Gerald R. Molen

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Gerald R. Molen bigraphy, stories - Film

Gerald R. Molen : biography

January 6, 1935 –

Gerald Robert Molen (born January 6, 1935) is an American film producer. He has worked closely with Steven Spielberg, having produced five of his films, and won an Academy Award for co-producing Schindler’s List. Molen is now semi-retired and spends his time alternating between Montana and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Life and career

Molen was born in Great Falls, Montana, the son of Edith Lorraine (née Meyer) and Gerald Richard Molen. He grew up in North Hollywood, California, after moving from Montana, with a number of younger brothers and sisters. His mother ran a diner, "The Blue Onion", which was located across from one of the major studios. Molen got his start in the movie business by changing tires on studio trucks.

Molen has appeared in cameos in several of the films he produced, including Rain Man, Days of Thunder, and Jurassic Park. The name ‘Molen’ can be seen painted on the front of a large black cauldron in the movie Hook as the camera pans across the pirate docks in Neverland.

Molen produced a documentary film critical of Obama, 2016: Obama’s America, during the 2012 presidential campaign. Washington Post Anti-Obama Doc

In 2012 Molen was prohibited from speaking to high school students in Montana by the principal who described him as a "right-wing conservative." The cancellation of his presentation resulted in widespread criticism of the principal. The school district superintendent regretted the principal’s decision saying, "…that’s not how we treat people."Todd Starnes, "School Bans ‘Schindler’s List’ Producer for Being Conservative," June 8, 2012, Fox News, at .

Molen is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.LDS Church News, September 6, 2003

Filmography

  • *batteries not included (1987) (associate producer)
  • Rain Man (1988) (co-producer)
  • Days of Thunder (1990) (executive producer)
  • Hook (1991) (producer)
  • Schindler’s List (1993) (producer)
  • Jurassic Park (1993) (producer)
  • The Flintstones (1994) (executive producer)
  • Casper (1995) (executive producer)
  • The Trigger Effect (1996) (executive producer)
  • Twister (1996) (executive producer)
  • The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) (producer)
  • The Other Side of Heaven (2001) (producer)
  • Minority Report (2002) (producer)
  • The Legend of Johnny Lingo (2003) (producer)
  • Beyond the Blackboard (2011) (executive producer)
  • 2016: Obama’s America (2012) (producer)