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Merchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant (1936–2005) and director James Ivory (b. 1928). Merchant and Ivory were life and business partners from 1961 until Merchant's death in 2005. During their time together, they made 44 films. The films were for the most part produced by Merchant and directed by Ivory, and 23 of them were scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (1927–2013) in some capacity. The films were often based upon novels or short stories, particularly the work of Henry James, E. M. Forster, and Jhabvala herself.
| Founded | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ismail Merchant James Ivory |
The initial goal of the company was "to make English-language films in India aimed at the international market". The style of Merchant Ivory films set and photographed in India became iconic. The company also went on to make films in the United Kingdom and America.[citation needed]
Some actors and producers associated with Merchant Ivory include Maggie Smith, Leela Naidu, Madhur Jaffrey, Aparna Sen, Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendal, Hugh Grant, James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Simon Callow, Anthony Hopkins, Glenn Close, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson, Ralph Fiennes, Colin Firth, Richard Hawley and Helena Bonham Carter.[citation needed]
Of this collaboration, Merchant once commented: "It is a strange marriage we have at Merchant Ivory... I am an Indian Muslim, Ruth is a German Jew, and Jim is a Protestant American. Someone once described us as a three-headed god. Maybe they should have called us a three-headed monster!"[1]
The expression "Merchant–Ivory film" has made its way into common parlance, to denote a particular genre of film rather than the actual production company. While 1965's Shakespeare Wallah put this genre on the international map,[2] its heyday was the 1980s and 1990s with such films as A Room with a View (1985) and Howards End (1992). A typical "Merchant–Ivory film" would be a period piece set in the early 20th century, usually in Edwardian England, featuring lavish sets and top British actors portraying genteel characters who suffer from disillusionment and tragic entanglements. The main theme often surrounded a house, which took on a particular importance in many Merchant Ivory films.[3][4]
Merchant Ivory Productions was founded in 1961 by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory[5] in India to produce English language films.[6]
After early, modest successes with films such as The Householder, Shakespeare Wallah, and Bombay Talkie, Merchant and Ivory suffered a lean period during the 1970s. Films such as Jane Austen in Manhattan and The Wild Party failed to find an audience. Their fortunes revived dramatically in 1979 when they made an adaptation of Henry James' novel The Europeans. Their film Heat and Dust (1983) was an art-house hit in Europe, particularly in England. However, it was not until their work together on A Room with a View (1985) that they broke out from the art house into broader success.
In 1985, Merchant Ivory Productions was signed by film distributor Cinecom International Films in order to gave Cinecom access to the 11 Merchant Ivory productions at that time as Cinecom had to increase its distribution schedule.[7] In 1986, Merchant Ivory and Cinecom begin their co-production lineup with the film The Deceivers.[8] In 1987, after 25 years as an independent producer, Merchant Ivory Productions declined offers by Hollywood power brokers and deep-pocketed investors, mesmerized by the success of the triple-Oscar winning A Room with a View, to take the company public.[9]
Around 1990, they moved their productions to England and the United States. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala became their frequent collaborating writer.[6] Major film studios sought them out; Disney signed Merchant Ivory Productions to a three-year distribution deal in 1991.[10][11]
In October 2015, Cohen Media Group acquired the Merchant Ivory brand and library, 21 films and 9 documentaries including worldwide distribution, for restoration and rerelease as a part of the Cohen Film Collection. Ivory would be creative director on the films' restoration, re-release and promotion.[6]
James Ivory
Ivory was known for often directing the productions. He received three Academy Award nominations for his work but never won. He received his first Oscar at the age of 89 for his screenplay for Call Me by Your Name, becoming the oldest person to win an Oscar for writing.
Academy Awards
| Year | Film | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | A Room with a View | Best Director | Nominated |
| 1993 | Howards End | Nominated | |
| 1994 | The Remains of the Day | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Call Me by Your Name | Best Adapted Screenplay | Won |
Ismail Merchant
Merchant was known for producing the films. Despite four nominations, he never won.
