Ray Stark (October 3, 1915 – January 17, 2004) was an Academy Award-nominated American film producer and powerbroker known for his Machiavellian ways.
While putting together the Broadway musical Funny Girl - the highly fictionalized account of the life of his mother-in-law, Fanny Brice - its producer David Merrick took Stark and his wife to see an unknown singer perform at the Bon Soir in Greenwich Village. At first, the Starks balked at using Barbra Streisand, but settled for her when they couldn't get Eydie Gorme or Carol Burnett and their initial choice, Anne Bancroft pulled out.
Stark forced Streisand to sign a four-picture deal with his Rastar Productions in exchange for reprising Brice. They collaborated on The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), The Way We Were (1973) and Funny Lady (1975), but there was obvious bitterness: after Funny Lady wrapped, Streisand gave Stark an antique mirror on which she wrote in lipstick, "Paid in full."
Stark was the power behind the throne at Columbia Pictures in the 1970s and 80s. In 1977, when actor Cliff Robertson started an investigation which revealed that Columbia President David Begelman had forged checks, Stark told Robertson to not press on. Robertson said he would do "what a citizen should do in this situation," and Robertson was blacklisted for two years. The story is detailed in David McClintick's Indecent Exposure: A True Story Of Hollywood And Wall Street.
He received the Irving G. Thalberg award in 1980.
Later in his career, he produced such films Annie and Steel Magnolias, with varying degrees of success.
On his passing in 2004, Ray Stark was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
The producer of the original Broadway production of "Funny Girl" (1964), the film Funny Girl (1968), and its sequel, Funny Lady (1975). In real life, he is the son-in-law of Fanny Brice, the famous Ziegfeld entertainer whose life is depicted in those three shows.
He once acted as Raymond Chandler's agent.
While putting together "Funny Girl," its producer, David Merrick, took Stark and his wife to see an unknown singer perform at the Bon Soir in Greenwich Village. At first, the Starks balked at using Barbra Streisand, but settled for her when they couldn't get Eydie Gormé or Carol Burnett and their initial choice, Anne Bancroft (I), pulled out. Known for his Machiavellian ways, he forced Streisand to sign a 4-picture deal with his Rastar Productions to play Brice in Funny Girl (1968). They collaborated on Owl and the Pussycat, The (1970); Way We Were, The (1973) and Funny Lady (1975). But there was obvious bitterness: after Funny Lady wrapped, Streisand sent Stark an antique mirror on hich she wrote in lipstick, "Paid in full."
In 1977, when actor Cliff Robertson began an investigation which revealed that Columbia president David Begelman had forged checks, Stark warned him that if he pressed onward, Begelman would commit suicide. Robertson said he would do "what a citizen should do in this situation." Begelman was sacked from Columbia but his eventual suicide many years later wasn't connected. Stark made sure Robertson was blacklisted. The story is detailed in David McClintick's book, "Indecent Exposure."
Was nominated for two Tony Awards in 1964: as Best Producer (Musical) as a producer of Best Musical nominee "Funny Girl."
The production company he founded in the 1960s was appropriately named: Rastar - Ra(y)star(k).
