Peter Macgregor-Scott, Producer on ‘The Fugitive’ and ‘Batman Forever,’ Dies at 69
The British native also worked on 'Animal House,' 'Revenge of the Nerds' and three Cheech & Chong comedies.
He was not on the list.
Peter Macgregor-Scott, who produced the Andrew
Davis-directed The Fugitive, the two Batman films helmed by Joel Schumacher and
three movies starring Cheech & Chong, has died. He was 69.
Macgregor-Scott died Sunday in New York after being involved
in a recent taxi accident in Manhattan, Davis told The Hollywood Reporter.
“We were like brothers who supported and relied on each
other in an industry where that is rare. I will miss him dearly,” Davis said.
Macgregor-Scott’s producing résumé also included Carl
Reiner’s The Jerk (1979), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Revenge
of the Nerds (1984), Troop Beverly Hills (1989), Out for Justice (1991), Black
Beauty (1994) and Death to Smoochy (2002). He was based for years at Warner
Bros.
Early in his career, Macgregor-Scott served as unit
production manager on John Landis’ Animal House (1978), made for slightly more
than $2 million. The comedy wound up grossing $142 million, or $537 million in
today’s dollars.
Soon after working with Davis for the first time on Under
Siege (1992), starring Steven Seagal, Macgregor-Scott and the director
partnered on The Fugitive (1993), the remake of the classic 1960s ABC series
that starred Harrison Ford as Richard Kimble in the role made famous by David
Janssen.
To film a spectacular action scene in The Fugitive,
Macgregor-Scott hired cement mixers to pour tons of concrete into the cars of a
train to help keep it on its tracks before it slams into a bus — a crash that
allows the prisoner Kimble to escape.
The Fugitive went on to gross $369 million worldwide ($630
million today).
Macgregor-Scott and Davis also worked together on A Perfect
Murder (1998), starring Michael Douglas, and The Guardian (2006), starring
Kevin Costner.
“PMS, as he was known, was the total filmmaker. He knew
every aspect of production and postproduction,” Davis said. “Peter knew
everyone’s job and what they needed to execute their craft with finesse. He
cared for the well-being of the stars and the craft service personnel with
equal concern. His ability to put the quality of the film first was clear from
the work we did together.
“From engineering train crashes in The Fugitive to building
Korean submarines for Under Siege, huge Manhattan apartments in A Perfect
Murder and unique wave water tanks for The Guardian, he worked with us to
figure out how we could succeed. He was beloved by the crew and cast who worked
with him. Being Peter, he was funny and still as focused as one can be.”
Macgregor-Scott also produced Schumacher’s Batman Forever (1995)
and Batman & Robin (1997), starring Val Kilmer and George Clooney as the
Caped Crusader, respectively.
Macgregor-Scott worked on Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie
(1980), Still Smokin (1983) and Cheech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers
(1984) and noted in a 2003 interview that the comedy duo, unlike their onscreen
personas, were sober professionals.
“There was never any smoke. When the boys are working, it’s
a very clean set. No alcohol, no smoke, no nothing,” Macgregor-Scott said.
“They learned that in their live performances. They went to Folsom Prison and
they had a little too much extra, and it wasn’t a good day for them. They said,
‘OK, that’s the end of that. We go on clean as a whistle from now on.’ I did
three pictures with them, and that was the way it was from then ’til now, I’m
sure.”
Macgregor-Scott also produced Born in East L.A. (1987), with
Cheech Marin going it alone minus Tommy Chong.
He was born in Madenhead, England. His father was J.C.
Macgregor Scott, who served as an executive with such British film companies as
Columbia Pictures U.K., Warner-Pathe Distributors and Commonwealth United
International.
Macgregor-Scott told THR in June that his proudest moment in
show business was screening The Fugitive for his dad a few years before the
retired executive’s death in 1999.
