Hawk Koch

Hawk Koch
Koch in 2014
Born
Howard Winchel Koch Jr.

(1945-12-14) December 14, 1945
OccupationFilm producer
Spouses
Rita Litter
(m. 1967, divorced)
    Marcia
    (div. 1983)
      (m. 1984, divorced)
        Molly Jordan Koch
        (m. 1998)
        Children3
        Parent(s)Ruth (Pincus) Koch
        Howard Winchel Koch Sr.
        Relatives

        Howard Winchel Koch Jr. (born December 14, 1945), also known as Hawk Koch, is an American film producer.[1] Throughout his career, he was involved in the production of over 50 major films, including Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Way We Were (1973), Chinatown (1974), Heaven Can Wait (1978), Wayne's World (1992) and its 1993 sequel, Primal Fear (1996), Fracture (2007), and Source Code (2011). Koch is currently a board member for AMC Entertainment, the Motion Picture and Television Fund, and the National Film Preservation Foundation, and he previously served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences[2] and the Producers Guild of America.[3]

        Koch is a former road manager for the musical groups The Supremes and The Dave Clark Five. In 2019, he published his memoir, Magic Time: My Life in Hollywood.[4][5]

        Early life

        Koch was born to a secular Jewish[4][6][7] family in Los Angeles. He was raised in the film business, the son of Ruth (Pincus) and filmmaker Howard Winchel Koch Sr. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1963.

        Career

        Hawk Koch began his career in London, working for music impresario and co-owner of The Dave Clark Five Harold Davison,[8] as a road manager for visiting American acts. Koch returned from London to manage The Dave Clark Five's 1964 United States tour.[9] After his time in the music business, Hawk Koch turned to filmmaking in Hollywood, working as assistant director for a number of directors and later as a producer.

        Koch has been intimately involved with the making of more than 60 major motion pictures, including Chinatown, Heaven Can Wait, Marathon Man, The Way We Were, Primal Fear, Wayne's World, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Rosemary's Baby. His colleagues and collaborators have included Sidney Pollack, Roman Polanski, John Schlesinger, Francis Ford Coppola, and Warren Beatty. Hawk has worked with Natalie Wood, Laurence Olivier, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Barbra Streisand, Anthony Hopkins, Whoopi Goldberg, Diane Lane, Edward Norton, and Halle Berry.

        At the Producers Guild of America (PGA), Koch and co-president Mark Gordon led the fight to preserve the producer's credit and secured all the major film studios and major independent film studios to agree to uphold the Producer's Mark (p.g.a.).[10] In 2010, Koch and Gordon were the first pair of co-presidents to be elected by the PGA membership.[11] The duo was re-elected in 2012.

        On July 31, 2012, Koch was elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,[2] making Hawk and his father the only father-son pair to lead the Academy in its history.[12] On August 1, 2012, Koch took leave from his post at the PGA in order to assume the Academy's presidency,[13] later rejoining Mark Gordon as PGA co-president in August 2013.[14] During his tenure at the Academy, Koch spearheaded several initiatives including a call for diversity, launching the first general membership meeting in its history, sharpening the focus on member engagement and the future of filmmaking, implementing the Academy's digital voting system,[15] and securing major fundraising for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.[16]

        Koch has given one-on-one talks with Francis Coppola, Tom Cruise, and Jake Gyllenhaal at the annual Produced by Conference, and he has been a featured speaker at the Sarajevo Film Festival,[17] the South Dakota Film Festival,[18] and the Beijing International Film Festival.[19] He delivered the 2013 commencement address at Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts,[20] and was a featured speaker at the 2019 Renaissance Weekend.[21]

        Koch is a vocal advocate for diversity and representation in film and television as well as diversity within the entertainment industry's professional guilds and organizations.[22] As of 2020, Koch serves on the board of directors for AMC Entertainment, Cast and Crew, the Motion Picture and Television Fund, the Producers Guild of America, and the National Film Preservation Foundation.

        Personal life

        Koch dated Sondra Locke after the collapse of her relationship with Clint Eastwood.[23] He is married to Jungian analyst and writer[4] Molly Jordan Koch.[4] He was previously married to Rita Litter, mother of his children Billy Koch[24] and Emily Anne Koch; to Marcia Zukor (now married to Ken Ziffren), mother of Robby Koch; and to actress Joanna Pacuła.[4] His grandsons are actor Cooper Koch and film editor Payton Koch.[25]

