Joel Freeman(1922-2018)
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Production Manager
From the original Shaft to Love at First Bite, from Camelot to
Soapdish, from top-grossing films to television to the Internet, Joel
Freeman has built a reputation that spans over half a century of
entertainment history.
He was born on June 12, 1922 in Irvington, New Jersey, USA. The son of
Louis Freeman, a baker and inventor, and Frances Schary. His mother
died when he was four and he was raised primarily by his fraternal
grandparents.
He started in Hollywood at 20 at MGM...as a messenger. But after just
six weeks, he was promoted to the Short Subjects department, and then
moved to the Production Planning Office.
But 18 months later, Freeman was drafted and spent three years in the
Air Force - two of them with the First Motion Picture Unit (AAF) where
he was script supervisor and assistant director on some thirty training
films.
The transition back to civilian life was an easy one: he immediately
became an assistant director at RKO. During the next two years, he
alternated between RKO and Selznick, working on films like The Farmer's
Daughter, The Paradine Case, The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer, Mr.
Blandings Builds His Dream House and The Setup. Freeman then returned
to MGM as an assistant director, and eventually as associate producer.
During that time he gained additional experience on some of the
company's top films such as Madame Bovary, Battleground, Bad Day at
Black Rock, Blackboard Jungle, The Tender Trap, Tea & Sympathy and
Something of Value.
As an independent production supervisor, Freeman's feature films
included Lonelyhearts, and he worked on several television series
including The Californians and Highway Patrol. Later, he joined Dore
Schary at Warner Brothers, to do Sunrise at Campobello as production
supervisor and associate producer. That led to The Music Man at the
same studio.
Another opportunity to work with Schary, this time on Act One, brought
Freeman to New York City. He stayed to produce The Reporter, a
television series for CBS's Richelieu Productions, and became head of
program development for the same company.
Freeman was soon called back to California as associate producer and
production supervisor on Warner Brothers' A Big Hand for a Little Lady
and Not With My Wife You Don't! Pleased with Freeman's performance,
Jack Warner asked him to be his associate on Camelot. Upon the film's
very successful completion, Freeman became one of the top three
executives at Warner Brothers, until the studio was sold to Seven Arts.
He was associate producer and production supervisor on Francis Ford
Coppola's second film, Finian's Rainbow when Ken Hyman -- then head of
worldwide production for Warner Brothers/Seven Arts -- asked Freeman to
reactivate and executive produce The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. A
critically acclaimed classic, the film received two Oscar nominations.
Joel Freeman Productions Inc. was founded upon its completion, and
Freeman was signed to a term producing contract at WB/7Arts where he
developed Tom Sawyer, The Musical. Simulataneously, he served as
executive consultant to Ken Hyman until the studio was sold.
Independent again, and moving successfully between features and
television, he produced an ABC Movie of the Week, Weekend of Terror.
Then with Gordon Parks directing, and Isaac Hayes providing an
unforgettable score, Freeman produced the groundbreaking feature Shaft
for MGM. Its success led to a partnership with Fox, with whom he
produced the feature Trouble Man. And that led, in turn, to Fuzz
Brothers, a television pilot created in partnership with MGM/ABC. He
then executive produced It Happened One Christmas for Universal
Television.
His next film, the hilarious Love At First Bite, had the distinction of
being Melvin Simon Productions' biggest success, and one of AIP's two
biggest box-office winners. He produced The Octagon for American
Cinema, executive produced The Kindred for Feldman/Meeker and then
became Senior Vice President, Production for New Century/New Visions
Entertainment for two years until December, 1988. During that tenure he
supervised such films as: The Gate, Russkies, Split Decision and
Rooftops.
Soon afterward, The Completion Bond Company , who had consulted with
Freeman previously, asked him to take over as producer of Next of Kin,
then supervise The Guardian. He co-produced Soapdish for Paramount,
supervised Ricochet, then went trouble-shooting in England on The Power
of One -- the latter two projects for The Completion Bond Company, as
well.
Freeman then became involved in various phases of development and
pre-production of: Love at Second Bite (a sequel), To Have and Have Not
(a remake),Mr. Shaft (a sequel), Someone Could Get Killed, Woof,
Jekyll, Skyjack! Skyjack!, The James Barry Story, Mace, Piper,
Stagecoach Mary, Stick and Ball and Harp.
He spent six months in Lithuania producing 13 hour-long episodes of the
series The New Adventures of Robin Hood. Upon his return he developed
and optioned many screenplays, including Booker; 44 Sunset; Anais: The
Opposite of Innocence; The Fairy Godfather; Shattered Image; Maternal
Instinct; Romantics, Misfits and Fools; Bloodthirsty; Air Med; Marti;
Monte; and Return of the Vin Fiz. He also produced Cover to Cover, a
live show for Hollywood Broadcasting.com.
Freeman was the recipient of the Director's Guild Award for Bad Day at
Black Rock, and the NAACP Image Award as Producer of the Year for
Shaft. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Producers
Guild of America (recipient of the Lifetime Membership Award) and the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In addition he served for
many years on the Board of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.
