Ned Tanen, studio exec and producer was 77

Variety reports that Ned Tanen, who served as president of Universal and Paramount and produced three popular "Brat Pack" films in the 1980s, died today in Santa Monica. He was 77. Tanen started as an agent at MCA in 1954, founded Uni Records in 1967, then moved into films.

The label helped launch the careers of artists including the Strawberry Alarm Clock, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Diamond and Elton John and then merged with Decca Records to form MCA Records.

Tanen then moved into film production. He acted as production supervisor on Milos Forman's "Taking Off," and in 1975 he started overseeing features for Universal. In 1976 he became president of Universal's theatrical motion pictures division.

Among the films he developed and greenlit were "American Graffiti," "Smokey and the Bandit," "The Deer Hunter," "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Melvin and Howard" and "Missing," helping to introduce filmmakers including George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis and Costa-Gavras.

During his time as an independent producer for Universal and Paramount, his Channel Prods. label produced the "brat pack" trilogy of John Hughes' "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club" and Joel Schumacher's "St. Elmo's Fire."

In 1984 Tanen joined Paramount as president of the motion picture group, where films made under his tenure included "Top Gun," "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "The Untouchables."

Tanen is survived by his partner Donna Dubrow, two daughters and three grandchildren, says Variety's Pat Saperstein.