# Lawrence Bachmann

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{{Short description|American film producer and executive (1911–2004)}}
'''Lawrence Paul Bachmann'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50031129.html|title=Bachmann, Lawrence P., 1911-2004|website=Library of Congress|access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref> (December 12, 1911 – September 7, 2004) was an American film producer and executive who settled for a time in the United Kingdom. He was head of MGM's British operations in the 1960s.<ref name="law">{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1962-05/page/n88/mode/1up?|access-date=9 August 2024|title=Metro's Prod Chief in London Sees Britain as Future Film Centre|date=2 May 1962|page=89}}</ref><ref name="bach">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-film-moguls-lawrence-p-bachmann/?|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|date=5 July 2025|access-date=5 July 2025|title=Forgotten British Film Moguls: Lawrence P. Bachmann}}</ref>

==Biography==
Bachmann was born in New York City, where his father, [J.&nbsp;G. Bachmann](/source/J.%26nbsp%3BG._Bachmann), worked at [Paramount](/source/Paramount_Pictures) with [B.&nbsp;P. Schulberg](/source/B.%26nbsp%3BP._Schulberg) in the 1920s.<ref name="LAT2004">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-sep-21-me-bachmann21-story.html|title=Lawrence P. Bachmann, 92; Film Writer and Executive at Studios|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 21, 2004}}</ref> He gained employment in the motion picture industry aged 16, beginning as an assistant film editor at [Universal](/source/Universal_Pictures). He graduated with a bachelor's degree from [University of South Carolina](/source/University_of_South_Carolina) (USC) and then a master's degree at [Oxford University](/source/University_of_Oxford) in the UK. After his period of formal education, he became an assistant to [Pandro S. Berman](/source/Pandro_S._Berman), who was then head of production at [RKO](/source/RKO_Pictures).<ref name="LAT2004" /> He switched to [MGM](/source/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) to work for J.J. Cohn, head of the B-picture unit writing screenplays and becoming a producer.<ref name="LAT2004" />

During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), Bachmann served in the [U.S. Army Air Forces](/source/United_States_Army_Air_Forces) and was the principal overseas correspondent for ''[Air Force](/source/Air_Force_Association)'' magazine. After the war, he worked in Berlin as head of films for the [US State Department](/source/United_States_Department_of_State), then lived in France and Italy.<ref name="UKtimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/lives-in-brief-hcrnhlsw38h|title=Lives in brief|work=[The Times](/source/The_Times)|location=London|date=September 28, 2004|access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref>

Bachmann moved to the UK where his novel ''Whirlpool'' was adapted by the Rank Organisation.<ref name="nine">{{cite magazine|date=27 June 2025|access-date=27 June 2025|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|title=Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation, 1959|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-film-studios-the-rank-organisation-1959/}}</ref>

He became head of production for Paramount's British subsidiary. He then performed a similar function for MGM, joining the studio in 1959.<ref name="LAT2004" /> He ran [MGM British](/source/MGM-British_Studios) for some years.<ref name="bach"/><ref>The Tea Break Notwithstanding, London Studios Humming Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times August 12, 1962: A7.</ref> Among other films he supervised the four Miss Marple films featuring [Margaret Rutherford](/source/Margaret_Rutherford) in the lead role.<ref name="LAT2004" /> In 1962 he announced a film version of ''[Bleak House](/source/Bleak_House)'' to be written by [Agatha Christie](/source/Agatha_Christie) but it was not made.<ref name="law"/>

After becoming an independent producer, Bachmann was interviewed by ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' in 1982. According to Bachmann, "You don't need a huge organization" or "wastefully high budgets. All you need is a good story, the right attack, and the determination to make a movie for a reasonable price."<ref>ARE THESE HOLLYWOOD'S FINEST ALJEAN HARMETZ, Special to the New York Times. New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y] January 20, 1981: C.7.</ref>