Soapdish, from top-grossing films to television to the Internet, Joel
Freeman has built a reputation that spans over half a century of
entertainment history.
He was born on June 12, 1922 in Irvington, New Jersey, USA. The son of
Louis Freeman, a baker and inventor, and Frances Schary. His mother
died when he was four and he was raised primarily by his fraternal
grandparents.
He started in Hollywood at 20 at MGM...as a messenger. But after just
six weeks, he was promoted to the Short Subjects department, and then
moved to the Production Planning Office.
But 18 months later, Freeman was drafted and spent three years in the
Air Force - two of them with the First Motion Picture Unit (AAF) where
he was script supervisor and assistant director on some thirty training
films.
The transition back to civilian life was an easy one: he immediately
became an assistant director at RKO. During the next two years, he
alternated between RKO and Selznick, working on films like The Farmer's
Daughter, The Paradine Case, The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer, Mr.
Blandings Builds His Dream House and The Setup. Freeman then returned
to MGM as an assistant director, and eventually as associate producer.
During that time he gained additional experience on some of the
company's top films such as Madame Bovary, Battleground, Bad Day at
Black Rock, Blackboard Jungle, The Tender Trap, Tea & Sympathy and
Something of Value.
As an independent production supervisor, Freeman's feature films
included Lonelyhearts, and he worked on several television series
including The Californians and Highway Patrol. Later, he joined Dore
Schary at Warner Brothers, to do Sunrise at Campobello as production
supervisor and associate producer. That led to The Music Man at the
same studio.
Another opportunity to work with Schary, this time on Act One, brought
Freeman to New York City. He stayed to produce The Reporter, a
television series for CBS's Richelieu Productions, and became head of
program development for the same company.
Freeman was soon called back to California as associate producer and
production supervisor on Warner Brothers' A Big Hand for a Little Lady
and Not With My Wife You Don't! Pleased with Freeman's performance,
Jack Warner asked him to be his associate on Camelot. Upon the film's
very successful completion, Freeman became one of the top three
executives at Warner Brothers, until the studio was sold to Seven Arts.
He was associate producer and production supervisor on Francis Ford
Coppola's second film, Finian's Rainbow when Ken Hyman -- then head of
worldwide production for Warner Brothers/Seven Arts -- asked Freeman to
reactivate and executive produce The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. A
critically acclaimed classic, the film received two Oscar nominations.
Joel Freeman Productions Inc. was founded upon its completion, and
Freeman was signed to a term producing contract at WB/7Arts where he
developed Tom Sawyer, The Musical. Simulataneously, he served as
executive consultant to Ken Hyman until the studio was sold.
Independent again, and moving successfully between features and
television, he produced an ABC Movie of the Week, Weekend of Terror.
Then with Gordon Parks directing, and Isaac Hayes providing an
unforgettable score, Freeman produced the groundbreaking feature Shaft
for MGM. Its success led to a partnership with Fox, with whom he
produced the feature Trouble Man. And that led, in turn, to Fuzz
Brothers, a television pilot created in partnership with MGM/ABC. He
then executive produced It Happened One Christmas for Universal
Television.
His next film, the hilarious Love At First Bite, had the distinction of
being Melvin Simon Productions' biggest success, and one of AIP's two
biggest box-office winners. He produced The Octagon for American
Cinema, executive produced The Kindred for Feldman/Meeker and then
became Senior Vice President, Production for New Century/New Visions
Entertainment for two years until December, 1988. During that tenure he
supervised such films as: The Gate, Russkies, Split Decision and
Rooftops.
Soon afterward, The Completion Bond Company , who had consulted with
Freeman previously, asked him to take over as producer of Next of Kin,
then supervise The Guardian. He co-produced Soapdish for Paramount,
supervised Ricochet, then went trouble-shooting in England on The Power
of One -- the latter two projects for The Completion Bond Company, as
well.
Freeman then became involved in various phases of development and
pre-production of: Love at Second Bite (a sequel), To Have and Have Not
(a remake),Mr. Shaft (a sequel), Someone Could Get Killed, Woof,
Jekyll, Skyjack! Skyjack!, The James Barry Story, Mace, Piper,
Stagecoach Mary, Stick and Ball and Harp.
He spent six months in Lithuania producing 13 hour-long episodes of the
series The New Adventures of Robin Hood. Upon his return he developed
and optioned many screenplays, including Booker; 44 Sunset; Anais: The
Opposite of Innocence; The Fairy Godfather; Shattered Image; Maternal
Instinct; Romantics, Misfits and Fools; Bloodthirsty; Air Med; Marti;
Monte; and Return of the Vin Fiz. He also produced Cover to Cover, a
live show for Hollywood Broadcasting.com.
Freeman was the recipient of the Director's Guild Award for Bad Day at
Black Rock, and the NAACP Image Award as Producer of the Year for
Shaft. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Producers
Guild of America (recipient of the Lifetime Membership Award) and the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In addition he served for
many years on the Board of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.