Academy Awards
| Year | Film | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | The Creation of a Woman | Live Action Short Film | Nominated |
| 1986 | A Room with a View | Best Picture | Nominated |
| 1993 | Howards End | Nominated | |
| 1994 | The Remains of the Day | Nominated | |
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Jhabvala was known for adapting the screenplays. She received three nominations, with two wins.
Academy Awards
| Year | Film | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | A Room with a View | Best Adapted Screenplay | Won |
| 1993 | Howards End | Won | |
| 1994 | The Remains of the Day | Nominated | |
Richard Hawley
Hawley started in 1987 as Ivory's first assistant director on Slaves of New York. He was involved in every project to some degree thereafter. In 1994, he started co-running the company with Merchant and departed in 2009 after completion of The City of Your Final Destination.
| Year | Film | Involvement |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Slaves of New York | First assistant director |
| 1995 | Jefferson in Paris | First assistant director Unit production manager |
| 1996 | The Proprietor | Associate producer |
| 1998 | Side Streets | Executive producer |
| A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries | Executive producer First assistant director Unit production manager (USA) | |
| 1999 | Cotton Mary | Producer North American distribution executive |
| 2000 | The Golden Bowl | Executive producer |
| 2001 | The Mystic Masseur | Producer |
| 2003 | Le Divorce | Co-producer |
| 2005 | Heights | Producer Soundtrack producer |
| The White Countess | Co-producer Music producer | |
| 2009 | The City of Your Final Destination | Co-producer Production manager |
Compiled works from Merchant Ivory Productions.
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Screenwriter | Source Material | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Householder[6] | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | adapted from the novel of the same name by Jhabvala | the first Merchant Ivory adaptation of a novel by Jhabvala |
| 1965 | Shakespeare Wallah[6] | original story | ||||
| 1969 | The Guru | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory | ||||
| The Night of Counting the Years | Shadi Abdel Salam | Roberto Rossellini | Shadi Abdel Salam | the first Merchant Ivory film without Merchant, Ivory, or Jhabvala | ||
| 1970 | Bombay Talkie | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | ||
| 1972 | Savages | Ismail Merchant, Joseph J.M. Saleh (executive), and Anthony Korner (associate) | George W. S. Trow and Michael O'Donoghue | based on an idea by James Ivory | ||
| 1975 | The Wild Party | Ismail Merchant | Walter Marks | based on the poem by Joseph Moncure March | ||
| Autobiography of a Princess | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | original story | ||||
| 1977 | Roseland | anthology film | ||||
| 1978 | Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures | TV film | ||||
| 1979 | The Europeans | based on the novel by Henry James | the first Merchant Ivory adaptation of a novel by James | |||
| 1980 | Jane Austen in Manhattan | Libretto "Sir Charles Grandison" by Jane Austen & Samuel Richardson, based on the play "Sir Charles Grandison, or The Happy Man" by Austen | ||||
| 1981 | Quartet | based on the novel by Jean Rhys | ||||
| 1983 | The Courtesans of Bombay | Ismail Merchant | Ismail Merchant, James Ivory, and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | original story | TV film | |
| Heat and Dust | James Ivory | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala[10] | based on the novel by Jhabvala | the second Merchant Ivory adaptation of a novel by Jhabvala | ||
| 1984 | The Bostonians | based on the novel by Henry James | the second Merchant Ivory adaptation of a novel by James | |||
| 1985 | A Room with a View | based on the novel by E. M. Forster | the first Merchant Ivory adaptation of a novel by Forster | |||
| 1986 | My Little Girl | Connie Kaiserman | Ismail Merchant (executive producer), Thomas F. Turley (line producer) | Connie Kaiserman and Nan Mason | original story | |
| 1987 | Maurice | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant | James Ivory and Kit Hesketh-Harvey | based on the novel by E. M. Forster | the second Merchant Ivory adaptation of a novel by Forster |
