David Puttnam at Columbia Pictures: Part 4

We continue our miniseries on British film producer David Puttnam and the films he would make or acquire during his brief run as the head of Columbia Pictures, by taking a look at the movies Puttnam would approve or acquire that were released between July 1989 and March 1990, as well as a summary of several Puttnam-developed films that would never get made or released, Puttnam's life after the studio, and a personal commentary on the state of cinema today, and the continual mistreatment of the Puttnam films, thirty-three years later.

David Puttnam, in an undated photo, during his time as the head of Columbia Pictures, 1986-1987

The titles discussed during this episode include:

Bad Karma (Producer: Deborah Blum, Never Made)
The Big Picture (Christopher Guest, September 1989)
Blind Luck (Producer: Craig Zadan, Never Made)
Bloodhounds of Broadway (Howard Brookner, November 1989)
Eat a Bowl of Tea (Wayne Wang, July 1989)
The Far Side (Alan Rudolph, Never Made)
40 - Just Like America (Director Unknown, Never Released)
Flying Blind (Vince DePersio, July 1990)
Me and Him (Doris Dörrie, August 1989)
Napoli (Writers: Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenias, Never Made)
Old Gringo (Luis Puenzo, October 1989)
Time of the Gypsies (Emir Kusturica, February 1990)
To Kill a Priest (Angieszka Holland, October 1989)
Toys (Barry Levinson, December 1992 from 20th Century Fox)
Untitled Richard Brooks DeMille/Mankiewicz Drama (Never Made)
Untitled Stanley Kramer Chernobyl Drama (Never Made)

Lord David Puttnam, in recent times

 

The original 1989 Theatrical One-Sheet for Christopher Guest's The Big Picture

 

The original 1989 Theatrical One-Sheet for Doris Dorrie's Me and Him