Melanie Villines Books

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About Melanie Villines Books

J. HERBERT KLEIN was born in Detroit, Michigan, on August 22, 1921. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1942 and served in the First Motion Picture Unit, where Captain Ronald W. Reagan was his commanding officer. After his release from the service in 1945, Klein took over the family business - building luxury homes for the rich and famous. In 1956, Klein and colleague Charles Martin produced the film noir classic DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL for Howard Hughes. Subsequently, Klein pioneered talk television, producing programs that appeared on local stations in Los Angeles. In 1964, Klein produced the first American Theatre Awards, a talent competition for college students judged by Hollywood legends such as Robert Wise, director of WEST SIDE STORY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. During the mid-1960s, Klein established a business partnership with Jon Hall, leading man of the 1930s and 1940s, that generated patents and technological innovations. One of the oldest members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Klein is still active in the business as executive producer of International Film Arts.