Marvin Worth

Marvin Worth (June 6, 1925 – April 22, 1998) was an American film producer, screenwriter and actor perhaps best known for his efforts to bring the biography of Malcolm X to the big screen. His efforts spanned from 1967, when he purchased the rights to The Autobiography of Malcolm X, leading to the production of the 1972 documentary, for which he received an Oscar nomination. Later on, he would help produce Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee.

Worth's career began at a very early age when he began promoting jazz concerts, which led to relationship with many artists. At one time, he managed the musical careers of Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday. Later, Worth's employment as an agent branched into comedy, and he took on contentious comedian Lenny Bruce. In the 1950s, he forged a partnership with Arne Sultan and began writing material for Bruce. The duo went on to pen the scripts for Three on a Couch and Boys' Night Out and the story for Promise Her Anything. In 1958, Worth won a Peabody Award for his writing on The Steve Allen Show.

In 1975, Worth brought the story of Lenny Bruce to Broadway in the production Lenny, which won a Tony Award for its star, Cliff Gorman. for the remainder of his career, Worth continued to produce biopics including the 1978 film The Rose (loosely based on Janis Joplin), the 1996 television movie Norma Jean & Marilyn, the 1998 television movie Gia, and the 2001 television movie James Dean.

Worth was married to his wife Joan, an artist, for 44 years. They had three children. On April 22, 1998, Worth died of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, a form of lung cancer, in Los Angeles.

Actor

• Fire Sale (1977)

Producer

• Where's Poppa? (1970)
• Lenny (1974)
• Fire Sale (1977)
• The Rose (1979)
• Up the Academy (1980)
• Soup for One (1982)
• Unfaithfully Yours (1984)
• Rhinestone (1984)
• Falling in Love (1984)
• Less Than Zero (1987)
• Patty Hearst (1988)
• See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
• Flashback (1990)
• Malcolm X (1992)
• Diabolique (1996)

Writer

• The Polly Bergen Show (Unknown episodes, 1957–1958)
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1 episode, 1958)
• The Ann Sothern Show (Unknown episodes, 1958)
• Get Smart (2 episodes, 1965)