# James Hill (American film producer)

James Hill (August 1, 1916 – January 11, 2001) was an American film producer and screenwriter active from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and came to Hollywood as a writer, working on films and televisions shows for Warner Brothers Pictures and Columbia Broadcasting System. He was eventually teamed with film producer Harold Hecht and actor Burt Lancaster when the pair produced His Majesty O'Keefe for their own film production company, Norma Productions. The movie was filmed in 1952 in the Fiji Islands, but only released in 1954.
In 1953, Hecht and Lancaster formed the imprint Hecht-Lancaster Productions and began producing films for United Artists, hiring Hill as producer for Vera Cruz, The Kentuckian and Trapeze. In early 1956, before Trapeze was released, Lancaster and Hecht announced in a press conference that Hill had been made an equal partner in their film production company; Hecht-Lancaster Productions would be changing name to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions at the start of the next fiscal year in January 1957. From 1954 to 1959, the Norma Productions subsidiaries Hecht-Lancaster Productions and later Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions, were the biggest and most important independent production units in Hollywood.
Hill was the fifth and final husband of actress Rita Hayworth, married from 1958 to 1961. The pair met when Hayworth was filming Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions' Separate Tables. Like Hayworth, he developed Alzheimer's disease. He died in Santa Monica, California in 2001.

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Production company | Distribution company | Role | Awards |
| 1954 | His Majesty O'Keefe | Norma Productions | Warner Brothers Pictures | Screenwriter | |
| 1954 | Vera Cruz | Hecht-Lancaster Productions / Flora Productions | United Artists | Producer | |
| 1955 | The Kentuckian | Hecht-Lancaster Productions / James Productions | United Artists | Producer | Nominated—Venice Film Festival Golden Lion |
| 1956 | Trapeze | Hecht-Lancaster Productions / Joanna Productions / Susan Productions | United Artists | Producer | Bambi Award for Best Actress – International Berlin International Film Festival Silver Berlin Bear Award for Best Actor Berlin International Film Festival Bronze Berlin Bear Award for Audience Poll Nominated—Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures |
| 1957 | The Bachelor Party | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Norma Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source Nominated—Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or |
| 1957 | Sweet Smell of Success | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Norma Productions / Curtleigh Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | Bambi Award for Best Actor – International National Film Preservation Board National Film Registry Online Film & Television Association Award – Film Hall of Fame Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance |
| 1958 | Run Silent, Run Deep | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Jeffrey Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Cinematography – Black and White |
| 1958 | Separate Tables | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Clifton Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actress Golden Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance National Board of Review Award for Top Ten Films New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated—Academy Award for Best Picture Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Nominated—Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Nominated—Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Director Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Dramatic Performance Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay Nominated—Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Drama |
| 1959 | The Rabbit Trap | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Canon Productions / Anne Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | Locarno International Film Festival Award for Best Actor |
| 1959 | Cry Tough | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Canon Productions / Anne Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | |
| 1959 | The Devil's Disciple | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Films / Brynaprod | United Artists | Executive producer | Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best British Actor |
| 1959 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Proprietary Limited | United Artists | Executive producer | |
| 1959 | Take a Giant Step | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / Sheila Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | Locarno International Film Festival Silver Sail Award Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Film Promoting International Understanding Nominated—BAFTA United Nations Award |
| 1959 | Thunder in the Sun | Carrollton Productions | Paramount Pictures | Story writer | |
| 1960 | The Unforgiven | Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions / James Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | |
| 1961 | The Happy Thieves | Hillworth Productions | United Artists | Executive producer | |