Ismail Merchant Biography (1936-)

Original name, Ismail Noormohamed Abdul Rehman; born December 25, 1936, in Bombay, India; immigrated to the United States, 1958; son of Noormohamed Haji Abdul (a textile dealer) and Hazra (maiden name, Memon) Rehman; married; wife's name, Parmesh. Addresses: Office: Merchant-Ivory Productions Ltd., 250 West 57th St., Suite 1913-A, New York, NY 10102-0158.; Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212-1825.

Gender
Male
Occupation
Producer, director, writer
Birth Details
December 25, 1936
Bombay, India

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Producer
  • The Creation of Woman, Trident Films, 1960
  • The Sword and the Flute (short film), 1961
  • The Householder (also known as Gharbar), Royal Productions,1963
  • The Delhi Way, 1964
  • Shakespeare Wallah, Continental Distributing, 1965
  • The Guru, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1968
  • Bombay Talkie, Merchant-Ivory, 1970
  • Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization (documentary),New Yorker, 1971
  • (With James Ivory) Savages, Angelika, 1972
  • Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls, 1973
  • The Wild Party, American International Pictures, 1975
  • (With Ivory) Sweet Sounds, 1976
  • Roseland, Cinema Shares, 1977
  • Hullabaloo over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures, Contemporary, 1979
  • The Europeans, Levitt-Pickman, 1979
  • The Five Forty-Eight, Films, Inc., 1979
  • Jane Austen in Manhattan, Contemporary, 1980
  • Quartet, New World Pictures, 1981
  • Heat and Dust, Universal, 1982
  • (With Ivory) The Courtesans of Bombay (documentary), New Yorker, 1983
  • The Bostonians, Almi, 1984
  • A Room with a View, Cinecom International, 1986
  • Maurice, Cinecom International, 1987
  • The Deceivers, Cinecom International, 1988
  • (With Gary Hendler) Slaves of New York, TriStar, 1989
  • Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Miramax, 1990
  • The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Angelika, 1991
  • Howards End, Sony Picture Classics, 1992
  • (With Mike Nichols and John Calley) The Remains of the Day, Columbia, 1993
  • Jefferson in Paris, Buena Vista, 1995
  • Surviving Picasso, Warner Bros., 1996
  • A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, October Films, 1998
  • Cotton Mary, 1999 Artistic License, 2000
  • The Golden Bowl (also known as La coupe d'or), Miramax, 2000 Lions Gate Films, 2001
  • Film Executive Producer
  • My Little Girl, Starmaker, 1986
  • Sweet Lorraine, Angelika Films, 1987
  • The Perfect Murder, 1988
  • Feast of July, Buena Vista, 1995
  • Side Streets, Cargo Films/nuMedien, 1997
  • Film Director
  • The Creation of Woman, Trident Films, 1960
  • The Courtesans of Bombay (documentary), New Yorker, 1983
  • In Custody (also known as Hifazaat), Sony Picture Classics,1993
  • Lumiere et compagnie (documentary; also known as Lumiere and Company and Lumiere y compania), Pierre Grise Distribution, 1995
  • The Proprietor (also known as La proprietaire), Warner Bros., 1996
  • Cotton Mary, 1999 Artistic License, 2000
  • The Mystic Masseur, Merchant-Ivory Productions, 2001
  • Film Appearances
  • Master of ceremonies, The Guru, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969
  • Fate machine producer, Bombay Talkie, Merchant-Ivory Productions,1970
  • Tipoo sultan's ambassador, Jefferson in Paris, Buena Vista, 1995
  • Television Producer
  • Movies
  • (With James Ivory; and director) Mahatma and the Mad Boy, 1973
  • The Autobiography of a Princess, 1975
  • Television Work
  • Episodic
  • (With James Ivory) Executive producer, "Noon Wine," American Playhouse, PBS, 1985
  • Television Appearances
  • Episodic
  • Appeared on 60 Minutes.
  • RECORDINGS
  • Albums
  • Participated in the recording Merchant Ivory Productions: 25th Anniversary, 1962-1987, 1988.
  • WRITINGS
  • Film Scripts
  • The Courtesans of Bombay (documentary), New Yorker, 1983
  • Other Writings
  • Ismail Merchant's Indian Cuisine, St. Martin's (New York City), 1986
  • Hullabaloo in Old Jeypore: The Making of "The Deceivers," Doubleday (New York City), 1989
  • Ismail Merchant's Vegetarian Cuisine, 1991
  • Ismail Merchant's Florence: Filming and Feasting in Tuscany, Abrams (New York City), 1993
  • Ismail Merchant's Passionate Meals: The New Indian Cuisine for Fearless Cooks and Adventurous Eaters, Hyperion Press (Westport, CT), 1994
  • Once Upon a Time ... The Proprietor, 1996
  • Ismail Merchant's Paris: Filming and Feasting in France, Abrams, 1999

Further Reference

ADAPTATIONS

  • The film The Proprietor is based on a story by Merchant.
OTHER SOURCES
    Books
    • Pym, John, The Wandering Company: Twenty-One Years of Merchant Ivory Films, Museum of Modern Art (New York City), 1983
    Periodicals
    • Biography, November, 1998

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