Hall Bartlett

Hall Bartlett (November 27, 1922 – September 7, 1993) was an American film producer, director, and screen writer.

Early life

Hall Bartlett was born in Kansas City, Missouri, he graduated from Yale University Phi Beta Kappa, and was a Rhodes Scholar nominee. He served five years in Naval intelligence, then started his film making career when he began producing the documentary film Navajo, the first contemporary picture to focus attention on the plight of the American Indian. Bartlett was also the first filmmaker to do a picture about professional football: his Crazylegs was the story of superstar Elroy Hirsch.

Film career

His next film and directorial debut, Unchained, was filmed inside the California Institution for Men at Chino, California. Bartlett spent six months living as an inmate while he wrote the screenplay. The film's musical theme, "Unchained Melody," became an international classic.

Bartlett then acquired the rights to the first novel of Arthur Hailey, Zero Hour!, and made it into a suspense film. The film's plot was later used for Airplane!, the 1980 spoof of disaster films.