Judith James, ‘Quiz Show’ and ‘Mad Dog Time’ Producer, Dies at 86
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Judith James, producer of “Quiz Show” and “Mad Dog Time” and Richard Dreyfuss’ longtime collaborator, died in Santa Barbara after a bout with cancer. She was 86.
James’ friend, Alex. B Block, confirmed the news to Variety.
James’ was an accomplished producer who worked alongside Dreyfuss on projects including “Funny, You Don’t Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville,” “Prisoner of Honor” and “The Lightkeepers.”
“From the minute I met Judy James at the Mark Taper Forum, I knew I had found someone who had the same passion for storytelling that I did,” Dreyfuss said in a statement. “In all the years we were producing partners, we were of like mind, not gender, and we always found a way to agree and wouldn’t have done anything without each other’s approval. She was a wonderful woman and a great friend.”
James was born in Worcester, Mass., and graduated from Vassar College in 1959 before moving to New York to work in theater. There, she produced the 1963 off-Broadway play “In White America,” which won a Drama Desk prize.
She would go on to work on various television series including “The Brotherhood of Justice,” “American Playhouse” and “Eleanor: In Her Own Words,” with the latter earning her an Emmy nomination.
James was married to Billy James, the American publicist whose clientele included Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne and the Doors. The couple was married from the 1960s until their divorce in 1982.
James’ first collaboration with Dreyfuss came with the 1987 documentary “Funny, You Don’t Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville,” which she also co-wrote. She executive produced “Quiz Show,” which nabbed four Oscar nominations, and joined Dreyfuss on “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” which landed him an Oscar nomination.
Aside from film and television, James produced “Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters’ First 100 Years,” which starred Mary Alice and Gloria Foster in a production partnership with Camille Cosby.
She was a member of Women in Film and helped the organization form a partnership with General Motors in support of women filmmakers. James also taught classes at UCLA and Santa Barbara City College.
James is survived by her son, Jackson James; daughter-in-law, Caroline; granddaughter, Josie; and stepson, Mark.
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