“Convincing some clothing manufacturer to buy, say, a periwinkle blue lining instead of a competitor’s royal blue lining would bring little satisfaction and no enjoyment. I knew right away,” he writes in his book.
He answered a Variety ad for “Experienced Agent Wanted” and somehow landed the job with no experience. His years as an agent (which included five actors in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959)) gave him an inside look at the film industry. , introduced Mr. Miller. In 1961, they made their first film, The Young Doctors. (Their later projects included Judy Garland’s final film, I Could Go On Singing, in 1963.) He single-handedly produced “The Flim-Flam Man” (1967). Then, a few months later, “The Graduation” was released.
Terman’s most recent accomplishment was serving as executive producer on The Thing in 2011 (he was the producer on the 1982 version), but in 1991 he embarked on a new path. was appointed director of the Peter Stark Produce Program for the movie The Thing. The School of Film Arts at the University of Southern California has produced many producers who are currently active in Hollywood. He retired two years ago.
Terman’s marriage to Suzanne Tribe, Margaret Buckley Parker and Laurie Berger ended in divorce. In addition to her son John from her marriage to Ms. Tribe, he has two other surviving sons from that marriage, Andrew and Peter. and her four grandchildren.
Terman, who was sometimes self-deprecating when discussing The Graduate’s impact on his career, has devoted a chapter to the film in his book, concluding with the following reflection: .
“Whether it’s Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, Einstein’s discovery of E=mc², or something as mundane as the production of The Graduate, it’s pretty cool after that. It’s after you.” will live on, and will eventually head your obituary, but until then it must be continually mentioned and confessed, and is continually gratifying.”
