CHUCK FRIES
Charles W. (Chuck) Fries serves as CEO and Executive Producer of Chuck Fries Productions. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Fries graduated from Ohio State University, where he also received an Honorary Doc- tor of Fine Arts degree. He joined Ziv Television reporting to California Studios (now Raleigh Studios) for production of pioneer syndicated shows such as, The Cisco Kid, Highway Patrol, and Sea Hunt among others. He was appointed vice-president in charge of production for Screen Gems, the Columbia Pictures Television arm and was involved in the production of series such as Naked City, Route 66, Bewitched, Hazel, Father Knows Best and many other standout comedies of the 60’s. He subsequently became Vice President in charge of feature film production/administration for Columbia Pictures, the parent company, where he worked with top producers and directors in the industry on films such as Castle Keep, The Horse- man, Five Easy Pieces and Getting Straight.
As executive vice president in charge of production for Metromedia Producers Corporation, Fries as- sumed the production reins and produced and/or supervised some thirty movies for television, nine television series, (including the acclaimed Jacques Cousteau Specials) and five theatrical films.
Fries is considered the “godfather” of the television movie, having produced and/or supervised over 225 hours of television movies and mini-series. Known for producing many issue-oriented movies for television, Fries programs include: Small Sacrifices starring Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal, The Neon Empire, a three-hour epic saga starring Ray Sharkey, Martin Landau and Gary Busey; Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean, starring Suzanne Pleshette and Lloyd Bridges; The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury starring Rock Hudson; Woman on the Ledge with Deidre Hall; Bitter Harvest starring Ron Howard and Art Carney; The Word starring David Jansen and based on the book by Irving Wallace, and the Emmy nominated LBJ starring Randy Quaid and Patty Lupone.
Some of the theatrical motion pictures produced under the Fries banner include Paul Schraeder’s The Cat People, a Universal release starring Natassja Kinski, and Malcolm McDowell; Out of Bounds, a Fries production starring Anthony Michael Hall, released by Columbia Pictures; Thrashin’ distributed by New Line Cinema Corporation; Flowers in the Attic, a co-production with New World; and Troop Beverly Hills, starring Shelly Long and Craig T. Nelson for Weintraub Entertainment. His most recent production, Screamers is a Sci-Fi/Action film based on a Phillip Dick short story starring Peter Weller for Sony/Triumph.
Fries has been, and continues to be, integrally involved in the entertainment industry at large. At the American Film Institute he has served as Vice Chair and Chair of the Executive Committee, and is now on the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors. He established the Charles W. Fries Producer of the Year Award at the Institute to encourage quality television programming. Recipients of the award include Dan Curtis, Edgar J. Scherick, Roger Gimbel, Suzanne de Passe, David Gerber, Stan Margulies, Dorothea Petrie, and Dick Berg, among others. He has also chaired the AFI Writers Workshop for fourteen years from which a number of participants have emerged as stellar writers. The Ava and Charles Fries Foundation established the Charles W. Fries Telefeature Library at the Institute. The library is intended to be a collection of groundbreak- ing, historically significant material and includes scripts, production records and video copies of each film.
Fries has been the Chairman, having served for five terms, and is the newly elected Chair of the Steering Committee of the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers and Directors an organiza- tion of 150 distinguished creators. At the Caucus he conceived the Annual Awards Dinner and has been Fries has been, and continues to be, integrally involved in the entertainment industry at large. At the American Film Institute he has served as Vice Chair and Chair of the Executive Com- mittee, and is now on the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors. He established the Charles W. Fries Producer of the Year Award at the Institute to encourage quality television pro- gramming. Recipients of the award include Dan Curtis, Edgar J. Scherick, Roger Gimbel, Su- zanne de Passe, David Gerber, Stan Margulies, Dorothea Petrie, and Dick Berg, among others.
He has also chaired the AFI Writers Workshop for fourteen years from which a number of partici- pants have emerged as stellar writers. The Ava and Charles Fries Foundation established the Charles W. Fries Telefeature Library at the Institute. The library is intended to be a collection of groundbreaking, historically significant material and includes scripts, production records and video copies of each film.
Fries has been the Chairman, having served for five terms, and is the newly elected Chair of the Steering Committee of the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers and Directors an organiza- tion of 150 distinguished creators. At the Caucus he conceived the Annual Awards Dinner and has been Chair and / or Co-Chair of the event since its inception nineteen years ago. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chair’s Award for his long time service to the organization. He was recently instrumental in founding the Caucus Foundation, which bestows Film Completion Grants to disadvantaged filmmakers.
Fries is currently a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, where he has served on the Board of Governors and now serves as Secretary of the Foundation; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he serves on the Executive Branch Membership Committee. He was awarded a Lifetime membership in the Producer’s Guild of America, where he launched the Guild’s Black Tie Awards event in 1998 and formulated the Guild’s Strategic Plan of Reorganization. He is also active at the Center Theatre Group (The Ahmanson and Mark Taper Forum Theatres), where he served on the Board and the Executive Committee, and as Vice President. He is Co-Chair with his wife Ava of the Executive Committee of the CTG Entertainment Circle and through an association with a constituent group, Center Theatre Group Affiliates has co-chaired a number of events including; the Michael Feinstein Salon and Angel’s Night.
Fries and his wife Ava have been awarded special honors by ICAN The Interagency for Child Abuse and Neglect; PATH People Assisting The Homeless; The Maple Center, a Beverly Hills family counseling service; and Cedars Sinai Medical Center, among others.
His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is directly opposite Mann’s Chinese Theater.