Home / Arts and Entertainment / Filmmaker Kenneth Hyman, Who Launched Gordon Parks' Career, Dies at 97
Filmmaker Kenneth Hyman, Who Launched Gordon Parks' Career, Dies at 97
4 Feb
Summary
- Kenneth Hyman, a film producer and executive, has died at the age of 97.
- He gave Gordon Parks the opportunity to direct his first feature film, 'The Learning Tree'.
- Hyman was instrumental in breaking down racial barriers in Hollywood by hiring Parks.
Kenneth Hyman, a distinguished film producer and executive, died recently at the age of 97. He was known for producing Sidney Lumet's 'The Hill' and Robert Aldrich's 'The Dirty Dozen.' Hyman also served as an executive at Warner Bros.-Seven Arts.
Crucially, Hyman gave Gordon Parks the groundbreaking opportunity to direct his first feature film, 'The Learning Tree.' This act defied prevailing prejudices and opened doors for Black filmmakers in major American studios.
Hyman's father, Eliot Hyman, was a pioneer in TV syndication and film financing. Kenneth Hyman himself headed worldwide production for Warner Bros.-Seven Arts after its acquisition of Warner Bros. in 1967.
'The Learning Tree,' released in 1969, was later recognized by the Library of Congress for its cultural significance. Parks went on to direct other successful films under a multi-picture deal with Hyman.
Hyman's career also included leadership roles at MGM and Universal, heading European production, and executive producing Aldrich's 'Emperor of the North.'
