Pleskow, Eric R. (32899187)

Eric R. Pleskow
Personal details
Birth name	Erich Pleskoff
Born	24 April 1924 Vienna, Austria
Died	1 October 2019 Westport, Connecticut, U.S.
Nativity	Austria
Religion	Jewish
Known for	President of United Artists and Orion Pictures
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
ASN	32899187
Rank	Private First Class
Camp Ritchie	Class 27 (5 February – 5 April 1945)
Section	5A
Enlisted	New York City, New York

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Eric Pleskow (born Erich Pleskoff; April 24, 1924 – October 1, 2019) was an Austrian-born American film producer and executive. From 1973 through 1978, Pleskow was president of United Artists. Following a protest from Transamerica Corporation, Pleskow co-founded and later ran Orion Pictures in 1978 through 1991. In his later career, he served as president of the Vienna International Film Festival from 1998 until his death.

Biography

Eric Pleskow (born Erich Pleskoff; April 24, 1924 – October 1, 2019) was an Austrian-born American film producer and executive. From 1973 through 1978, Pleskow was president of United Artists. Following a protest from Transamerica Corporation, Pleskow co-founded and later ran Orion Pictures in 1978 through 1991. In his later career, he served as president of the Vienna International Film Festival from 1998 until his death.

Born Erich Pleskoff in Vienna, he was the son of Jewish merchants. After the Anschluss and the following Aryanization of their apartment, the family emigrated to the United States in 1938.

In 1943, he was conscripted into the United States Army. His training in Military Intelligence at Camp Ritchie makes him one of the Ritchie Boys. After World War II, Pleskow returned to Austria and guided five interrogations during denazifications.

In 1951, he went to work for United Artists as a foreign department executive in their New York City office and moved to South Africa (1952) and Germany (1953-8) before becoming continental manager in Paris (1958–62). but soon became the president and CEO after Picker left UA that year. Under his presidency at United Artists, the company won the Academy Award for Best Picture three years in a row: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Rocky (1976) and Annie Hall (1977).

In 1978, Pleskow along with many executives from United Artists, formed Orion Pictures as a protest due to the constant interference from parent company Transamerica Corporation in the running of United Artists. He became chairman but resigned July 1, 1992. Their greatest successes under his management were Amadeus (1984), Platoon (1986), Dances with Wolves (1990) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) which all won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He also greenlit Little Man Tate (1990) and The Addams Family.

Pleskow died on October 1, 2019, in Westport, Connecticut, at the age of 95.

Research notes

• Made film for Army
• https:/S6727/www.youtube.com/watch?v=knzP_N-ZvbQ
• Film producer; President, United Artists; three Oscar awards
• Portrait and summary from Notable Ritchie Boys slides (source).

Gallery

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Technical record

Field	Imported value
Approx Age at Death	95
Nara ASN	32899187
Nara Name	PLESKOW ERIC R
Nara State	23
Nara County	61
Nara POE	2364
Nara DOE	290443
Nara Grade Alpha	PVT
Nara Grade Code	8
Nara Branch Alpha	NO
Nara Branch Code	2
Branch	No branch assignment
Nara Term or Enlistment	5
Term of enlistment	Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Defer. Date	0
Nara Source	0
Nara Nativity	N2
Nara Year of Birth	24
Nara Race	J
Nara Race Description	White not yet a citizen
Nara Education	5
Nara Civilian Occupation	6
Nara Marital Status	1
Nara Height (inches)	66
Nara Weight (lbs)	122
Class_ASN	32899187
Class_Name	PLESKOW, Eric R.
match_method	asn_exact_name_exact
row_source	both

Sources

• Wikipedia: Eric Pleskow
• Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
• NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
• 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)