Charles Powell; Headed USC Program in Film Producing

Charles M. Powell, a veteran Hollywood marketing executive and director of a USC film production program who was involved in the controversial colorizing of classic black and white films, has died. He was 57.

Powell died Friday of a heart attack in his USC campus office.

He had been named director last year of the Peter Stark Motion Picture Producing Program in the university’s School of Cinema and TV. Powell had been involved with the program since it began in 1979.

From 1983 to 1988, Powell was executive vice president of marketing for Color Systems Technology, which added color to scores of old films for broadcasting magnate Ted Turner. Although many industry figures and film buffs criticized the process, Powell promoted it as a way to give the old films a new appeal for generations accustomed to color television.

Powell had been a board member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 17 years, and at the time of his death was first vice president.

Powell graduated from New York University’s School of Journalism and began his career with the Columbia Pictures Executive Training Program. He spent 19 years with Columbia, rising to senior vice president for marketing.

He subsequently held the same position at MGM and MCA/Universal.

Powell oversaw the marketing and release of such films as “Butterflies Are Free,” “Cactus Flower,” “Animal House,” and “The Deer Hunter.”

In 1980, he and Buddy Young founded the marketing consultant firm of Powell & Young, which marketed “Rocky III” and “Annie” and represented such clients as Lorimar Pictures.

After his stint with Color Systems, Powell formed Pegasus Entertainment, a marketing consultant firm for independent filmmakers.

He was founder and president of Shofar Temple in Los Angeles, and was founder and president of the Synagogue for the Performing Arts.

In addition to his work with the USC film program, Powell lectured frequently at USC, UCLA, New York University, Yale and Oxford universities.

Powell is survived by his wife, Jane Burman Powell; a son, Mel, and his mother, Sue Lehrer.

A memorial service is scheduled today at 10 a.m. at Hillside Memorial Park Chapel in Los Angeles. Another service will be conducted Tuesday in New York, where Powell also maintained a home. That service will be at 11 a.m. at The Riverside, 76th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

The family has requested that memorial contributions be made to Shofar Synagogue, 11693 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 258, Los Angeles, Calif. 90049.