Eric Pleskow

Eric Pleskow
File:Eric Pleskow Armin Thurnher Viennale 2015 e.jpg Eric Pleskow at Viennale 2015
Born	(1924-04-24) April 24, 1924 Vienna, Austria
Nationality	Austrian United States
Occupation	Film producer Media executive
Known for	President of United Artists and Orion Pictures

Eric Pleskow (born April 24, 1924 in Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian film producer and the former president of the movie studios United Artists and Orion Pictures.

Biography

Pleskow was the son of Jewish merchants. After the Anschluss and the following Aryanization of their apartment, the family emigrated to the USA in 1938. In 1943, he was conscripted into the army. After the second world war Pleskow returned to Austria and guided five interrogations during denazifications. Due to his short education in film editing, which he finished before joining the army, he became film officer (US War Department) in 1945 and was assigned to rebuild the Bavaria Film Studios.

From 1951 he was working for United Artists and was responsible for the movie rental in Europe and South Africa. He also started to produce movies himself. In 1973 he became president of United Artists. Under his presidency United Artists won the Academy Award (Oscar) for the best picture three years in a row (1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1976: Rocky, 1977: Annie Hall).

In 1978, Pleskow left United Artists and built up Orion Pictures, which he directed until 1992. Their greatest successes under his management were Amadeus, Dances with Wolves and The Silence of the Lambs.

Since 1998, Pleskow has been president of the Film Festival Viennale in Vienna. In February 2007, he was awarded honorary citizenship of Vienna, following Billy Wilder and Teddy Kollek (2001).