Merv Adelson, co-founder of Lorimar Television and producer of many hit shows during the 1970s and '80s, has died at age 85.
Born in Los Angeles on Oct. 23, 1929, Adelson moved to Las Vegas as a teenager. There he became a rich entrepreneur after opening a 24-hour grocery store. He was the third husband of Barbara Walters. They married in 1981 and divorced in 1984.
Adelson served as Founding Partner and Chairman of EastWest VentureGroup. Adelson had been a leading executive in the entertainment and communications industries for more than 30 years.
Adelson co-founded Lorimar Telepictures Corporation and served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He had established Lorimar Telepictures into the world's largest producer of television programming as well as a reputed motion picture production company.
"I've had a lot of ups and downs, haven't I," Adelson said to Variety in 2005.
Hollywood's leading executives expressed grief over his death on Sept. 9, Wednesday.
"Merv was a wonderful classy guy who was a mentor "He was someone I wanted to be like. I looked up to him," said CBS Corp. president-CEO Leslie Moonves, who worked at Lorimar in the 1980s.
"Merv Adelson was someone who I spent many years doing business with and he was terrific at what he did. He also was a friend of mine and I will miss him," said Bob Daly, former chairman and co-chief executive at Warner Bros.
Initially producing made-for-television films, the company made original series. "The Waltons," was the company's first hit and has delivered many other hits including "Eight Is Enough," and "Dallas," TV's top-rated drama from 1979-84.
Other TV hit series from Lorimar productions include: "Dallas," "Knots Landing," and "Falcon Crest." Lorimar Telepictures have given well-liked sitcoms including; "Perfect Strangers," and "Full House."
The company merged with Telepictures in 1986 and in 1989 the new company was sold to Warner Bros for $1.2 billion. Adelson became Vice Chairman at Warner and he left the company in 1991.
According to Bloomberg, Adelson served as a member of the Board of Directors at IDT Media, Inc. and as a member of the board of directors of Avalon Digital Marketing Systems Inc., and 7thStreet.com.
Adelson served as a member of the Board of Directors at Prostate Cancer Foundation and 7th Street.com. He also served as Director of the American Film Institute and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.