James D. Brubaker
James D. Brubaker (March 30, 1937 – January 3, 2023) was an American film producer and production manager. Associated with Chartoff-Winkler Productions for several years, he had producing credits on several of the company's productions including two films in the Rocky series, as well as True Confessions and The Right Stuff. He later served as president of physical production at Universal Pictures from 2003 to 2008.
James D. Brubaker | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 30, 1937 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 3, 2023 (aged 85) |
| Education | California State University, Los Angeles |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | Marcy Kelly |
| Children | 3 |
Biography
Brubaker was born in Los Angeles, to Margaret Hayes Brubaker and Dudley Sutton Brubaker. His family was of Swiss-German descent. He attended California State University, Los Angeles and served in the U.S. Army. He began working in the film industry as a driver, transporting horses to sets on Western films. For his work on Gia, he won the 1999 Directors Guild of America Award and was nominated for a 1998 Primetime Emmy Award.
Brubaker and his wife, Marcy Kelly, had three children. On January 3, 2023, he died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, from complications of multiple strokes.[1]
Filmography
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | True Confessions | Associate producer | ||
| 1982 | Rocky III | Associate producer | ||
| 1983 | The Right Stuff | Executive producer | ||
| 1984 | Rhinestone | Associate producer | ||
| 1985 | Beer | Executive producer | ||
| Rocky IV | Executive producer | |||
| 1986 | Cobra | Executive producer | ||
| 1987 | Over the Top | Executive producer | ||
| 1988 | Patty Hearst | Line producer | ||
| 1990 | Problem Child | Executive producer | ||
| 1992 | Brain Donors | |||
| 1994 | Above the Rim | Executive producer | ||
| 1995 | A Walk in the Clouds | Executive producer | ||
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | Co-producer | ||
| 1997 | Liar Liar | Executive producer | ||
| 1999 | Life | Executive producer | ||
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Executive producer | ||
| 2001 | F-Stops | Executive producer | ||
| Her Majesty | Executive producer | |||
| 2002 | Dragonfly | Executive producer | ||
| 2003 | Bruce Almighty | |||
| 2012 | Jayne Mansfield's Car | Executive producer | ||
| 2013 | Standing Up | Executive producer | ||
| 2014 | Chef | Executive producer | Final film as a producer |
- Production manager
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Comes a Horseman | Unit production manager |
| Uncle Joe Shannon | Production manager | |
| 1980 | Raging Bull | |
| 1981 | True Confessions | |
| 1982 | Rocky III | |
| 1983 | Staying Alive | Production supervisor Unit production manager |
| The Right Stuff | Production manager | |
| 1984 | Rhinestone | Unit production manager |
| 1989 | K-9 | |
| 1990 | Problem Child | |
| 1992 | Brain Donors | |
| Mr. Baseball | ||
| 1994 | Above the Rim | |
| D2: The Mighty Ducks | ||
| 1995 | A Walk in the Clouds | |
| 1997 | Liar Liar | Unit production manager Unit production manager: Second unit |
| 1999 | Life | Unit production manager |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps |
- Transportation department
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | The Animals | Transportation captain | |
| 1971 | Big Jake | Driver | Uncredited |
| Diamonds Are Forever | |||
| Harold and Maude | |||
| 1972 | Lady Sings the Blues | Transportation captain | |
| Thumb Tripping | Insert car driver | ||
| Up the Sandbox | Transportation captain | ||
| 1973 | Walking Tall | Transportation coordinator | |
| Cahill U.S. Marshal | |||
| 1974 | McQ | ||
| Busting | Transportation captain | ||
| The Godfather Part II | Uncredited | ||
| 1975 | Against a Crooked Sky | ||
| 1976 | Embryo | Transportation coordinator | |
| Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Transportation captain | ||
| Nickelodeon | Transportation coordinator | ||
| 1977 | Capricorn One |
- As an actor
| Year | Film | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Life | Judge E.M. Byrne | |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Krusty Reporter |
- Editorial department
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Rocky II | Post-production coordinator |
- Miscellaneous crew
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | New York, New York | Assistant to production executive |
- Thanks
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | F-Stops | The producers wish to thank |
| 2002 | Phone Booth | The producers wish to thank: For their assistance |
| 2005 | The Nickel Children | Special thanks |
| Cry Wolf | The filmmakers wish to express their profound gratitute to | |
| 2007 | Finishing the Game | Special thanks |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Running Mates | Television film | |
| 1998 | Gia |
- Production manager
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Gifted One | Unit production manager | Television film |
| 1998 | Gia | Unit production manager: Second unit, New York |
- Transportation department
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Dead Don't Die | Transportation coordinator | Television film |
References
- Saperstein, Pat (January 3, 2023). "James D. Brubaker, Producer on 'The Right Stuff,' Rocky Movies, Dies at 85". Variety. Retrieved January 3, 2023.