Stanley R. Jaffe, a former Hollywood Wonderkind who became president of Paramount at 29, left just a few years later and became the producer of Oscar-winning films such as “Cramer vs. Cramer,” “Fatal Charm,” and “The Defendants.”
His daughter, Betsy Jaffe, confirmed his death.
Jaffe is known as a practical producer, and his work, the divorce drama of his work in “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979), showed why.
The film is based on a 1977 novel of the same name by Avery Corman, and he bought the rights shortly after it was published. He persuaded the passive Dustin Hoffman to play his father Ted, casting the relatively unknown Meryl Streep and playing his wife Joanna.
The film was a commercial and serious success. Along with the Oscars Best Picture, it won with Best Actor (Mr. Hoffman). The best supporting actress (Mr. Streep); and the best director, the best adapted script (both for Robert Benton).
Jaffe wasn't 40 years old when he won the Academy Award, but he was already a veteran heavyweight in Hollywood.
He made his mark early and independently produced the film version of Philip Ross' novel Goodbye, Columbus (1969). It was a big risk: he borrowed a lot of the money. Ross was not a common name yet (Yahu chose the rights a few weeks before the publication of the author's career production, “Portnoy's Complaints.”). And as a female lead, he casts the unknown Ali McGraw, after which a photographer's assistant is about to infiltrate the acting.
His success in the film acquired Jaffe in 1969 as executive vice president of Paramount. Nine months later, he moved to President and made his 30th birthday, Hollywood's youngest studio head, shy for just a few days.
With most measures, he surpassed expectations for his new role, landing marquee films like Love Story (1970) and The Godfather (1972). However, he soon became restless at the summit.
“I wasn't afraid we wouldn't be able to keep the company up. I was 30 and not sure what you were doing at 50, and I was beginning to feel like I was 50,” he told the New York Times in 1983.
For himself, he produced a series of memorable films, including the comedy The Bad News Bears (1976).
Based on a book that draws inspiration from the Ethan Patz case, Jaffe stepped into the back of the camera to direct the 1983 drama Trace Without a Trace, starring Kate Nelligan and Judd Hirsch about the loss of a New York boy.
The film focuses on the painful family dynamics caused by the boy's loss of failure, and highlighted the throughline in many of Mr. Jaffe's films.
“I'm drawn to the stories of dealing with families and what it's like to be part of that family,” he told The Times.
Stanley Richard Jaffe was born in the Bronx on July 31, 1940, and grew up in New Rochelle, New York, with his father Leo Jaffe being chairman of Columbia Pictures, and his mother Dora (Bressler) Jaffe managed the house.
His father's job brought Stanley to contact Hollywood, but it wasn't enough to make him want to follow in his footsteps.
“My only real contact with what my dad did was that he could get a 16mm print, so every weekend we would show two or three films at home,” he told The Times in 1983. My father's personal life was his personal life, which was separate from his professional life. ”
He studied economics at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and was thinking of becoming a lawyer.
By the time he graduated, those ideas had passed away in 1962 and joined Seven Arts, a Los Angeles production company that merged with Warner Bros. in 1967.
Jaff's first marriage ended with divorce. He married Melinda Long in 1986. With his daughter Betsy, from his first marriage, his wife survived him from his first marriage, just like his son Bobby. son Alex Jaffe and daughter Katie Norris from his second marriage. sister, Marcia Margolwis; Brothers, Ira. and five grandchildren.
In 1983, Jaffe and producer Shelley Lansing founded Jaffe Lansing, which directed a series of successful films, including the drama “Fatal Charm” (1987), starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. “The Defendant” (1988), with Jodie Foster. “Black Rain” (1989), Douglas. “School Ties” (1992), Brendan Fraser and Matt Damon.
Jaffe was set to direct “school bonds” when he was seduced by Paramount as president and chief operating officer of Paramount Communications. In addition to the film division, he oversaw many other properties. Publishers Simon & Schuster. Paramount theme park. Madison Square Garden; Knicks and Ranger sports team.
This time, as a New York-based, and a stubborn fan of his hometown team, Jaffe was particularly proud of his role in managing Paramount's sports properties. He often found courtside or linkside in the yard, and he counted the Rangers' 1994 Stanley Cup victory as a career highlight.
However, later that year, after Viacom acquired Paramount, he was pushed out of his position. He sued when the company blocked its ability to exercise up to $20 million on stock options, but the judge dismissed the case in 1995.
Once again independent, Jaffe made two films about Kenya's conservationists, “I Dreamed of Africa” (2000). “The Four Feathers” (2002) is a war film set in late 19th century Sudan, which makes Heath Ledger a young British officer.
Mr. Huffe was the perfect Hollywood executive, but he felt a deep personal connection to his films and suffered when they didn't go well.
“I'm extremely vulnerable to non-functioning photos because I don't really care,” he told Christian Science Monitor in 1982. That's what I believed. ”
