Burt Sugarman is an icon of the variety entertainment industry, producing many famous shows like The Midnight Special. Read more about his career and Burt Sugarman net worth.
The Midnight Special was a popular show that aired throughout the 70s to the early 80s. The program featured artists like Gladys Knight and the Pips, ABBA, B. B. King, and many others. The majority of them influenced the evolution of modern music and are respected today as pillars of the industry.
The producer amassed great wealth from his successful endeavors within the entertainment industry, side ventures, and investments, like property and stocks. And summing the entirety of the producer’s assets, Burt Sugarman net worth is estimated at $100 million.
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Burt Sugarman -Short Bio
The famous American film and television producer is currently 83 years old. He was born Burton Roy Sugarman, on January 4, 1939, in Los Angeles, California.
He is the founder of Burt Sugarman Productions and co-owner of the game show production company Barris industries.
Despite his success in the glittering industry of entertainment, there is very little known about the producer’s early life and humble beginnings. But like the millions of children who were exposed to the harshness of the second world war, starting a career in any field was probably difficult for young Burt Suragman, with the country’s economy still in the middle of recovering.
But what isn’t a secret is his marriage to American actress and television personality Mary Hart, who made a name as the long-running host of Entertainment Tonight. She was the host and correspondent of CBS’s longest-running newsmagazine show from 1982 to 2011.
The couple married in 1989 and are still together to this day. They have a son named Alec Jay.
Burt Sugarman’s Career
Burt Sugarman Most Notable Television Shows and Specials
One of Burt Sugarman’s shows as executive producer was Dionne Warwick‘s Souled TV Special, aired in 1969. He was also behind the variety tv specials, Changing Scene I to IV, which were gradually aired from 1970 to 71. Actor-filmmaker Gene Kelly hosted the shows which Chevrolet sponsored, and it presented viewers with a great combination of music and comedy.
The majority of shows Sugarman produced were aired throughout the 70s and 80s. The list includes The Judd Strunk Show, Wizard of Odds, and The Midnight Special television series, which first aired on February 2, 1973. The show lasted almost ten years until May 1, 1981.
Sugarman is also behind the Celebrity Sweepstakes television series, The Richard Show, created and hosted by comedic legend Richard Pryor. The show attracted much attention and was considered a major hit though it lasted only a year after its premiere in 1977.
The Newlywed Game hosted by Paul Rodriguez was a show produced by Burt Sugarman in 1988, after a few years of hiatus from television shows which he spent creating movies.
His last production was a special hosted by his wife. Mary Hart Presents Love in the Public Eye was aired in 1990. The show featured famous couples, commenting on the pressures of the public that all celebrities face.
Burt Sugarman Films
Burt Sugarman also worked on a few films, it may not be a long list, but people who grew up in the 70s and 90s would most probably recognize the titles of the movies. The first, and probably the most curious, film he worked on was The Manipulator, starring Mickey Rooney.
The 1971 thriller film takes viewers for a bizarre ride. Avid Alfred Hitchcock fans will undoubtedly take a liking to the indie film because of the striking similarities in style and thought process. And quoting Hitchcock’s logic, a scary movie is its truest form if the audience sees the possibility of such a scene happening in real life. So who can say a makeup artist can’t snap?
Sugarman’s next project was Kiss Me Goodbye, starring Sally Field and James Caan. The romance comedy film is mixed with fantasy. The story revolves around a very determined ghost, Jame Caan, who came back to prevent his living wife, Sally Field, from remarrying.
Sally Field earned a Golden Globe nomination for the film, and much to her credit, the movie was showered with positive reviews. But critics can’t help but point out that the movie adaptation could have turned out better if the production stuck to the elements of the original 1976 film.
According to respected critics of the industry, the 1986 thriller film, Extremities, was another so-so movie. The production attracted much attention due to the controversial elements and violence at the story’s root, but the film only received an above-average rating.
Children of a Lesser God is one of three films Burt Sugarman produced in 1986. This particular movie was highly regarded for its simplicity, which was ingeniously elevated by how beautifully it was told. Sugarman received his first and only Golden Globe nomination, while the film as a whole received a total of 11 nominations and six award wins.
Sugarman followed the success with Crimes of the Heart, his third film production in 1986, which garnered four award nominations and three wins, one of which was for a Golden Globe.
Burt Sugarman’s last movie production was Holy Jail’s 11-minute short film, released in 2019. The comedic story revolves around the adventure of an elderly man who chose to spend time in jail instead of paying for his speeding ticket and, oddly enough, found life behind bars appealing.
The short indie film won four award nominations.
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Burt Sugarman Net worth – Frequently Asked Questions
How Much is Burt Sugarman Net Worth?
Burt Sugarman net worth is estimated at $100 million. He is the executive producer behind iconic variety shows from the 70s, including Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Richard Pryor Show, and The Midnight Special.
How Did Burt Sugarman Make His Money?
Burt Sugarman’s success, mainly in the entertainment industry, led him to amass extreme wealth. After a triumphant run through the 70s and 80s, Sugarman oversaw his company, Burt Sugarman Productions, and Barris Industries.
Who Is Burt Sugarman Married To?
Burt Sugarman was married three times. His previous relationships with Pauline Schur and Carol Wayne ended in divorce. Sugarman finally married actress and famous television personality Mary Hart in 1989. The couple has one child and is still together to this day.
Burt Sugarman Net Worth – Final Thoughts
Sugarman has a concise list of projects, enumerating only 24 credits as a producer for both film and television combined. Impressively enough, he achieved success and extreme wealth in a short time, and decades after his last real tv and movie project, Burt Sugarman net worth still hovers on the list of the wealthiest personalities of Hollywood’s great industry.
What possibly made the difference was the era from when Sugarman entered the entertainment scene. In the 60s and 70s, television, films, music – Entertainment was evolving into a more modern form. Sugarman helped the process by lighting our screens with well-packaged shows, rare performances, and programs that encourage audience participation.
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Marjolein Dilven is a journalist and founder of Spark Nomad, a travel platform, and Radical FIRE, a personal finance platform. Marjolein has a finance and economics background with a master’s in Finance. She has quit her job to travel the world, documenting her travels on Spark Nomad to help people plan their travels. Marjolein Dilven has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, CNBC, Town News syndicate, and more.