“He was hard of hearing, but he’d been in the picture
business since 1932, and he got up and said, ‘It’s the best movie I’ve ever
seen,’ ” Macgregor-Scott said, getting a little emotional. “He was very happy.”
The son started his career working in the sound department
at Pinewood Studios in London before coming to the U.S. in 1970.
“Peter was the best producer I ever worked with and a dear,
loyal friend,” two-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt, who
worked with the producer on the Batman films, wrote in a note to
Macgregor-Scott’s wife of 15 years, Susan. “We went through so much together,
and there is not a day on set where I haven’t thought of him and wished that he
was by my side. A lovely, mischievous, laughing, unforgettable colleague and
companion.”
His brother, Ian MacGregor-Scott, worked as a sound editor
in Hollywood. In addition to his wife, he also is survived by his daughter
Elizabeth and son Taylor.
Macgregor-Scott once described his job as having “a vision
about what is most practical and economical and anticipating where the problems
lie. There will always be challenges on any production, but as long as you have
the solutions, the problems don’t really exist.”
A funeral service is scheduled for Thursday in New York. The
family asks that donations be made to the Make-a-Wish Foundation in his memory.
Writer
The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976)
The Great Texas Dynamite Chase
5.9
screenplay (as David Kirkpatrick)
1976
Producer
Wings Over the Rockies
6.2
Short
executive producer
2009
Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher in The Guardian (2006)
The Guardian
6.9
executive producer
2006
Death to Smoochy (2002)
Death to Smoochy
6.3
producer
2002
OnStar: Batman (2000)
OnStar: Batman
6.5
TV Mini Series
producer
2000
3 episodes
Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen in A
Perfect Murder (1998)
A Perfect Murder
6.6
producer
1998
George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alicia Silverstone,
Uma Thurman, and Chris O'Donnell in Batman & Robin (1997)
Batman & Robin
3.8
producer (produced by)
1997
Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman, Val Kilmer, and
Chris O'Donnell in Batman Forever (1995)
Batman Forever
5.4
producer (produced by)
1995
Black Beauty (1994)
Black Beauty
6.6
producer
1994
Harrison Ford in The Fugitive (1993)
The Fugitive
7.8
co-producer
1993
Steven Seagal in Under Siege (1992)
Under Siege
6.5
co-producer
1992
Steven Seagal in Out for Justice (1991)
Out for Justice
6.1
co-producer
1991
Little Vegas (1990)
Little Vegas
4.4
producer
1990
Steven Seagal in Marked for Death (1990)
Marked for Death
5.9
co-producer
1990
Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hills (1989)
Troop Beverly Hills
5.9
co-producer
1989
Born in East L.A. (1987)
Born in East L.A.
6.0
producer
1987
Michael O'Keefe and Paul Rodriguez in The Whoopee Boys
(1986)
The Whoopee Boys
5.7
producer
1986
Anthony Edwards and Linda Fiorentino in Gotcha! (1985)
Gotcha!
6.2
supervising producer
1985
Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers (1984)
Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers
4.6
producer
1984
Anthony Edwards, Robert Carradine, Donald Gibb, Ted
McGinley, Julia Montgomery, and Matt Salinger in Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Revenge of the Nerds
6.6
co-producer
1984
Still Smokin (1983)
Still Smokin
5.4
producer
1983
Dolly Parton, Burt Reynolds, and Dom DeLuise in The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
6.1
co-producer
1982
Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (1980)
Cheech and Chong's Next Movie
6.0
co-producer
1980
Steve Martin in The Jerk (1979)
The Jerk
7.1
associate producer
1979
Peter Sellers and Elke Sommer in The Prisoner of Zenda
(1979)
The Prisoner of Zenda
5.2
associate producer
1979
The Ransom (1977)
The Ransom
5.1
co-producer
1977
The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976)
The Great Texas Dynamite Chase
5.9
associate producer (as Peter MacGregor Scott)
1976
Ride the Tiger (1970)
Ride the Tiger
5.2
associate producer
1970
Editor
Ride the Tiger (1970)
Ride the Tiger
5.2
Editor
1970
Production Manager
Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hills (1989)
Troop Beverly Hills
5.9
unit production manager (as P.M. Scott)
1989
Anthony Edwards and Linda Fiorentino in Gotcha! (1985)
Gotcha!
