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Producer John Daly dies aged 71 after fight against cancer

John Daly, the British-born producer of 13 Oscar-winning movies, including Platoon and The Last Emperor, who helped launch the careers of many A-list directors and actors, has died. He was 71.

Daly, who was chairman of Film and Music Entertainment, died in his sleep on Friday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after struggling with cancer, his daughter Jenny Daly said.

Over a career that spanned four decades, Daly’s companies produced films that earned 13 Oscars for Best Picture and 21 Oscar nominations, as well as numerous Golden Globes and other awards.

SEMINAL DIRECTORS

Daly’s companies boosted the career starts of seminal directors such as Oliver Stone (Platoon, Salvador), Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor) and Robert Altman (Images), as well as actors Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves and Julia Roberts.

“John was truly a giant in the industry who changed film making for the better,” said Lawrence Lotman, chief financial officer and acting chief executive of Film and Music Entertainment in a statement.

LONDON BOY

Born in London, Daly started in show business in 1967 when he joined with British actor David Hemmings to form Hemdale, a company that managed rock bands such as Yes and Black Sabbath.

Hemdale later became a leading independent film producer and distributor in Britain, with movies such as Tommy, a biography issued by Film and Music Entertainment said.

Under Daly’s stewardship, Hemdale produced more than 100 films that grossed more than US$1.5 billion.

NUMEROUS AWARDS

Since 2003, Daly had been at the helm of Film and Music Entertainment. In 2004, he produced, co-wrote and directed The Aryan Couple, starring Martin Landau, which received numerous awards at film festivals around the world.

He is survived by three sons — Michael, Julian and Timothy — and his daughter.
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