Stark, Ray

▪ 2005

      American film producer (b. Oct. 3, 1915, New York, N.Y.—d. Jan. 17, 2004, West Hollywood, Calif.), was the power behind more than 125 movies and was considered one of the most successful of Hollywood's independent producers. He was especially noted for his working relationships with Barbra Streisand—whose career he launched with his stage (1964) and film (1968) versions of Funny Girl, in which Streisand starred in the role of Fanny Brice, Stark's mother-in-law—and Neil Simon, 11 of whose scripts Stark produced. Other films he produced included The Sunshine Boys (1975), The Goodbye Girl (1977), and Steel Magnolias (1989). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honoured Stark with its Irving G. Thalberg Award in 1980.

* * *