Hollywood Producer Kastner Dies
By WENNFriday, July 2, 2010
American film producer ELLIOT KASTNER has died, aged 80.
He had been battling cancer and passed away on Wednesday (30Jun10) in London, where he had lived and worked for many years. Further details about his illness were not released as WENN went to press.
Kastner began his professional career as a literary agent, and went on to produce films based on novels including Vladimir Nabokov’s Laughter in the Dark and Iris Murdoch’s A Severed Head.
His other film credits included: Harper, starring Paul Newman; World War II drama Where Eagles Dare, starring Richard Burton; and The Missouri Breaks, with Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson.
Kastner made three movies with Brando and five with Burton, including 1977 psychological drama Equus.
However, he is perhaps best-known for his film adaptations of Raymond Chandler’s novels, such as The Long Goodbye (1973), Farewell, My Lovely (1975) and The Big Sleep (1978).
Kastner is survived by a son, Dillon, and a daughter, Milita. He is also survived by three stepsons from his second marriage to Tessa Kennedy.
