R.I.P. Hank Moonjean
He was not on the list.
Oscar-nominated producer Hank Moonjean passed away today at his home in the Hollywood Hills after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 82. Among the most well-liked people in Hollywood, Moonjean’s career started in 1955 as an uncredited assistant director on Blackboard Jungle. He went on to be an assistant director on such films as Cool Hand Luke and The Odd Couple. He also was associate producer on 1974’s The Great Gatsby. Moonjean went on to be a producer on Hal Needham-directed Burt Reynolds films like 1978’s Hooper, 1980’s Smokey And The Bandit II and 1981’s Stroker Ace. He also produced the Reynolds-directed Sharkey’s Machine in 1981. In 1988, Moonjean was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar for Dangerous Liaisons with fellow producer Norma Heyman. In 2008, promising a glimpse into “a raw Hollywood as it was,” he wrote Bring In The Peacocks: Memoirs Of A Hollywood Producer.
Hank Moonjean, a producer, co-producer, associate producer or executive producer on films including Stephen Frears’ “Dangerous Liaisons,” Mike Nichols’ “The Fortune” and “The Great Gatsby” (1974), as well as a string of box office hits starring Burt Reynolds, died Sunday, Oct. 7, in Los Angeles from complications of pancreatic cancer. He was 82.
Moonjean’s Reynolds films included “The End,” “Hooper,” Smokey and the Bandit II,” “Paternity,” “Sharkey’s Machine” and “Stroker Ace.” Other producing credits included horror film “Child’s Play,” “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” (1982) and Jodie Foster starrer “Stealing Home.”
Earlier in his career, Moonjean spent many years as an assistant director, uncredited at first, working on a number of films starring Paul Newman including “Somebody Up There Likes Me” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
Born in Evanston, Ill., and of Armenian heritage, Moonjean was a recent USC graduate when he answered an MGM ad for an interpreter. He soon found himself on location with director George Cukor on the film “Bhowani Junction” in 1954. He spent eight years at MGM, apprenticed as a second a.d. on such titles as “Blackboard Jungle,” “The Prodigal,” “It’s Always Fair Weather,” “Love Me or Leave Me,” “The Tender Trap,” “I’ll Cry Tomorrow,” “A Catered Affair,” “Kismet,” “Tea and Sympathy” and “Raintree County.”
Away from MGM, he performed second unit work on “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Oklahoma!” and “South Pacific.”
Moonjean moved up to assistant director on projects with directors Joshua Logan (“Tall Story,” “Fanny”), Richard Brooks (“Sweet Bird of Youth”), Carol Reed (“Mutiny on the Bounty”), John Sturges (“Never So Few”) and Vincent Minnelli (“Four Horseman of the Apocalypse”).
He worked on four films with Elvis Presley.
Moonjean wrote of his experiences in Hollywood in his 2004 memoir “Bring in the Peacocks.”
The producer had a lifelong hobby of collecting movie ads from all studios and eras of film. The collection has been donated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Moonjean is survived by his domestic partner of 51 years, Bradley Bennett, as well as a large family of nieces and nephews.
Filmography
Film
Year Film Credit Notes
1966 The Singing Nun Associate producer
Spinout Associate producer
1967 Welcome to Hard Times Associate producer
1968 The Secret Life of an American Wife Associate producer
1970 WUSA Associate producer
1972 Child's Play Associate producer
1974 The Great Gatsby Associate producer
1975 The Fortune Executive producer
1978 The End Executive producer
Hooper
Producer
1980 Smokey and the Bandit II Producer
1981 The Incredible Shrinking Woman Producer
Paternity Producer
Sharky's Machine Producer
1983 Stroker Ace Producer
1988 Stealing Home Producer
Dangerous Liaisons Producer Final film as a producer
Assistant director
Year Film Role Notes
1955 Blackboard Jungle Assistant director
Uncredited
Love Me or Leave Me Assistant director
Uncredited
Kismet Assistant director
Uncredited
1956 Somebody Up There Likes Me Assistant director
Uncredited
High Society Assistant director
Uncredited
Lust for Life Second assistant director
Uncredited
The Teahouse of the August Moon Assistant director
Uncredited
1957 Raintree County Assistant director
Uncredited
Until They Sail Assistant director
Uncredited
Jailhouse Rock Assistant director
Uncredited
1958 Gigi Assistant director: France
Uncredited
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Assistant director
Uncredited
1959 The Diary of Anne Frank Assistant director: Netherlands
Uncredited
Never So Few Assistant director
Uncredited
1960 Tall Story Assistant director
BUtterfield 8 Assistant director
1961 Fanny Assistant director
Uncredited
1962 Sweet Bird of Youth Assistant director
1963 Drums of Africa Assistant director
The Prize Assistant director
1964 The Unsinkable Molly Brown Assistant director
1965 The Money Trap Assistant director
A Patch of Blue Assistant director
1967 Cool Hand Luke Assistant director
1968 The Odd Couple Assistant director
The Secret Life of an American Wife Assistant director
1969 The April Fools Assistant director
1970 Move Assistant director
WUSA Assistant director
1972 Child's Play Assistant director
Miscellaneous crew
Year Film Notes
1970 Move Assistant to the producer
1972 Pocket Money Production representative
Production manager
Year Film Notes
1970 Move Unit production manager
Television
Year Title Credit Notes
1966 The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones Associate producer Television film
1976 Beauty and the Beast Television film
As writer
Year Title
1959 The David Niven Show
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