kings Inns of Court (with the distinction of being the youngest person ever to be admitted to the bar at that time). Charles is also a Graduate in Dramatic Arts - Abbey Theater, Dublin, Ireland. Charles was partnered with the late Abbey Theater playwright, Louis D'Alton, in a theatrical production company presenting Irish drama in London and Glasgow and initiated and supervised theatrical film production by the Associated British Picture Corporation of Louis D'Alton's play "They Got What They Wanted."In 1951 Charles was hired by John Ford, Merian Cooper and Republic Studios to set up, supervise and produce the Irish location shooting of the motion picture "The Quiet Man" and also act as legal representative of that production.
After this successful project Charles was brought to Hollywood by John Ford and Merian C. Cooper as their protégé. During 1952 Charles worked as an actor in a number of Hollywood motion pictures and television series. In 1954 he returned to Ireland to set up, supervise and produce the Irish location shooting of Universal's theatrical feature picture "Captain Lightfoot."
With continued experience in multiple areas of film production, Charles soon was established as a successful producer. He has served as either Executive Producer, Supervising Producer, Associate Producer, or Production Executive in the production of eight theatrical motion pictures, fifteen television motion pictures, fourteen television pilots, 177 television one-hour episodes, and ninety-four television half-hour episodes (please see list at end of biography identifying each production).
Born on May 8, 1924 in Dublin. He was one of 6 children of Marguerita and Charles FitzSimons. His older sisters are Peggy, Maureen and Florrie, with younger sister Margot, and brother James (James and Florrie are now deceased).
1993 Personal Interview with Charles FitzSimons
He was then Executive Director of the Producers Guild of American
with offices in Beverly Hills, CA.PRODUCTION CREDITS:
· 1951 - hired by John Ford and Merian C. Cooper and Republic Studios to set up and supervise Irish location shooting of the theatrical motion picture “The Quiet Man.” Brought to Hollywood by John Ford and Merian C. Cooper as their protégé.
· 1952-53 - worked as an actor in a number of Hollywood motion pictures and television series.
· 1954 - returned to Ireland to set up and supervise the Irish location shooting of Universal's theatrical feature picture "Captain Lightfoot."
· 1955-56 - employed by Edward L. Alperson a his Associate Producer in the development and production of all projects for Edward L. Alperson Productions, National Picture Corp., and Alco Pictures, including the theatrical pictures “Mohawk” (1955), “The Restless Breed” (1956), and “Courage of Black Beauty” (1956) for 20th Century-Fox release.
· 1958-60 - under contract to CBS Television, assigned to special projects including Associate Producer on the pilot project “Men and Women,” Producer of the pilot project “The Baby-Sitter,” and program development of Earl Stanley Gardner's “Lester Leith” and “Cool and Lam,” and Samuel Goldwyn’s “Barbary Coast.”
· 1960 - Producer-Creator of Columbia/Screen Gems pilot “Here Comes Melinda” for CBS.
· 1961 - Producer of Carousel Productions feature picture "The Deadly Companions" for Pathé-America and Warner Bros.
· 1963 - hired by Screen Gems to co-create and co-produce a proposed television series format for Herb Shriner.
· 1964-65 - employed by Merian C. Cooper to co-develop and co-produce projects for theatrical features and television including “The Boilermakers,” and an unproduced pilot script for CBS Television.
· 1965-68 - under contract to Greenway Productions as Assistant to its President, William Dozier, functioning as both Company Executive and Associate Producer to Mr. Dozier on theatrical pictures, and as Assistant Executive Producer to Mr. Dozier on TV pilots and series, including “The Loner” TV series, 1965-66; “Batman” pilot and series,
· 1965-66-67-68 - “Tammy Grimes” pilot and TV series, 1966; “Journey Into Fear” pilot, 1966; “Green Hornet” TV series, 1966-67; “Mrs. Zero” filmed TV presentation, 1967; “Wonder Woman” filmed TV presentation, 1967; “Batman” feature picture, 1966; and “The Big Bounce” feature picture in 1968.
· October 1968 - joined Twentieth Century-Fox Television as Contract Producer. In 1969, was appointed Supervising Production Executive of Twentieth Century-Fox Features for ABC: “Honeymoon With A Stranger,” “Daughter of the Mind,” “The Challenge,” “Along Came a Spider,” and Producer of the pilot for the ABC TV series “Nanny and the Professor.” From 1970 to 1972, Producer of “Nanny and the Professor" TV series (52 episodes).
· 1972, produced the pilot “Oh Nurse” for Twentieth Century-Fox and CBS Television.
· April of 1972, joined Paramount Television as Producer of the “Love American Style” series for ABC through January of 1974 (46 episodes).
· Rejoined Twentieth Century-Fox in August of 1974 as Producer of the ninety minute television feature special “Red Badge of Courage” for NBC and Xerox.
· From January to March, 1975, produced the ninety minute television feature pilot “Conspiracy of Terror” for Lorimar Productions and NBC.
· From April to December, 1975, producer of the one-hour television series “Matte Helm” for Columbia Pictures Television and ABC (13 episodes).
· 1976 - Executive Producer of “The Death of Richie,” a two-hour television movie for Henry Jaffe Enterprises and NBC.
· 1977 - Producer of “Cover Girls,” a ninety-minute television movie pilot for Columbia Pictures Television and NBC.
· 1977-78-79 - Producer for two season of “Wonder Woman,” Warner Bros. One-hour television series for CBS (46 episodes).
· 1978 - Producer of “What’s Up Doc?” pilot for Warner Bros. and NBC
· 1978 - Producer of two-hour television movie musical special, “The New Adventures of Heidi” for NBC.
· 1979 - Producer of the two-hour movie “The Solitary Man” for John Conboy Productions and CBS.
· 1980 - Producer of the one-hour pilot “Ryker” for David Gerber Productions and CBS.
· 1980 - Producer of the two-hour television movie “Children of Divorce” for Marble Arch and NBC.
· 1980-81 - Producer of the two-hour movie special “Elvis and The Beauty Queen” for David Gerber Productions and NBC.
· 1981 - Producer of the one-hour pilot “The Wonderful world of Philip Malley” for David Gerber Productions and CBS
· 1982 - Producer of the two-hour television movie pilot “Maserati and the Brain” for Aaron-Spelling and ABC.
· 1982 - Producer of five one-hour episodes of “Casablanca” for Warner Bros. and NBC.
· 1983 - Producer of eighteen half-hour episodes of "Goodnight Beantown” for Warner Bros. and CBS.
· 1984-85 - took sabbatical
· 1986-87 - Producer of three-hour movie special “Police Story-The Freeway Killings” for Columbia and MGM-UA and NBC.
· 1987 - guest-producer of two episodes “Houston Knights” for Columbia and CBS.
· Executive Director of the Producers Guild of America from 1981 to 1999.
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© June Parker Beck Edited in Consult by: Maureen O'Hara Blair
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