Chris Chesser, the film and documentary producer best known for bringing the iconic baseball comedy Major League to the big screen, has died. He was 74.
Chesser died suddenly Feb. 2 at his Los Angeles home, his brothers, Alan and Steve Chesser, announced. No cause of death was revealed.
As a production executive, Chesser supervised such notable films as The Great Santini (1979), Caddyshack (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Wolfen (1981), Arthur (1981), Sharky’s Machine (1981) and Excalibur (1981).
He supervised production on the British comedy Yellowbeard (1983), starring Graham Chapman, and helped develop Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap (1984) at Embassy Pictures and Sydney Pollack’s Absence of Malice (1981) at Columbia Pictures.
Chesser and Irby Smith produced Paramount’s Major League (1989), which was written and directed by David S. Ward and starred Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and Rene Russo.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his master’s from the American Graduate School of International Management,...
Chesser died suddenly Feb. 2 at his Los Angeles home, his brothers, Alan and Steve Chesser, announced. No cause of death was revealed.
As a production executive, Chesser supervised such notable films as The Great Santini (1979), Caddyshack (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Wolfen (1981), Arthur (1981), Sharky’s Machine (1981) and Excalibur (1981).
He supervised production on the British comedy Yellowbeard (1983), starring Graham Chapman, and helped develop Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap (1984) at Embassy Pictures and Sydney Pollack’s Absence of Malice (1981) at Columbia Pictures.
Chesser and Irby Smith produced Paramount’s Major League (1989), which was written and directed by David S. Ward and starred Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and Rene Russo.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his master’s from the American Graduate School of International Management,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chris Chesser, the independent film and documentary producer whose credits include the hit Charlie Sheen 1989 comedy Major League, died suddenly at his home in Los Angeles on February 2. He was 74.
His death was announced today by his brothers Alan and Steve Chesser. A cause of death was not disclosed.
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Chesser began his film career in New York in 1974 as an executive in international sales for Columbia Pictures. He became General Manager of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 1976.
In 1978 he became executive assistant at the newly formed Orion Pictures to co-founder Mike Medavoy, and from 1980 to 1983 he served as Vice President of Production for Marble Arch Productions and...
His death was announced today by his brothers Alan and Steve Chesser. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Huey "Piano" Smith Dies: New Orleans Rocker Behind 'Rockin' Pneumonia And Boogie Woogie Flu', 'Sea Cruise' Was 89 Related Story Jansen Panettiere Dies: Actor, Brother Of Hayden Panettiere Was 28
Chesser began his film career in New York in 1974 as an executive in international sales for Columbia Pictures. He became General Manager of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 1976.
In 1978 he became executive assistant at the newly formed Orion Pictures to co-founder Mike Medavoy, and from 1980 to 1983 he served as Vice President of Production for Marble Arch Productions and...
- 2/21/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
A nicely executed throwback to traditional family adventure films, with enough action and teen sex appeal to win over a respectable modern audience, "Wild America" has likeable animals and young heartthrobs to spare in a kind of "My Three Sons"-meets-"Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom".
Directed by William Dear ("Angels in the Outfield"), the Warner Bros. wide release stars the dynamic trio of Jonathan Taylor Thomas ("The Adventures of Pinocchio", TV's "Home Improvement"), Devon Sawa ("Casper") and Scott Bairstow ("White Fang 2") as real-life brothers who spend a summer traveling around the country with a 16mm camera.
Budding naturalists in search of endangered species, a legendary cave filled with sleeping bears and an escape from unadventuresome lives in Fort Smith, Ark., the three Stouffer boys -- Marshall Thomas), Mark (Sawa) and Marty (Bairstow) -- are decent but full of mischief. The leader of the group, narratively speaking, is the youngest shutterbug Marshall, who is often the subject of filmed stunts and other pranks by his competitive older bros.
With an amiable voice-over, the episodic scenario penned by playwright David Michael Wieger in his feature debut stays true to the mid-1960s rural south milieu. Barely touching on the political and cultural turmoil of the times, there is little romance, no references to "Star Trek" and no sporting activities except leader Mark and rebel Marty's inventive ways of putting daredevil Marshall in harm's way.
Their parents are sturdy salt-of-the-earth types, with Marty Sr. (Jamie Sheridan) running a carburetor shop and promising would-be flyer Marshall that one day he'll restore a World War II training plane. Dad, of course, wants his oldest to take over the family business someday, but when the trio of amateur filmmakers is given a professional camera they embark on a mission worthy of the ensemble war movies of the era.
Along with the predictable generational friction caused by pursuing a risky dream come such conventional maneuvers as Marshall stowing away and then winning approval from all concerned for the central road journey the brothers take to national parks and relatively far-flung locales. Encounters with gators, moose, snakes, bears, wild horses and a pair of English hippie girls await them.
Including Frances Fisher as the boys' protective but supportive mom, the performances are sturdy throughout, with the headliners achieving a winning chemistry.
A fun running gambit has Thomas' character devising ways to secretly get back at his brothers with befouled toothbrushes and canteens.
