This article reads like a press release or a news article and may be largely based on routine coverage .(June 2020) |
Bonnie Bruckheimer | |
---|---|
Born | Bonnie Sue Fishman July 26, 1944 New York, U.S. |
Other names | Bonnie Fishman, Bonnie Martell, Bonnie Bruckheimer-Martell |
Alma mater | Far Rockaway High School |
Occupation(s) | Film and television producer, professor, philanthropist |
Years active | 1985–present |
Notable work | Hocus Pocus (1993), Beaches (1988), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) |
Spouse | Eric Martell (m. 1984;div. 1990) |
Children | 2 |
Bonnie Sue Fishman (born July 26, 1944), known professionally as Bonnie Bruckheimer, is an American film and television producer. She has also been known professionally as Bonnie Fishman, Bonnie Martell, and Bonnie Bruckheimer-Martell. She has been nominated for 2 Emmy Awards. In 1985, she and Bette Midler formed their own production company, All Girl Productions, and were producing partners until 2002.
Some of her best-known films include Hocus Pocus , Beaches and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood . Her films have been produced by Disney and Universal, while her TV specials and sitcom were produced by HBO and CBS Television Studios.
Bruckheimer was born in New York, the daughter of Hyman and Roslyn Fishman, both of Jewish descent. She is the second oldest of 4 children: Blossom, Bonnie, Bettiann and Robert. She attended Far Rockaway High School in Far Rockaway, NY and graduated from the class of 1962. [1]
While in New York, she was married to Jerry Bruckheimer who went on to become producer of many films and other projects. [2] [3] Their marriage lasted from 1969 to 1974.
She worked as a producer's assistant on Night Moves (1975) and Blue Collar (1978) [4] and then went on to be Aaron Russo's assistant on The Rose in 1979. This was when she met Bette Midler and then went on to be Midler's personal and professional assistant. [5]
She continued to assist Bette Midler during Jinxed! (1982), the film that nearly destroyed Midler's career. [6] Bruckheimer also worked with Midler in other aspects of her career, like her already-successful music career—including concert tours like Bette Midler No Frills (1983) which was televised on Cinemax. [7] Bruckheimer worked as an associate producer on that production. They collaborated so well that the two decided to go into business together as producing partners and formed All Girl Productions. [8] Bruckheimer was president of the production company from 1985 till 2002.
In 1985, Bonnie Bruckheimer and Bette Midler, along with Margaret Jennings South, formed All Girl Productions at the suggestion of Disney’s top executives Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg. [9] Bruckheimer and Midler named their production company All Girl Productions as an ironic play on the politically incorrect term for women. [9] Bruckheimer had come up with their business motto: "We hold a grudge." [10] After producing Beaches , South left the company in 1990. [11]
Bruckheimer is a leading pioneer for women in the contemporary film industry. [12] With the creation of her production company, the initial path was laid for more female executive opportunities in Hollywood. [13] All Girl Productions produced movies that resuscitated Midler's film career with Big Business co-starring Lily Tomlin and Beaches co-starring Barbara Hershey. The long-lasting success of Beaches included the number 1 Billboard hit and Grammy-winning song “Wind Beneath My Wings.” The film is considered one of the greatest chick flicks on many critics' lists. [14]
Following the success of Beaches , Bruckheimer co-produced Stella (1990), co-starring John Goodman, and produced For the Boys , a film that earned Midler a Golden Globe Award and her second Academy Award nomination. [15]
In 1993, Bruckheimer co-produced the family-friendly Halloween-themed film Hocus Pocus which continues to air annually on Disney Channel after earning itself a cult following. [16] That same year, she was the executive producer on the made-for-television movie Gypsy , an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical of the same name about the iconic Gypsy Rose Lee. Bruckheimer earned an Emmy nomination for Gypsy . The movie was also nominated for several Golden Globe Awards that year.
