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Hal B. Wallis

Hal B. Wallis
HalWallis.jpg
Born Aaron Blum Wolowicz
(1898-09-14)September 14, 1898
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died October 5, 1986(1986-10-05) (aged 88)
Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Cause of death Diabetes
Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California
Occupation Film producer
Years active 1931–1983
Spouse(s) Louise Fazenda
(m. 1927–1962; her death; 1 child)
Martha Hyer
(m. 1966–1986; his death)

Harold Brent "Hal" Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz, September 14, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best remembered for producing Casablanca (1942) and True Grit (1969), along with many other major films for Warner Bros. featuring such film stars as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, and Errol Flynn.

Later on, for a long period, he was connected with Paramount Pictures and oversaw films featuring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Elvis Presley, and John Wayne.

Aaron Blum Wolowicz was born October 19, 1898 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Eva (née Blum) and Jacob Wolowicz, Ashkenazi Jews from the Suwałki region of Poland who changed their surname to Wallis.

His family moved in 1922 to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as part of the publicity department at Warner Bros. in 1923. Within a few years, Wallis became involved in the production end of the business and would eventually become head of production at Warner. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, he was involved with the production of more than 400 feature-length movies.

Among the more significant movies he produced were Casablanca, Dark Victory, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Maltese Falcon, Sergeant York, and Now, Voyager.


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