        Filmography

        He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

        Film

        Year Film Credit
        1975 The Drowning Pool Associate producer
        1977 The Other Side of Midnight Executive producer
        1978 Heaven Can Wait Executive producer
        1979 The Frisco Kid Executive producer
        1980 The Idolmaker
        1981 Honky Tonk Freeway
        1983 A Night in Heaven
        The Keep
        Gorky Park
        1984 The Pope of Greenwich Village
        1989 Rooftops
        1990 The Long Walk Home
        1991 Necessary Roughness Executive producer
        1992 Wayne's World Executive producer
        1993 The Temp Executive producer
        Sliver Executive producer
        Wayne's World 2 Executive producer
        1995 Losing Isaiah
        Virtuosity Executive producer
        1996 Primal Fear Executive producer
        1997 The Beautician and the Beast
        2000 Keeping the Faith
        Frequency
        2002 Collateral Damage Executive producer
        2005 Hostage Executive producer
        2007 Blood & Chocolate
        Fracture Executive producer
        2008 Untraceable
        2010 Norman
        2011 Source Code Executive producer
        2013 Very Good Girls Executive producer
        Second unit director or assistant director
        Year Film Role Notes
        1969 Pendulum Second assistant director Uncredited
        Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
        1970 Getting Straight Assistant director
        WUSA Uncredited
        The Baby Maker
        1971 The Hired Hand
        Fools' Parade
        Something Big
        Going Home
        1972 Bad Company
        Up the Sandbox First assistant director
        1973 The Way We Were Assistant director
        1974 The Parallax View First assistant director
        Chinatown Assistant director
        1975 Once Is Not Enough
        The Drowning Pool
        1976 Marathon Man
        1978 Heaven Can Wait
        Miscellaneous crew
        Year Film Role Notes Ref.
        1966 Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter Assistant to producer Uncredited
        Billy the Kid Versus Dracula Assistant to the producer
        1968 Project X Dialogue coach Uncredited
        The Odd Couple [4]
        Rosemary's Baby
        Production manager
        Year Film Role
        1975 Once Is Not Enough Production manager
        2005 Hostage Unit production manager
        2007 Fracture
        2008 Untraceable
        As an actor
        Year Film Role Notes Other notes
        1969 Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice El Taco Employee Voice role Uncredited
        2000 Keeping the Faith Rabbinical Professor
        Thanks
        Year Film Role
        2019 Above Suspicion Special thanks

        Television

        Year Title Credit Notes
        2004 The Riverman Executive producer Television film
        2013 Christmas in Conway Executive producer Television film
        Miscellaneous crew
        Year Title Role Notes
        1973 Magnavox Presents Frank Sinatra Stage manager Television special
        2013 85th Academy Awards President: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Television special
        Production manager
        Year Title Role
        1969 Then Came Bronson Production manager

        References

        1. ^ "Hawk Kock". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2016. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016.
        2. ^ a b "Academy Elects Hawk Koch as Its New President". The Hollywood Reporter. July 31, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        3. ^ "Hawk Koch Resumes Duties as PGA President Alongside Mark Gordon". The Hollywood Reporter. August 5, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        4. ^ a b c d e f Koch, Hawk (2019). Magic Time: My Life in Hollywood. Jordan, Molly. New York. ISBN 978-1-64293-302-4. OCLC 1096514606.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
        5. ^ Hammond, Pete (November 14, 2019). "Hawk Koch On His New Memoir 'Magic Time': Stories From A Life In The Movie Business And Escaping The Shadow Of His Father's Hollywood Legacy". Deadline. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        6. ^ Los Angeles Times: "How did new Academy president Hawk Koch get his unusual name?" By Nicole Sperling and Julie Makinen August 1, 2012
        7. ^ Jewish Journal: "At Pepperdine, ruminations on Hollywood's patrimony straight from its (Jewish) patriarchy" by Danielle Berrin October 6, 2013 | cached version at Archived December 22, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
        8. ^ "Pop impresario Davison dies at 89". BBC News. October 24, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        9. ^ "DAVE CLARK FIVE TO TOUR U.S., CANADA . . . NOVEMBER 7, 1964". Motor City Radio Flashbacks. June 13, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        10. ^ Finke, Nikki (October 13, 2010). "Producers Guild Plans New 'P.G.A.' Mark". Deadline. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        11. ^ "Hawk Koch Re-joins Mark Gordon as President of PGA". www.creativehandbook.com. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        12. ^ Thompson, Anne (August 1, 2012). "Academy Governors Elect Hawk Koch as New AMPAS President". IndieWire. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        13. ^ "New Academy President Hawk Koch Stepping Down as PGA President". The Hollywood Reporter. August 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        14. ^ "TheWrap - Hawk Koch Reclaiming Role as PGA President - Producers Guild of America". www.producersguild.org. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        15. ^ "Academy Moves Toward Electronic Voting in 2013". The Hollywood Reporter. January 25, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        16. ^ "Motion Picture Museum: $2.5 Million Buys You a Green Room". The Hollywood Reporter. April 24, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        17. ^ "The continuation of the collaboration between the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science and Talents Sarajevo". sff.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        18. ^ "South Dakota Film Festival kicks off in Aberdeen". AP NEWS. September 21, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        19. ^ "Hawk Koch gives speech for BIFF opening ceremony". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        20. ^ "Dodge College Commencement Speaker Announced: Hawk Koch". Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        21. ^ "Home | Renaissance Weekend". www.renaissanceweekend.org. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        22. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 21, 2016). "Former Academy President Hawk Koch Issues Diversity Challenge In Wake Of All White Oscars". Deadline. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        23. ^ "Eastwood's new love". Daily News. Birmingham. May 3, 1989. p. 7.
        24. ^ "Little Red Feather Racing — Management Team". data.littleredfeather.com. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
        25. ^ LeGardye, Quinci (September 20, 2024). "Ryan Murphy's Next Breakout Star Brings Erik Menendez to Life in 'Monsters'—Meet Cooper Koch". Marie Claire Magazine. Archived from the original on October 1, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.