Henry G. Saperstein

Henry G. Saperstein Born June 2, 1918 Chicago, Illinois, United States Died June 24, 1998 (aged 80) Beverly Hills, California, United States Occupation Producer, distributor First work Mister Magoo (TV 1960-1961) Notable work Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

Henry Gahagen "Hank" Saperstein was an American film producer and distributor. As a young man, Saperstein inherited his father's cinema chain in Chicago before moving on to television distribution. He moved to Hollywood in 1955, and purchased United Productions of America in 1960. At UPA, Saperstein produced the successful Mister Magoo television series and its spinoff television specials and series. Saperstein formed a relationship with Japanese studio Toho in the 1960s, co-producing three of its kaiju movies in 1965 and 1966 and arranging for American actors Nick Adams and Russ Tamblyn to appear in the films. Saperstein would subsequently work with Toho in the 1970s and 1980s and attempt to put together several Godzilla projects which never materialized. Saperstein was part of the negotiations with Hollywood studios in the early 1990s that attempted to get a Hollywood Godzilla film made. He passed away from cancer in Beverly Hills on June 24, 1998, at the age of 80. He is survived by his daughter, Pat.

Selected filmography

Executive producer

• Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965) [with Tomoyuki Tanaka, Reuben Bercovitch, Samuel Arkoff; uncredited in Japanese version]
• Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) [with Tomoyuki Tanaka, Reuben Bercovitch; uncredited in Japanese version]
• The War of the Gargantuas (1966) [with Tomoyuki Tanaka, Kenichiro Tsunoda, Reuben Bercovitch; uncredited in Japanese version]
• U.S.-Japan Collaboration: Godzilla (1978) [unproduced]
• Animated Godzilla film (1988) [unproduced]

Videos

"Nick Adams & Henry Saperstein in Japan" Kaiju Masterclass panel, with Pat Saperstein and Allyson Adams

Comments

Showing 3 comments. When commenting, please remain respectful of other users, stay on topic, and avoid role-playing and excessive punctuation. Comments which violate these guidelines may be removed by administrators.

Loading comments...