| 1988 | The Deceivers | Nicholas Meyer | Michael Hirst | based on the novel by John Masters | ||
| The Perfect Murder | Zafar Hai | H. R. F. Keating and Zafar Hai | based on the novel by Keating | |||
| 1989 | Slaves of New York | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant, Gary Hendler, Fred Hughes (associate), and Vincent Fremont (associate) | Tama Janowitz | based on a collection of stories by Janowitz | |
| 1990 | Mr. & Mrs. Bridge | Ismail Merchant | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | based on Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge by Evan S. Connell | ||
| 1991 | The Ballad of the Sad Café | Simon Callow | Michael Hirst | based on the play by Edward Albee adapted from the novel by Carson McCullers | ||
| Street Musicians of Bombay | Richard Robbins | Wahid Chowhan, Ismail merchant (executive, uncredited), Shahnaz Vahanvaty (associate) | n/a | original story | documentary | |
| 1992 | Howards End | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | based on the novel by E.M. Forster | the third adaptation of a novel by Forster |
| 1993 | In Custody | Ismail Merchant | Wahid Chowhan, Paul Bradley (executive), and Donald Rosenfeld (executive) | Shahrukh Husain and Anita Desai | based on the novel by Desai | |
| The Remains of the Day | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant, Mike Nichols, and John Calley | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala[10] and Harold Pinter (uncredited) | based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro | ||
| 1995 | Feast of July | Christopher Menaul | Henry Herbert, Christopher Neame, Ismail Merchant (executive) and Paul Bradley (executive) | Christopher Neame | based on the novel by H. E. Bates | |
| Jefferson in Paris | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant, Humbert Balsan, Paul Bradley and Donald Rosenfeld | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | historical fiction | ||
| 1996 | The Proprietor | Ismail Merchant | Humbert Balsan and Donald Rosenfeld | Jean-Marie Besset and George W. S. Trow | original story | |
| Surviving Picasso | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant and David L. Wolper | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | based on the book Picasso: Creator and Destroyer by Arianna Huffington | ||
| 1998 | Side Streets | Tony Gerber | Bruce Weiss, Ismail Merchant (executive), Tom Borders (executive), and Gregory Cascante (executive) | Tony Gerber and Lynn Nottage | original story | |
| A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | based on the novel by Kaylie Jones | ||
| 1999 | Cotton Mary | Ismail Merchant and Madhur Jaffrey | Nayeem Hafizka, Richard Hawley, Paul Bradley (executive), and Gil Donaldson (associate) | Alexandra Viets | original story | |
| 2000 | The Golden Bowl | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | based on the novel by Henry James | the third Merchant Ivory adaptation of a novel by James |
| 2001 | The Mystic Masseur | Ismail Merchant | Nayeem Haffizka and Richard Hawley | Caryl Phillips | based on the novel by V. S. Naipaul | |
| 2002 | Merci Docteur Rey | Andrew Litvack | Ismail Merchant | Andrew Litvack | original story | |
| 2003 | Le Divorce | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant and Michael Schiffer | James Ivory and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | based on the novel by Diane Johnson | |
| 2005 | Heights | Chris Terrio | Richard Hawley, James Ivory, and Ismail Merchant | Amy Fox and Chris Terrio | original story by Fox | |
| The White Countess | James Ivory | Ismail Merchant | Kazuo Ishiguro | original story | Ismail Merchant's final film | |
| 2007 | Before the Rains | Santosh Sivan | Mark Burton, Paul Hardart, Tom Hardart, Doug Mankoff, and Andrew Spaulding | Cathy Rabin | adapted from the "Red Roofs" segment of the film Yellow Asphalt, written and directed by Danny Verete | the only remake by Merchant Ivory and the last Merchant Ivory film made without James Ivory or Ruth Prawer Jhabvala |
| 2009 | The City of Your Final Destination | James Ivory | Paul Bradley and Pierre Proner | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | based the novel by Peter Cameron | the final Merchant Ivory film |
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