Harold Hecht

Short Biography

Harold Hecht was born on June 1, 1907 in New York City, New York, USA. He is known for his work on Marty (1955), Separate Tables (1958) and Cat Ballou (1965). He died on May 26, 1985 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.Trivia (5)Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 378-380. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.Married English model-actress Martine Milner on November 2, 1962. She was age 26 he was age 55.At the time of his death, he was working on a sequel to 'The Crimson Pirate', entitled 'Jolly Roger'.Hecht was one of four people sent to the Soviet Union by President Eisenhower in 1959, as part of a cultural exchange program.Aged 16, he became stage assistant to Richard Boleslawski at the American Laboratory Theatre. Subsequently worked as dancer with the Martha Graham Company, then signed as dance director for Busby Berkeley. Choreographed dance routines at RKO, Paramount, MGM and Universal. Worked on and off as a literary agent. In 1947, co-founded one of the first independent production companies with actor Burt Lancaster, Hecht-Lancaster productions. They were later joined by the producer James Hill and the company was renamed Hecht-Hill-Lancaster productions. It was dissolved in 1960 and Hecht continued on as a producer in his own right.