'The Social Network' producer remembers the late movie mogul as 'one of the best story tellers', and Paramount Pictures states he 'left behind a legacy as rich and animated as his personality.'

• Oct 29, 2019

AceShowbiz - Legendary Hollywood movie mogul Robert Evans has died, aged 89.

The Oscar-nominated "Chinatown" producer and former Paramount Pictures executive is credited with giving the movie industry a huge boost in the 1970s with films like "The Godfather" and "Love Story", while he also produced horror classic "Rosemary's Baby" and "Urban Cowboy".

Born Robert Shapera in New York City, his biggest hit was 1974's "Chinatown", starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, which earned him an Oscar nod for Best Picture. Evans accepted the Producers Guild of America's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

Evans also made waves with his bestselling 1994 autobiography "The Kid Stays in the Picture", which went on to become the title of a well-received 2002 documentary about the filmmaker.

He started out as a movie star in films like "The Sun Also Rises", "The Man of a Thousand Faces", and "The Fiend Who Walked the West", and was handed the production reins at Paramount in the 1960s, while his private life became as entertaining as some of his movies. Evans was married seven times and his wives included "Love Story" star Ali MacGraw, who left him for her "The Getaway" co-star Steve McQueen, Catherine Oxenberg, and Phyllis George. He was arrested in 1980 for cocaine possession, and Evans became a material witness in the murder of fellow Hollywood player Roy Radin.

Early tributes have come from Brett Morgen, who directed the film version of Evans' "The Kid Stays In The Picture" memoir and "The Social Network" producer Dana Brunetti.

Morgen writes, "Bob Evans produced some of the greatest films of all time, but the greatest production of all, was his life," while Brunetti adds, "One of the best story tellers this business ever had. He and his story was the driving force for me to pursue producing."

Meanwhile, Ali MacGraw, who was married to the producer from 1969 to 1972, has released a statement, which reads, "Our Son Joshua and I will miss Bob tremendously and we are so very proud of his enormous contribution to the Film Industry. He will be remembered as a Giant."

Sandra Bernhard and Natasha Lyonne have also tweeted tributes, while a spokesman for Paramount states Evans "left behind a legacy as rich and animated as his personality."