Michael Todd

Michael Todd was a flamboyant and innovative American theatrical producer and film producer best known for his development of the widescreen Todd-AO film format and for producing the epic Academy Award-winning film Around the World in 80 Days. His career was marked by a series of high-profile successes and dramatic financial failures, earning him a reputation as a consummate showman. Todd's life was cut short in a tragic aircraft accident in 1958, shortly after his marriage to actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Early life and education

Born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen in Minneapolis to Chaim Goldbogen and Sophie Hellerman, who were Polish Jewish immigrants. His father was a rabbi, and the family, which included nine other children, later moved to Chicago. Todd dropped out of high school and began working in the construction industry, showing an early aptitude for salesmanship and promotion. He adopted the name Michael Todd in the late 1920s as he entered the world of entertainment, initially producing vaudeville shows and burlesque revues in the Midwestern United States.

Career

Todd's career in Broadway theatre began with the 1936 production of The Man from Cairo. He quickly gained fame for his lavish, large-scale productions, including the 1939 musical The Hot Mikado, a swing adaptation of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. After serving in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, he returned to New York City and produced a string of successful plays, such as Up in Central Park and As the Girls Go. In the early 1950s, he turned his attention to film, driven by a desire to combat the growing threat of television. Partnering with American Optical Company, he developed the Todd-AO widescreen process, which debuted with the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!. His greatest achievement was producing, financing, and promoting Around the World in 80 Days, a star-studded CinemaScope epic that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1956. Despite this success, his business ventures were often perilous, leading to multiple declarations of bankruptcy.

Personal life

Todd was married three times. His first marriage was to Bertha Freshman in 1927, with whom he had a son, Michael Todd Jr.; they divorced in 1946. He then married actress Joan Blondell in 1947, a union that ended in divorce in 1950. His most famous marriage was to Elizabeth Taylor in 1957 in Acapulco, Mexico; their lavish wedding and highly publicized romance were constant fodder for the Hollywood press. He was known for his extravagant lifestyle, symbolized by gifts such as Taylor's 29-carat Krupp Diamond. Todd died on March 22, 1958, when his private plane, the Lucky Liz, crashed in the Zuni Mountains near Grants, New Mexico, en route to New York City. He was survived by Taylor, his son, and a daughter from his first marriage.

Filmography

As a film producer, Todd's credits are few but significant, centered on his work with the Todd-AO format and his major cinematic triumph. * Oklahoma! (1955) – Presenter (Todd-AO version) * Around the World in 80 Days (1956) – Producer * The Missouri Traveler (1958) – Executive Producer (released posthumously)

Awards and nominations

Todd's work on Around the World in 80 Days earned the film's production the industry's highest honor. * Won Academy Award for Best Picture (1956) – for Around the World in 80 Days (awarded to the producing company) * Won Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (1956) – for Around the World in 80 Days * Special Academy Honorary Award (1956) – For producing Around the World in 80 Days, presented to Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as representatives. * A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honors his contributions to the motion picture industry.

Category:American film producers Category:American theatrical producers Category:1909 births Category:1958 deaths