Bruckheimer later produced Man of the House (1995), starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Chevy Chase, and Farrah Fawcett. This was the final production that Bruckheimer would have with Disney studios. She and Midler consequently took their production company to Universal Studios where Bruckheimer produced That Old Feeling (1997), a starring vehicle for Midler along with Dennis Farina. [9]
While Midler continued with her music career, Bruckheimer was executive producer on the televised special Bette Midler in Concert: Diva Las Vegas (1997) for HBO, which earned Midler an Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. [17]
After leaving Universal Studios, Bruckheimer and Midler took All Girl Productions to Sony Tri-Star that included a television deal. [18] It was from this new deal that led to Midler's first-ever sitcom, aptly titled Bette (2000-2001) which earned her another Golden Globe nomination. Both Bruckheimer and Midler were executive producers on the show created by Jeffrey Lane. Lindsay Lohan played Midler's daughter in the pilot but was replaced with Marina Malota for the rest of the series. The series focused on Midler and the hijinks she experienced with people based on her family and business associates. The character that was based on Bruckheimer was named "Connie" (which rhymed with Bonnie), played by Joanna Gleason. [19] 18 total episodes were produced but only 16 episodes aired before CBS canceled the show. [20] It was after the show had been canceled that Bruckheimer and Midler decided to end their partnership and closed the doors on their production company All Girl Productions. [21]
There was one last project that All Girl Productions was yet to complete: the film adaptation of Rebecca Wells' Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), starring Sandra Bullock, Ashley Judd and Ellen Burstyn. Bruckheimer's last production was a critical hit, which was directed by Callie Khouri. [22]
In 2018, she was given the inaugural Vision Award by the Set Decorators Society of America International for her film and television work. [23]
With her experience and successes in the industry, she started teaching a course on women in the entertainment industry at USC's School of Cinematic Arts in 2011 where she has served as an adjunct professor ever since. [24] [12] She often brings in women who work in the industry to share their experiences about working in different fields. [25]
"Many lessons from Jeffrey [Katzenberg] keep coming to mind as I teach my USC class. However, the one that stands out, when I first started producing, was 'Everyone passes on everything,'" she said. "He taught me that if you believe in a project, don’t second guess yourself just because a writer or director turns it down." What Bruckheimer has found to have more meaning outside of Hollywood, however, is serving as a volunteer grief counselor at Our House (2008–present). [26] "Helping teens cope with the death of a parent is the most gratifying work I’ve ever done," she said. [27] Bruckheimer continues to speak at various events and benefits to encourage the empowerment of women in the film industry. [12] She has also been outspoken in Hollywood about ageism in the industry. [28]
Since the 1990s, Bruckheimer has lived in a 1936 Spanish-style house in Valley Village, CA once owned by Fleetwood Mac's John McVie. She has parlayed her unique decorative style that she used in her own home into a new career as a sales executive for Vesta Home Staging. [29]
"Handsome," What Was I Thinking?: 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories, edited by Barbara Davilman & Liz Dubelman (St. Martin's Press, 1999), ISBN 978-0312384722. [37]
Bette Midler is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden Globe Awards, three Grammy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Kennedy Center Honor, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award.
Kathy Ann Najimy is an American actress and activist. She was first nationally known for her feminist play The Kathy and Mo Show, which she wrote and performed with Mo Gaffney. On film, she is best known for her roles in Soapdish (1991), Sister Act (1992) and its sequel (1993), Hocus Pocus (1993) and its sequel (2022), Hope Floats (1998), The Wedding Planner (2001), Rat Race (2001), WALL-E (2008), Step Up 3D (2010), The Guilt Trip (2012), Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (2013), A Christmas Melody (2015), Dumplin' (2018), Music (2021), and Single All the Way (2021). On television, she is best known for her portrayal of Olive Massery on the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet (1997–2000) and for voicing Peggy Hill on the animated television series King of the Hill (1997–2010).
Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American fantasy comedy film directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, and a story by David Kirschner and Garris. It follows a villainous comedic trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night.
The First Wives Club is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. The film stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as three divorcées who seek retribution on their ex-husbands for having left them for younger women. The supporting cast comprises Stockard Channing as Cynthia; Dan Hedaya, Victor Garber, and Stephen Collins as the three leads' ex-husbands; and Sarah Jessica Parker, Elizabeth Berkley, and Marcia Gay Harden as their respective lovers. Supporting roles are played by Maggie Smith, Bronson Pinchot, Rob Reiner, Eileen Heckart, Philip Bosco, and Timothy Olyphant in his feature film debut; cameo appearances include Gloria Steinem, Ed Koch, Kathie Lee Gifford, and Ivana Trump.