6.2
unit production manager (as P.M. Scott)
1985
Dolly Parton, Burt Reynolds, and Dom DeLuise in The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
6.1
production manager
1982
Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (1980)
Cheech and Chong's Next Movie
6.0
production manager
1980
Steve Martin in The Jerk (1979)
The Jerk
7.1
production manager
1979
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
National Lampoon's Animal House
7.4
unit production manager
1978
Kay Lenz and Stephen McHattie in Moving Violation (1976)
Moving Violation
5.5
production manager
1976
Cat Murkil and the Silks (1976)
Cat Murkil and the Silks
4.7
production manager
1976
A Time for Love (1974)
A Time for Love
6.2
production manager
1974
Ride the Tiger (1970)
Ride the Tiger
5.2
production manager (uncredited)
1970
Second Unit or Assistant Director
Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers (1984)
Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers
4.6
first assistant director (as Peter M. Scott)
1984
High Velocity (1976)
High Velocity
5.1
first assistant director
1976
Richard Egan, Martha Hyer, and Zaldy Zshornack in The Day of
the Wolves (1971)
The Day of the Wolves
5.8
assistant director (as Peter MacGregor Scott)
1971
Julius Caesar (1970)
Julius Caesar
6.1
third assistant director (uncredited)
1970
Strange Portrait
5.2
assistant director
1966
Thanks
HBO First Look (1992)
HBO First Look
6.2
TV Series
producers gratefully acknowledge
2002
1 episode
Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck
6.9
Video
special thanks
2001
DNA (1996)
DNA
3.7
Video
the producers wish to thank (as Peter MacGregor Scott)
1996
Self
The Fugitive: Thrill of the Chase
7.5
Short
Self
2013
Conversations with Hollywood (2011)
Conversations with Hollywood
TV Series
Self
2012
1 episode
The Guardian: Making Waves (2007)
The Guardian: Making Waves
Video
Self
2007
Batman & Robin Villains: Bane
4.9
Video
Self
2005
Batman & Robin Villains: Poison Ivy
5.8
Video
Self
2005
Batman & Robin Villains: Mr. Freeze
5.3
Video
Self
2005
Batman & Robin Heroes: Batgirl
5.0
Video
Self
2005
Batman & Robin Heroes: Robin
5.7
Video
Self
2005
Batman & Robin Heroes: Batman
5.4
Video
Self
2005
Beyond Batman: Scoring Forever - The Music of 'Batman
Forever' (2005)
Beyond Batman: Scoring Forever - The Music of 'Batman
Forever'
5.8
Video
Self
2005
Beyond Batman: The Many Faces of Gotham City (2005)
Beyond Batman: The Many Faces of Gotham City
5.5
Video
Self
2005
Beyond Batman: Maximum Overdrive - The Vehicles of 'Batman
& Robin'
6.3
Video
Self
2005
Beyond Batman: Dressed to Thrill - The Costumes of 'Batman
& Robin'
6.6
Video
Self
2005
Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight -
Reinventing a Hero (2005)
Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight -
Reinventing a Hero
6.9
Video
Self
2005
George Clooney in Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of
the Dark Knight - Batman Unbound (2005)
Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight -
Batman Unbound
6.1
Video
Self
2005
On the Run with 'the Fugitive'
7.5
Video
Self
2001
Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck
6.9
Video
Self
2001
Riddle Me This: Why Is Batman Forever?
5.7
TV Movie
Self
1995
Archive Footage
Minty Comedic Arts (2015)
Minty Comedic Arts
8.8
TV Series
Self (archive footage)
2020
1 episode