Sig Shore, 87; Film Producer’s Biggest Hit Was ‘Superfly’

Sig Shore, an independent filmmaker best known for producing the 1972 movie “Superfly,” has died. He was 87.

Shore died Thursday of complications from chronic pneumonia at a hospital in Stamford, Conn., according to his family.

Shore was born in the Bronx and attended George Washington University on a basketball scholarship, but his education was interrupted by World War II. He served in the Army Air Forces as a navigator on a bomber in the Pacific theater.

After his discharge, he worked in advertising for a decade, owning agencies in New York and San Francisco. He also imported foreign films, including many from the Soviet Union during the tense days of the Cold War.

He started his career as a producer at 53 with “Superfly.”

Directed by Gordon Parks Jr. and starring Ron O’Neal, “Superfly” was the story of Harlem drug dealer Priest, played by O’Neal, who is out for one big score before he quits the business. Although the movie was accused of glorifying drug dealing, critic Leonard Maltin noted that it was an “undeniably exciting tale” that benefited greatly from an excellent score by Curtis Mayfield. The film was also enormously successful at the box office. Made for about $300,000, it reportedly earned more than $30 million.

Shore tried his hand at directing as well as producing with the 1975 film “That’s the Way of the World” (1975), which was about the recording industry and starred Harvey Keitel.

His last major directing/producing effort came in 1990 with “Return of Superfly,” which was far less successful both artistically and financially than the original.

Shore is survived by his wife, Barbara Cavanaugh Shore, five children and nine grandchildren.