Robert Evans

Robert Evans was a legendary super-producer who was responsible for bringing to the big screen some of the most timeless classics of the "New Hollywood" era, among them "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), "Love Story" (1970), "The Godfather" (1972), and arguably his greatest achievement as a producer, Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" (1974). Born and raised in New York's Upper West Side, Evans grew up in a wealthy family during a time when most Americans were struggling financially due to the Great Depression. By the 1940s, when he was in his teens, Evans got his first brush with show business by doing voice acting work for radio. With his crisp, deep voice, Evans was a common presence of numerous radio shows throughout the 1940s. By his own estimate, he did voice work for upwards of 300 radio shows by the age of 18. In his early 20s Evans teamed up with his brother to open a clothing business that sold women's apparel. He proved to be a natural salesman, and by his mid-20s, the business had made him wealthy. Already in his mid-20s, Evans was living the American dream. He was rich, he was good-looking, and he was successful. Little did he know that his life was about to change forever. One day in November of 1956, while on business in Los Angeles, Evans was sitting by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel when he was spotted by the actress Norma Shearer. Shearer took an immediate liking to Evans and suggested that he play her late husband Irving Thalberg in the film "Man of a Thousand Faces" (1957). Evans agreed, and after much convincing from Shearer, the studio cast him in the role, despite his limited acting experience. Later that year, luck would strike yet again for Evans when Daryl Zanuck cast him as the bullfighter Pedro Romero in the film adaptation of Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" (1957). None of the actors in "The Sun Always Rises" wanted Evans in the film, and neither did Hemingway. However, Zanuck eventually sent a telegram to the crew, telling them, "The kid stays i