Bachmann died at the [Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital](/source/Motion_Picture_%26_Television_Country_House_and_Hospital) in [Woodland Hills, Los Angeles](/source/Woodland_Hills%2C_Los_Angeles) on September 7, 2004.<ref name="LAT2004" />

==Credits==
*''[Jalna](/source/Jalna_(film))'' (1935) - writer
*''[Speed](/source/Speed_(1936_film))'' (1936) - story
*''[They Wanted to Marry](/source/They_Wanted_to_Marry)'' (1937) - story
*''[The People vs. Dr. Kildare](/source/The_People_vs._Dr._Kildare)'' (1941) - stry
*''[Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day](/source/Dr._Kildare's_Wedding_Day)'' (1941) - story
*''[Calling Dr. Gillespie](/source/Calling_Dr._Gillespie)'' (1942) - writer (uncredited)
*''[Fingers at the Window](/source/Fingers_at_the_Window)'' (1942) - writer
*''[Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant](/source/Dr._Gillespie's_New_Assistant)'' (1942) - writer
*''[Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case](/source/Dr._Gillespie's_Criminal_Case)'' (1943) - writer
*''[Shadow on the Wall](/source/Shadow_on_the_Wall_(1950_film))'' (1950) - story "Death in a Doll's House"
*''[The Devil Makes Three](/source/The_Devil_Makes_Three_(film))'' (1952) - story
*''[Whirlpool](/source/Whirlpool_(1959_film))'' (1959) - writer, original novel "The Lorelai"<ref>Cinerama Feature Inspired by Mayer: New Film Boasts Story Line; Fischer Regains Top Favor Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times August 13, 1958: 25.</ref>
*''[Ten Seconds to Hell](/source/Ten_Seconds_to_Hell)'' (1959) - original novel "The Phoenix"
*''[Village of the Damned](/source/Village_of_the_Damned_(1960_film))'' (1960) - head of MGM British
*''[Murder, She Said](/source/Murder%2C_She_Said)'' (1961) - head of MGM British
*''[The Green Helmet](/source/The_Green_Helmet)'' (1961) - head of MGM British
*''[Kill or Cure](/source/Kill_or_Cure_(1962_film))'' (1962) - executive producer
*''[In the Cool of the Day](/source/In_the_Cool_of_the_Day)'' (1962) - head of MGM British
*''[The Password is Courage](/source/The_Password_is_Courage)'' (1962) - head of MGM British
*''[Cairo](/source/Cairo_(1963_film))'' (1963) - executive producer
*''[The Friendliest Girls in the World](/source/The_Friendliest_Girls_in_the_World)'' (1963) -head of MGM British
*''[The Haunting](/source/The_Haunting_(1963_film))'' (1963) - head of MGM British
*''[Follow the Boys](/source/Follow_the_Boys_(1963_film))'' (1963) - story, producer
*''[Murder at the Gallop](/source/Murder_at_the_Gallop)'' (1963) - producer (uncredited)
*''[Children of the Damned](/source/Children_of_the_Damned)'' (1964) - executive producer
*''[Night Must Fall](/source/Night_Must_Fall_(1964_film))'' (1964) - executive producer
*''[Murder Most Foul](/source/Murder_Most_Foul_(film))'' (1964) - executive producer
*''[Zero One](/source/Zero_One_(TV_series))'' (1962–65) (TV series) - producer
*''[The Alphabet Murders](/source/The_Alphabet_Murders)'' (1966) - producer
*''[Whose Life Is It Anyway?](/source/Whose_Life_Is_It_Anyway%3F_(film))'' (1981) - producer
===Films Made as Head of MGM British===
*''Village of the Damned''
*''The Green Helmet''
*''The Secret Partner''
*''Invasion Quartert''
*''Murder She Said''
*''Cairo''
*''Kill or Cure''
*''Follow the Boys''

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bachmann, Lawrence}}
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:Film producers from New York (state)
Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)
Category:Writers from New York City
Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
Category:1911 births
Category:2004 deaths
Category:20th-century American male writers
Category:20th-century American screenwriters

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lawrence Bachmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Bachmann) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Bachmann?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.