Debra Hill dead at 54

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'Halloween' writer-producer dead at 54

Debra Hill was pioneering woman producer

Monday, March 7, 2005 Posted: 1:37 PM EST (1837 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Debra Hill, who co-wrote the horror classic "Halloween" and was one of Hollywood's pioneering woman producers, died Monday, according to a family friend. She was 54.

The friend, Barbara Ligeti, said more information would be made available later Monday.

Hill's big break came in horror films when she and director John Carpenter co-wrote the genre's modern classic, "Halloween."

The 1979 film, also directed by Carpenter and produced by Hill, starred a 20-year-old Jamie Lee Curtis as the baby sitter terrorized by a murderous psychopath. Made on a modest $300,000 budget, it grossed $60 million worldwide, a record for an independent movie at the time, and launched a seemingly endless chain of sequels.
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After her "Halloween" run, Hill joined her friend Lynda Obst in forming an independent production company in 1986 that made "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Heartbreak Hotel," both directed by Chris Columbus, and Terry Gilliam's "The Fisher King" with Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges.

In 1988 she entered a contract with Walt Disney Pictures under which she produced the feature "Gross Anatomy," short films for the Walt Disney theme park and an NBC special for Disneyland's 35th anniversary.

Films she produced included "The Dead Zone," 1983; "Head Office," 1985; and "Clue," 1986.

"Back when I started in 1974, there were very few women in the industry, and everybody called me 'Honey,' " she recalled in 2003. "I was assumed to be the makeup and hair person, or the script person. I was never assumed to be the writer or producer. I took a look around and realized there weren't many women, so I had to carve a niche for myself."

Carpenter praised her as "a real pioneer in this business."
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SOURCE: CNN
 
Although there wasn't any detailed information with the cause of her death at this press release. Does anyone know? ...and as young she was, surely the motion picture empire will greatly be at a great loss without her.

My condolences to her family and friends--
 
Roadrunner said:
Although there wasn't any detailed information with the cause of her death at this press release. Does anyone know? ...and as young she was, surely the motion picture empire will greatly be at a great loss without her.

My condolences to her family and friends--
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According to one person at Ain't It Cool website, she had been battling cancer for over a year. Sad to see her pass away, but she'll be remembered by many filmmakers.
 
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