David Korda, a British film producer and financier from a prominent filmmaking family, has passed away at the age of 87. His father, Zoltàn Korda, was also a notable director.

The announcement of Korda’s death was made on November 16 by film historian Charles Drazin via social media. Korda died on September 18 at Cromwell Hospital in London after battling cancer, as reported by Drazin, who authored a biography of Korda’s uncle, Alexander Korda, in 2011. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to break the news of David Korda’s passing.

Korda’s father directed films like the 1939 classic “The Four Feathers” and “Cry, the Beloved Country” from 1951. His mother, actress Joan Gardner, was known for her roles in films such as “The Scarlett Pimpernel” (1934) and “Dark Journey” (1937). His uncle, Alexander Korda, founded London Films, which produced notable works including “The Private Life of Henry VIII” (1933) and “The Third Man” (1949). His other uncle, Vincent Korda, was an Oscar-winning art director.

Throughout his extensive career spanning over sixty years, David Korda produced films including “Hamburger Hill” (1987) and “After the Rain” (1999), which starred Paul Bettany. As a financier, he collaborated with director Francis Ford Coppola on the films “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish,” both released in 1983. He also played a key role in securing funding for Terry Gilliam’s notoriously over-budget film “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” (1988).

Born in London, Korda relocated to Beverly Hills with his parents at the age of three. Drazin noted in a tribute that one of Korda’s earliest memories involved his Uncle Alex arriving in a large limousine to give him a tour of Los Angeles, after which he returned home with a bag of silver dollars. Other childhood memories included playing with props from “The Thief of Bagdad” and “The Jungle Book.”

Korda attended the Lycée in South Kensington before continuing his education at the International School in Geneva, Pomona College, and Oxford. After completing his studies, he co-founded a theater company in 1960 with Polish actor-director Wladek Sheybal, funded by his father, which showcased talents like Eileen Atkins, Prunella Scales, and Jeremy Brett.

Following his father’s passing the following year, Korda worked as an assistant on Peter Brook’s 1963 film “Lord of the Flies.” He compiled footage for producer Charles H. Schneer’s projects, including “Siege of the Saxons,” “East of Sudan,” and “Land Raiders.” Reflecting on his work, Korda expressed his belief that his father would have been upset by his use of film sequences from “The Four Feathers.”

In the later stages of his career, Korda worked as a unit manager on the 1967 Paramount musical “Half a Sixpence” and produced films like “The Ruling Class” and “Man Friday.” During the following decade, he focused on independently financed projects as a production supervisor and contributed as an associate producer on “Sunburn” and “Annie and Little Britches” for the British company Hemdale.

In 1980, Korda joined Film Finances as a London-based production executive. During his time there, the company provided bonds for films such as “The Terminator,” “Romancing the Stone,” and “Nightmare on Elm Street.” He left Film Finances in 1985 to become the head of production at a revitalized RKO.

Described as uncomplaining and stoic, David remained modest throughout his life. The only visible signs of pride in his office were four movie posters: two for Coppola’s films, “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish,” which solidified Film Finances’ reputation in Hollywood, and one for “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen,” a production that posed a significant risk to the company, which Korda expertly managed to control.

David Korda is survived by his son, Nik, and his daughter, Lerryn.

Person

David Korda, Zoltàn Korda, Charles Drazin, Alexander Korda, Joan Gardner, Vincent Korda, Paul Bettany, Francis Ford Coppola, Terry Gilliam, Wladek Sheybal, Eileen Atkins, Prunella Scales, Jeremy Brett, Charles H. Schneer, Nik, Lerryn

Company Names

London Films, British Lion Films, Film Finances, RKO, Hemdale

Titles

The Four Feathers, Cry, the Beloved Country, The Scarlett Pimpernel, Dark Journey, The Private Life of Henry VIII, The Third Man, Hamburger Hill, After the Rain, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Half a Sixpence, The Ruling Class, Man Friday, Sunburn, Annie and Little Britches, The Terminator, Romancing the Stone, Nightmare on Elm Street

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