‘The Getaway’ Producer David Foster Dies At Age 90

Mike Fleming Jr

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Veteran Hollywood producer David Foster died Monday. He was 90 years old.

Foster’s career spanned 60 years and he produced such films as McCabe and Mrs. Miller, The Getaway, and John Carpenters’ The Thing. Foster began his career as a publicist representing such talent as Steve McQueen, Peter Sellers, Richard Attenborough, Shirley McClain, Andy Williams, James Coburn, Sonny and Cher and many others. He worked first at Rogers and Cowan, and then as a partner at Allan, Foster Ingersoll and Weber from 1960 to 1968.

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In 1968, at the urging of many of his clients, he became a film producer. He partnered with Mitchell Brower and right out the gate they produced Robert Altman’s classic McCabe And Mrs. Miller, starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. He partnered with his close friend, Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw to produce the Sam Peckinpah-directed hit The Getaway.

In 1974, he formed a company with The Graduate producer Larry Turman. Their first collaboration was The Drowning Pool, which starred Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and their 20-year partnership spanned 17 films, including 1977’s Heroes, John Carpenter’s The Thing in 1982, 1986’s Running Scared, 1994’s remake of The Getaway and 1994’s The River Wild.

Following The Turman Foster Company, Foster continued producing into the 2000’s with such films as 1998’s The Mask Of Zorro, 2002’s Collateral Damage and a remake of The Thing in 2011. In all, Foster produced over 30 movies in his storied career.

His sons, former IMAX Entertainment chief Greg and veteran producer Gary Foster, followed him into the business.

Per his family, David Foster was a no-nonsense man who called it as he saw it. He loved life and his family. He also loved adventure and The Apple Pan. He was an avid USC Trojan fan and could be seen roaming the sidelines during the Pete Carroll years. Born in 1929 in the Bronx, NY, David Foster was the son of immigrants. At the age of 17, his parents moved to California where he lived in both La Jolla and finally settling in Los Angeles. After graduating college, David was drafted into the army and served during the Korean War. Thanks to his journalism degree, he became the head speech writer for General “Iron Mike” Daniels in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Foster was married in 1959 to Jackie Pattiz. They celebrated 60 years of marriage this past July. He is survived by Jackie, their sons Gary, Greg and Tim, daughter-in-laws Lisa and Marci and grandchildren Daryn, Drew, Kayla, Jackson and Lucas. Foster was an industry mentor to many and loved sharing his enthusiasm for the business with anyone who would listen.

David Foster’s funeral will be held at Hillside Memorial Park, January 2, 2020 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Jewish Home for the Aging, 7150 Tampa Avenue, Reseda, CA, 91335.

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