Hocus-pocus is an exclamation used by magicians, usually the magic words spoken when bringing about some sort of change.
No Frills is the sixth studio album by American singer Bette Midler, released on Atlantic Records in 1983. No Frills was Midler's first studio album in four years, following the films The Rose, Divine Madness! and Jinxed!. The rock and new wave-influenced album was produced by Chuck Plotkin, best known for his work with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, and included three single releases; the ballad "All I Need to Know", a cover of Marshall Crenshaw's "You're My Favorite Waste of Time" and Midler's take on the Rolling Stones song "Beast of Burden".
Mud Will Be Flung Tonight! is the third live and first comedy album by American singer and actress Bette Midler, released in December 1985, by Atlantic Records.
Bette of Roses is the eighth studio album by the American singer Bette Midler. It was released by Atlantic Records on July 18, 1995, in the United States. The title was a play on the title of one of the tracks, "Bed of Roses". It became Midler's final album for the label, twenty-three years after the release of her debut album The Divine Miss M, since she was transferred to Atlantic's sister label Warner Bros. Records for her next two albums, then left the Warner group completely in 2002 when she signed with the Sony-owned Columbia Records.
Mick Garris is an American filmmaker, screenwriter and novelist born in Santa Monica, California. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, as well as making Stephen King adaptations.
Anne Fletcher is an American choreographer, film director, dancer and actress. She directed the films Step Up (2006), 27 Dresses (2008), The Proposal (2009), The Guilt Trip (2012), Hot Pursuit (2015), Dumplin' (2018), and Hocus Pocus 2 (2022).
The Best of Bette is the first compilation album by American female vocalist Bette Midler, released in 1978. This greatest hits album was issued in the UK, Continental Europe, Scandinavia and Australia to coincide with Midler's first world tour. Later editions released in 1979 also came with a free poster promoting her then upcoming movie The Rose. The Best of Bette, confusingly released with near identical cover art to 1973's Bette Midler, featured songs from Midler's first four studio albums with the addition of one track from 1977's Live at Last, the studio recording "You're Moving Out Today". The version included on The Best of Bette is the rare single mix which features an extra verse that is not found on the Live at Last album or on many of the single releases worldwide.
Gypsy is the soundtrack to the 1993 television adaptation of Gypsy. It was released by Atlantic Records on November 23, 1993, in the United States. Based on the autobiography of Gypsy Rose Lee and the 1959 musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable, written by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, it depicts the life and times of a burlesque stripper and her domineering mother, starring Bette Midler as Mama Rose.
Diva Las Vegas was a show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas starring Bette Midler performing as singer and comedian. The one-time performance was filmed for television; HBO released it as a TV special originally broadcast on 18 January 1997 and repeated on 2 February 1997. Midler won the 1997 Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for the special.
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both screen and stage. Her accolades include six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.
Gypsy is a 1993 American made-for-television biographical musical comedy-drama film directed by Emile Ardolino. The teleplay by Arthur Laurents is an adaptation of his book of the 1959 stage musical Gypsy, which was based on the 1957 autobiography Gypsy: A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee.
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American actress and television producer who has been acting in film, television and theater since the 1970s. She is known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City (1998–2004), for which she won two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. The character was widely popular during the airing of the series and was later recognized as one of the greatest female characters in American television. She later reprised the role in films Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010), as well as the television show And Just Like That... (2021–present).
Leigh Hamilton was a New Zealand-born American actress and art gallery owner.
Hocus Pocus 2 is a 2022 American fantasy comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Jen D'Angelo and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus and the second installment in the Hocus Pocus franchise. The film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones reprising their roles. Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, and Hannah Waddingham join the cast.
Hocus Pocus 2 (Original Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2022 fantasy comedy film Hocus Pocus 2; a sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus. John Debney, who scored for the first film, returned for the sequel in October 2021. The album consisted of 28 tracks: two original songs, seven adapted songs and Debney's score containing the remainder of it. It was digitally released by Walt Disney Records on September 30, 2022 (the same day on the film's Disney+ release), and was followed by a physical release on November 11.
Hocus Pocus is an American media franchise consisting of two films, a sequel novelization, and other Disney media and merchandise. The series was created by David Kirschner and Mick Garris.
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