Even with co-producer Mark Stouffer on board, the film has a few unbelievable moments, but it's an entertaining and amiably paced tall tale. Evocatively filmed in wide-screen by David Burr ("The Phantom"), the production overall is first-rate. A special merit badge to animal trainer Senia Phillips for the many splendid scenes with tame and threatening creatures.
WILD AMERICA
Warner Bros.
James G. Robinson presents
a Morgan Creek production
in association with the Steve Tisch Company
A William Dear film
Director William Dear
Prodcuers James G. Robinson, Irby Smith,
Mark Stouffer
Writer David Michael Wieger
Executive producers Gary Barber, Steve Tisch,
Bill Todman Jr.
Director of photography David Burr
Production designer Steven Jordan
Editor O. Nicholas Brown
Music Joel McNeely
Costume designer Mary McLeod
Casting Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Marshall Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Mark Devon Sawa
Marty Scott Bairstow
Agnes Frances Fisher
Marty Sr. Jamie Sheridan
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Directed by William Dear ("Angels in the Outfield"), the Warner Bros. wide release stars the dynamic trio of Jonathan Taylor Thomas ("The Adventures of Pinocchio", TV's "Home Improvement"), Devon Sawa ("Casper") and Scott Bairstow ("White Fang 2") as real-life brothers who spend a summer traveling around the country with a 16mm camera.
Budding naturalists in search of endangered species, a legendary cave filled with sleeping bears and an escape from unadventuresome lives in Fort Smith, Ark., the three Stouffer boys -- Marshall Thomas), Mark (Sawa) and Marty (Bairstow) -- are decent but full of mischief. The leader of the group, narratively speaking, is the youngest shutterbug Marshall, who is often the subject of filmed stunts and other pranks by his competitive older bros.
With an amiable voice-over, the episodic scenario penned by playwright David Michael Wieger in his feature debut stays true to the mid-1960s rural south milieu. Barely touching on the political and cultural turmoil of the times, there is little romance, no references to "Star Trek" and no sporting activities except leader Mark and rebel Marty's inventive ways of putting daredevil Marshall in harm's way.
Their parents are sturdy salt-of-the-earth types, with Marty Sr. (Jamie Sheridan) running a carburetor shop and promising would-be flyer Marshall that one day he'll restore a World War II training plane. Dad, of course, wants his oldest to take over the family business someday, but when the trio of amateur filmmakers is given a professional camera they embark on a mission worthy of the ensemble war movies of the era.
Along with the predictable generational friction caused by pursuing a risky dream come such conventional maneuvers as Marshall stowing away and then winning approval from all concerned for the central road journey the brothers take to national parks and relatively far-flung locales. Encounters with gators, moose, snakes, bears, wild horses and a pair of English hippie girls await them.
Including Frances Fisher as the boys' protective but supportive mom, the performances are sturdy throughout, with the headliners achieving a winning chemistry.
A fun running gambit has Thomas' character devising ways to secretly get back at his brothers with befouled toothbrushes and canteens.
Even with co-producer Mark Stouffer on board, the film has a few unbelievable moments, but it's an entertaining and amiably paced tall tale. Evocatively filmed in wide-screen by David Burr ("The Phantom"), the production overall is first-rate. A special merit badge to animal trainer Senia Phillips for the many splendid scenes with tame and threatening creatures.
WILD AMERICA
Warner Bros.
James G. Robinson presents
a Morgan Creek production
in association with the Steve Tisch Company
A William Dear film
Director William Dear
Prodcuers James G. Robinson, Irby Smith,
Mark Stouffer
Writer David Michael Wieger
Executive producers Gary Barber, Steve Tisch,
Bill Todman Jr.
Director of photography David Burr
Production designer Steven Jordan
Editor O. Nicholas Brown
Music Joel McNeely
Costume designer Mary McLeod
Casting Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Marshall Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Mark Devon Sawa
Marty Scott Bairstow
Agnes Frances Fisher
Marty Sr. Jamie Sheridan
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
The first of two feature films about runner Steve Prefontaine to make it across the finish line, Hollywood Pictures' "Prefontaine" is both epic and intimate, not surprising considering the director/ co-writer is Steve James and the cinematographer/co-producer is Peter Gilbert (two-thirds of the team behind the outstanding 1994 documentary "Hoop Dreams").
One of the most profound, questioning sports films in recent years, "Prefontaine" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and opens commercially Friday. Although the film will earn only modest returns theatrically, its reputation should grow with time and prove to be a strong "kicker" in ancillary markets.
The true story of a phenomenal distance runner who watches U.S. Olympian Jim Ryun on TV as a teenager and amuses his parents by predicting he will compete in the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, "Prefontaine" has many documentary-like elements, including the liberal use of footage of the real "Pre" (as he was dubbed by friends and fans) as well as mock interviews with the principal players in his life.
A construction worker's son from Coos Bay, Ore., the cocky, sometimes arrogant lead is played splendidly by Jared Leto ("How to Make an American Quilt" and TV's "My So-Called Life"). A fast, even reckless driver, but otherwise decent and still in love with his high school sweetheart (Laurel Holloman), Pre cruises off to the University of Oregon and runs for coach Bill Bowerman (R. Lee Ermey).
