Saul David (producer)

David, Saul The Industry: Life in the Hollywood Fast Lane 1981 Times Books

Still interested in science fiction, David recalled the book Logan's Run and produced the film in 1976. Logan's Run won a Special Achievement Academy Award for visual effects, which was presented by actor Roy Scheider to L.B. Abbott, Glen Robinson, and Matthew Yuricich at the 49th Annual Academy Awards show on March 28, 1977 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. During his acceptance speech, Abbott said, "I want to very sincerely thank the Board of Directors of the Academy. The producer, Mr. Saul David, and that great host of wonderful helpers made this accolade possible for me."

MGM hired David to produce a television version of the film in 1977 but then fired him and "hired an inept team of producers who knew nothing whatever about science fiction," said William F. Nolan. David died of congestive heart failure in Culver City, California.

David produced Skullduggery (1970) originally for ABC Pictures, but after a disagreement the film and David went to Universal Pictures. Though he announced a busy production schedule of five films, none were made.

He became a producer at 20th Century Fox with the 1964 World War II prisoner of war adventure Von Ryan's Express filmed on location in Italy with Frank Sinatra and a strong cast. He then produced three spy-fi films, Our Man Flint (1965), Fantastic Voyage (1966), and In Like Flint (1967). All four films were big commercial successes.

From 1950 to 1960 David worked at Bantam Books, starting as a publisher's reader then advancing to editorial director and editor in chief. He had known Bantam president Oscar Dystel when they worked on Stars and Stripes in Cairo. At Bantam David lured Ross Macdonald away from Pocket Books and hired artist James Avati. Rather than reprint several hardcover Western authors, David thought of hiring and promoting one author to write three original books for Bantam each year. From a shortlist of five authors, David chose Louis L'Amour who had become disillusioned with Fawcett publishing.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, he won an art competition and received a scholarship to the Rhode Island School of Design, which he attended from 1937 to 1940. After graduation he worked at a radio station in York, Pennsylvania and on a newspaper in Port Huron, Michigan. During World War II, David enlisted in the US Army where he wrote for Yank, the Army Weekly and the Stars and Stripes in North Africa and Europe.

Saul David (June 27, 1921 – June 7, 1996) was an American book editor and film producer.