DOUGLAS NETTER BIOGRAPHY

Douglas Netter is one of the handful of internationally known filmmakers, who has literally spent his life in motion pictures.  He rose to become one of the heads of Hollywood's biggest studios, MGM, before returning to independent film production.

Netter produced "THE CHEROKEE TRAIL," a television pilot for Walt Disney.  "THE CHEROKEE TRAIL" was aired on November 28, 1981.  It was the first pilot to be delivered by Walt Disney to CBS under their new long term association.  It is also Disney's first co-production in television with an outside independent production company, Rattlesnake Productions, Inc., owned by Douglas Netter.

In 1980, Netter had two of his four hour mini-series shown on Metromedia's version of Operation Prime Time.  The first, "THE WILD TIMES," based on Brian Garfield's novel, starring Ben Johnson and Sam Elliot, was aired in January, 1980.  The second, "ROUGHNECKS," an original screenplay by Michael Michaelian, starring Sam Melville and Cathy Lee Crosby, was aired in July, 1980.

In 1979, Douglas Netter produced "THE SACKETTS," a four hour mini-series for NBC and Media Productions, combining "THE DAYBREAKERS" and "SACKETT," the first two novels in Louis L'Amour's best selling series on the Sackett family.  "THE SACKETTS," starring Glenn Ford, Ben Johnson, Sam Elliot, and Tom Selleck, aired successfully in May, 1979.

Later in the year, he also produced "THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS," from an original play by Jim Byrnes, as a one-hour NBC pilot.  "THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS" was aired in the fall of 1979.

In 1978, Douglas Netter co-produced the motion picture "THE WILD GEESE," starring Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Hardy Kruger.  It was released theatrically throughout the world during the summer and fall of that year.

Mr. Netter's career began in film distribution with Eagle-Lion Films, where he absorbed the complexities and learned the skills of this most central area of the motion picture industry.

The experience was invaluable later when be became Vice-President and General Manager of Todd-A-O, and worked with industry greats, such as Mike Todd, on "AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS," and George Skouras, Richard Rogers, and Oscar Hammerstein, on "OKLAHOMA" and "SOUTH PACIFIC."

Netter then became General Manager of Samuel Goldwyn Productions when Mr. Goldwyn was producing the classic, "PORGY AND BESS," by George and Ira Gershwin.  He was also associated with Sam Goldwyn, Jr., in the production and distribution of "THE YOUNG LOVERS" and "PROUD REBELS."

He then forced his own company and was affiliated with Sam Speigel in the production of "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA," co-produced three "MATT HELM" pictures with Irwin Allen, starring Dean Martin, and was associated with Jack Lemmon's Jalem Productions of "COOL HAND LUKE," "HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE" and "APRIL FOOLS."

From 1969 to 1974, Mr. Netter was Executive Vice-President and on the Board of Directors of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.  As Chief Operating Officer, he was instrumental in reorganizing and then troubled company, and responsible for the production and distribution of over 75 motion pictures.  A successful turn-around was achieved, including the creations of the fabulous MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.  As president of MGM International, he was responsible for arranging production and distribution of motion pictures in every major country in the world.

Re-entering independent production in 1975, he personally produced "MR. RICCO" for MGM, starring Dean Martin, a film acclaimed by critics as Martin's finest role.  The film was produced on a 28 day shooting schedule, a remarkable achievement as a major film studio.

Douglas Netter is now developing new television projects for Walt Disney.  In addition, he is preparing several other screenplays for independent television and motion picture production in 1983.

# # # #

3308/95