Don Simpson

Donald Clarence Simpson (October 29, 1943 – January 19, 1996) was an American film producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for producing such hits as Flashdance , Beverly Hills Cop , Top Gun and The Rock . In 1985 and again in 1988, he and his producing partner, Jerry Bruckheimer, were named Producers of the Year by the National Association of Theatre Owners.

Early life

Simpson was born in Seattle, Washington, grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and attended West Anchorage High School. He then went on to attend the University of Oregon, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Personal life

Simpson's unusual personal life has been documented in a number of sources. A chapter in the book You'll Never Make Love in This Town Again (which describes four prostitutes' stories about their sexual encounters with Hollywood celebrities) discusses his preferences for S & M and videotaping of their sessions. He is also known to have had several plastic surgery operations, allegedly including a collagen injection to his penis. People magazine, in an article after his death, alleged that he was a fan of snuff films.

Death

On January 19, 1996, Simpson was found dead in his home in Los Angeles. The cause of death was a cardiac arrest from combined drug intoxication (CDI).

According to High Concept , a Simpson biography by reporter Charles Fleming, Simpson's prescription drug expenses were over $60,000 a month at the time of his death. His job as an executive at Paramount Pictures came to an end when he allegedly passed out in the middle of a meeting.

The Rock is dedicated to the memory of Simpson. This fact is mentioned at the end of the movie; the beginning identifies him as co-producer with Jerry Bruckheimer. Enemy of the State also has Simpson given screen credit as an executive producer, although the final film was released several years after his death. This is presumably because both Bruckheimer and Simpson developed the story before his death.

Filmography

Quotes

• "We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make a statement. Our obligation is to make money."
• "To make money, it may be important to win the Academy Award, for it might mean another ten million dollars at the box office."

References

1. ^ Thomson, David (1996-04-07). "I'm Don Simpson; And You're Not". independent.co.uk . http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/im-don-simpson-and-youre-not-1303661.html . Retrieved 2009-10-26 .  
2. ^ Pace, Eric (1996-01-21). "Don Simpson Is Dead at 52; Produced Blockbuster Films". The New York Times . http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/21/nyregion/don-simpson-is-dead-at-52-produced-blockbuster-films.html . Retrieved 2009-10-26 .  
3. ^ Fleming, Charles (1998). High concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Culture Of Excess . Doubleday. pp. 9. ISBN 0-385-48694-4.  
4. ^ Thompson, Graham (2007). American Culture In the 1980s . Edinburgh University Press. pp. 91-92. ISBN 0-748-61910-0.  
5. ^ "The Innovators 1980-1990: Jock of Gold". bfi.org.uk . http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/122/ . Retrieved 2009-10-26 .  

Comic creator: Don Simpson

Don Simpson comiclopedia page by Lambiek

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Don Simpson (cartoonist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Don Simpson is an American freelance cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator, most noted for creating Bizarre Heroes, Megaton Man, Border Worlds, and the official comic ...

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Don Simpson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Donald Clarence Simpson (October 29, 1943 – January 19, 1996) was an American film producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for producing such hits as Flashdance, Beverly ...

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High Concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Culture of Excess: Amazon ...

Paperback: 304 pages; Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; New edition edition (29 Mar 1999) Language English; ISBN-10: 0747542627; ISBN-13: 978-0747542629

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DonSimpson on deviantART

Art - community of artists and those devoted to art. Digital art, skin art, themes, wallpaper art, traditional art, photography, poetry / prose. Art prints.

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Don Simpson (I) - Biography

Date of Birth 29 October 1943, Seattle, Washington, USA Date of Death 19 January 1996, Los Angeles, California, USA (natural causes) Birth Name Donald Clarence Simpson

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Don Simpson (I)

Writer: Cannonball! (1976) (writer) (as Donald C. Simpson) ... aka Carquake (UK) Aloha Bobby and Rose (1975) (uncredited) ... aka Aloha, Bobby and Rose (USA: poster title)

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Don Simpson (I)

advertisement. Overview. Date of Birth: 29 October 1943, Seattle, Washington, USA more. Date of Death: 19 January 1996, Los Angeles, California, USA more

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