Julian Blaustein; Veteran Movie Producer

Julian Blaustein, veteran motion picture producer behind such 1950s films as “Broken Arrow” and “Bell, Book and Candle,” has died. He was 80.

Blaustein, who had been a trustee of the Motion Picture and Television Fund for the past eight years, died Tuesday in Beverly Hills after a long illness.

In addition to “Broken Arrow” starring James Stewart and Jeff Chandler in 1950 and “Bell, Book and Candle” with Stewart and Kim Novak in 1958, Blaustein produced “Mr. 880” with Burt Lancaster and Dorothy McGuire in 1950, “Khartoum” with Charlton Heston and Sir Laurence Olivier in 1966 and the landmark science fiction film “The Day the Earth Stood Still” in 1951.

When he produced “Broken Arrow” from the Elliott Arnold novel “Blood Brother,” Blaustein demonstrated great enlightenment for that time in Hollywood by working hard to portray Native Americans fairly.

He employed 375 Apaches to perform in the film, build authentic wickiups and other props, play native instruments and teach the movie-makers traditional dances.

“We have treated them as people, not savages,” Blaustein told The Times in 1950. “We have tried to show that the only real ‘heavies’ are ignorance, misunderstanding and intolerance.”

Born in New York, Blaustein was educated at Harvard University and began his motion picture career in 1934 as a reader for Universal. He later headed story departments at Universal, MCA and Paramount.

During World War II, he produced training and documentary films for the Army Signal Corps Photo Center in Long Island City. After the war, he moved into producing in Hollywood, becoming an independent producer in 1952.

Blaustein later taught screenwriting and production at Stanford University.

He was a charter member and longtime officer of the Producers Guild of America and was active in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences where he set up the Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting in 1985.

Survivors include his wife, Florence; two children, John Blaustein and Laurie Megee, and four grandchildren.

The family has asked that any memorial contributions be made to the Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation in Woodland Hills.