Mike Todd
American film producer
Mike Todd Rank
About Mike Todd
Michael Todd, born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogenwas an American film producer and entertainer who is known widely for the great effort he put into the production of “Around the World in Eighty Days'', which made a massive impact in the movie industry in the mid 90’s.
Background
Mike was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. His parents, father Chaim Goldbogen and mother Sophia Hellerman, were Polish Jewish emigrants. His father was an Orthodox rabbi. Mike is the youngest of eight siblings.
Mike's family arrived at Chicago at the end of the First World War, he was in sixth grade at the time.
Early life
Mike quit high school and did several menial jobs, such as working as a security guard and a shoe salesman. He later ventured into the construction business, which failed woefully along the line. Mike’s passion for construction work further led him into starting the College of Bricklaying of America where he taught bricklaying. His business once again saw failure as the Bricklayers' Union backlashed his every move.
Career Highlights
As his bricklaying college failed Mike continued into starting a construction company with his brother amidst working in several Hollywood production studios.
He rose to become an Oscar winning American film producer with his adventure-comedy film “Around the World in 80 Days” a film that later won him Academy Award for “Best Picture”.
Realizing he could attain massive success in showbiz he joined Broadway where he spearheaded the production of 17 shows. Mike played an exceptional role in technical innovation in the film industry during the 1950s.
He founded the Cinerama - a company created to discover the process that broadens the aspect ratio of peripheral vision of the viewer. He began the company with Fred Waller and Lowell Thomas and further moved on to start the widescreen, 70 mm film format which was named Todd-AO, a venture he dived into together with the American Optical Company. The widescreen was a build up on Cinerama’s flaws.
Further in his quest to make his production gain ground he traded his interest in the Todd-AO format to finance “Around the World in 80 Days”. The production first employed the Todd-AO 70 mm process and featured Cantinflas and David Niven. It later became a huge success as it won five Oscars.
In addition to his great theatrical exploits, Mike was producing scripts for American comedians Olsen and Johnson. He is also the co-writer and producer of ‘’Call Me Ziggy’’, another Broadway production.
Mike made a public interest in the management WPA production of musical theater adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera ‘’The Mikado’’ but his offer was rejected by the Federal Theater Project (FTP). He went on to rebrand and produce a jazzier version on Broadway, which he named ‘’The Hot Mikado’’.
In 1950, Mike bought the twin theaters called Harris and Selwyn which is located in a suburb town in Chicago, Illinois. He developed both into movie theaters and renamed it ‘The Michael Todd Theater’ and ‘Michael Todd's Cinestage’.
Death
Mike Todd tragically died in a plane crush on March 2, 1958. He was married to award winning Actress Elizabeth taylor at the time.
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F.A.Q. about Mike Todd
When is his birthday?
Mike Todd's birthday is on June 22, 1909.
In how many days is his birthday?
Mike's birthday is in 60 days
How old was Mike when he died?
He was 48 years old.
When did he die?
He died in March 22, 1958.
How old would he be today?
Mike Todd would be 114 years old if he was alive today.
Where was Mike from?
He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S..