Robert Littman

Robert Littman (1938 – January 2001) was an American agent and film executive, who held key positions at MGM and Columbia.^[1][2] According to Filmink magazine "It’s hard to ascertain exactly what the contribution of a studio head is to a movie, but the fact is, while Robert Littman was head of MGM Europe for two years, the studio made some of its best later-period films."^[3]

Biography

Littman was born in London but emigrated to the US in 1959.^[4]

Littman was an agent at William Morris when hired by MGM to head its European operations out of London, starting January 1970. He was 32 years old. One of Littman's first tasks was to oversee the closure of MGM's studios at Boreham Wood and the move to Elstre Studios.^[5]

The first film Littman oversaw at MGM was No Blade of Grass.^[6] In June 1970, MGM and EMI announced they would make four films together, with each company putting in £1 million. The movies were Get Carter, The Go-Between, The Last Run and The Boy Friend.^[7] (The Last Run ended up being made by MGM alone.)"^[8]

Littman also arranged for MGM to make some films in Europe such as Jef a remake of The Gazebo.^[9]

In April 1971, Littman announced that MGM-EMI intended to make two films a year including Trilby and Svengali with Julie Andrews directed by Blake Edwards and a remake of Trader Horn. However these films were not made (a cheaper version of Trader Horn was shot on the MGM backlot in Hollywood).^[10]

He oversaw Sitting Target and Savage Messiah.^[3]

Later career

Littman returned to Los Angeles in May 1972 to become an executive at Columbia. He then returned to being an agent.^[1]

Littman later produced Wicked Stepmother.^[11]