Josef Shaftel

Josef Shaftel (14 March 1919–9 March 1999) was an American film producer, director and writer. He made a number of films in England.^[1]

Shaftel was particularly prolific in the late 1960s and early 1970s.^[2] In 1970 he raised seven million pounds to film a slate of six movies for Cinerama.^[3] This included The Statue, The Last Grenade, Goodbye Gemini (originally called Ask Agamemnon), The Assassination of Trotsky and Say Hello to Yesterday.^[4]

In April 1972 Shaftel announced he would make sixteen films worth $20 million. However by April 1973 he was in receivership.^[5]

He declared bankruptcy in 1976.^[6]

Selected credits

Film

• The Man Who Watched Trains Go By (1952) aka The Paris Express - producer
• The Naked Dawn (1955) - producer
• No Place to Hide (1956) - producer, director
• The Naked Hills (1956) - producer, director, writer
• The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968) - producer, story^[7]
• The Bliss of Mrs Blossom (1968) - producer, story
• The Last Grenade (1970) - producer
• Goodbye Gemini (1970) - producer
• Say Hello to Yesterday (1971) - producer
• The Statue (1971) - producer
• The Trojan Women (1971) - executive producer
• The Assassination of Trotsky (1972) - executive producer
• Where Does It Hurt? (1972) - executive producer
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972) - executive producer
• The Spiral Staircase (1975) - executive producer
• The Sell-Out (1976) - producer
• Gulliver's Travels (1977) - executive producer
• Erotic Images (1983) - executive producer
• My Therapist (1983) - executive producer

Television

• The Californians (1957) - writer
• General Electric Theatre - producer
• The Untouchables (1959-61) - producer
• US Steel Hour (1961) - producer
• Straightaway (1961–1962 television series) - producer
• The Beachcomber (1962) - producer
• Summer Playhouse (1964) - producer