E. Maurice "Buddy" Adler (June 22, 1906 – July 12, 1960) was an American film producer and production head for 20th Century Fox studios.
In 1954, his production of From Here to Eternity won the Academy Award for Best Picture and in 1956, his Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing was nominated for best picture. Adler also produced the 1956 film Bus Stop, starring Marilyn Monroe. He head of Fox when he died in 1960.
Biography
Adler was born in New York City in 1906 (some references have listed his birth year as 1908 or 1909) with "Buddy" as his childhood nickname. His family ran a small chain of department stores and Adler did advertising copy for the chain after he graduated from Pennsylvania Univerity. He wrote the screenplay for the short documentary film Quicker'n a Wink, which won an Oscar in 1940.
During World War II, Adler served in the Signal Corps (1941–1945), ending with the rank of colonel. He was awardeed the Legion of Merit. After the war he returned to MGM as a full producer. However he left that studio in 1946.
In May 1954 Alder moved from Columbia to Fox, where he produced several films.
Head of Fox
In February 1956 Adler was named as Head of Production for 20th Century Fox, replacing Darryl F. Zanuck. Zanuck had quit Fox in part because the studio would not give him a percentage of the profits. Two years into Adler's tenure he was given a nine year contract where he was given a percentage of the profits. His life was insured for $2 million. While at Fox, Adler personally produced 14 films along with running the studio, the last of which was The Inn of Sixth Happiness.
In 1957, he established the Fox Talent School, with a $1 million budget. Actors who had their first starring roles under Adler include Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Tommy Sands, Fabian, Stuart Whitman, Suzy Parker, Joanne Woodward, France Nuyen, May Britt, Bradford Dillman, Tony Randall, Barry Coe, and Diane Varsi.
Under Adler, Fox would release a combination of inhouse production and those from independent producers, notably Daryl F Zanuck, Sam Engel, Robert Lippert and Jerry Wald.
In August 1958 Adler said Fox would make 32 films at a cost of $60 million plus low budget movies made under Robert Lippert's Regal banner for release by Fox.
In August 1959 Adler announced Fox would make 54 films and had 67 people under contract.
In 1960 Adler announced a $65 million program of films, the highest for any studio in the industry.
In 1958 he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.
Death
On June 15, 1960 Adler entered hospital.
On his passing, Variety wrote Adler "had a happy blend of many values capped by a handsome personality."