Having set many national high school records, the kid from nowhere betters NCAA marks, although he initially is disappointed by being given the 3-mile race after Bowerman declares his "kick" not strong enough for the more glamorous mile and 1,500-meter events. As the '72 Olympics loom, he meets and falls for a coed runner (Amy Locane) and alienates one of his most talented teammates, discus thrower Mac Wilkins (Brian McGovern).
Flowing smoothly but lacking conventional dramatic punch, the film effectively evokes the 1968-75 time frame, with the filmmakers shooting in Super 16 to complement the archival footage of numerous races, antiwar protests and Munich, including the death of Israeli athletes at the hands of terrorists just before his big event.
Prefontaine's fourth-place finish in a race he brazenly predicted he'd win (at the unheard-of age of 21) against the world's best is the crucial moment. How he rebounds and maintains his amateur status for a planned rematch against Finland's Lasse Viren four years later is the final act in a life cut short sadly in a car wreck. The film makes a strong appeal that his legacy is one of championing the rights of athletes, as much as his underdog spirit and unfulfilled promise as an Olympian.
The supporting cast is terrific. The soundtrack is also a winner, with familiar songs by the Who and Stephen Stills.
PREFONTAINE
Buena Vista
Hollywood Pictures presents
An Irby Smith/Jon Lutz/Mark Doonan production
Director Steve James
Producers Irby Smith, Jon Lutz, Mark Doonan, Peter Gilbert
Writers Steve James, Eugene Corr
Co-producer Shelly Glasser
Director of photography Peter Gilbert
Production designer Carol Winstead Wood
Editor Peter Frank
Music Mason Daring
Costume designer Tom Bronson
Casting Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Steve Prefontaine Jared Leto
Bill Bowerman R. Lee Ermey
Bill Dellinger Ed O'Neill
Pat Tyson Breckin Meyer
Elfriede Prefontaine Lindsay Crouse
Nancy Alleman Amy Locane
Elaine Finley Laurel Holloman
Mac Wilkins Brian McGovern
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
One of the most profound, questioning sports films in recent years, "Prefontaine" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and opens commercially Friday. Although the film will earn only modest returns theatrically, its reputation should grow with time and prove to be a strong "kicker" in ancillary markets.
The true story of a phenomenal distance runner who watches U.S. Olympian Jim Ryun on TV as a teenager and amuses his parents by predicting he will compete in the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, "Prefontaine" has many documentary-like elements, including the liberal use of footage of the real "Pre" (as he was dubbed by friends and fans) as well as mock interviews with the principal players in his life.
A construction worker's son from Coos Bay, Ore., the cocky, sometimes arrogant lead is played splendidly by Jared Leto ("How to Make an American Quilt" and TV's "My So-Called Life"). A fast, even reckless driver, but otherwise decent and still in love with his high school sweetheart (Laurel Holloman), Pre cruises off to the University of Oregon and runs for coach Bill Bowerman (R. Lee Ermey).
Having set many national high school records, the kid from nowhere betters NCAA marks, although he initially is disappointed by being given the 3-mile race after Bowerman declares his "kick" not strong enough for the more glamorous mile and 1,500-meter events. As the '72 Olympics loom, he meets and falls for a coed runner (Amy Locane) and alienates one of his most talented teammates, discus thrower Mac Wilkins (Brian McGovern).
Flowing smoothly but lacking conventional dramatic punch, the film effectively evokes the 1968-75 time frame, with the filmmakers shooting in Super 16 to complement the archival footage of numerous races, antiwar protests and Munich, including the death of Israeli athletes at the hands of terrorists just before his big event.
Prefontaine's fourth-place finish in a race he brazenly predicted he'd win (at the unheard-of age of 21) against the world's best is the crucial moment. How he rebounds and maintains his amateur status for a planned rematch against Finland's Lasse Viren four years later is the final act in a life cut short sadly in a car wreck. The film makes a strong appeal that his legacy is one of championing the rights of athletes, as much as his underdog spirit and unfulfilled promise as an Olympian.
The supporting cast is terrific. The soundtrack is also a winner, with familiar songs by the Who and Stephen Stills.
PREFONTAINE
Buena Vista
Hollywood Pictures presents
An Irby Smith/Jon Lutz/Mark Doonan production
Director Steve James
Producers Irby Smith, Jon Lutz, Mark Doonan, Peter Gilbert
Writers Steve James, Eugene Corr
Co-producer Shelly Glasser
Director of photography Peter Gilbert
Production designer Carol Winstead Wood
Editor Peter Frank
Music Mason Daring
Costume designer Tom Bronson
Casting Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Steve Prefontaine Jared Leto
Bill Bowerman R. Lee Ermey
Bill Dellinger Ed O'Neill
Pat Tyson Breckin Meyer
Elfriede Prefontaine Lindsay Crouse
Nancy Alleman Amy Locane
Elaine Finley Laurel Holloman
Mac Wilkins Brian McGovern
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 1/23/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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