Background
Elkins, Hillard was born on October 18, 1929 in New York City. Son of Max and Rachel (Kaplan) Elkins.
Elkins, Hillard was born on October 18, 1929 in New York City. Son of Max and Rachel (Kaplan) Elkins.
Born in Brooklyn in New York City, Elkins attended Erasmus Hall and Midwood High Schools and Brooklyn College.
At the age of eighteen he already had his degree and was studying law while working in the mail room at the William Morris Agency, quickly moving up the ranks to agent and then head of the theatrical department. After serving in the Korean War by making training films in Manhattan, he returned to agency work, but in 1953 left to open his own management company, where he represented James Coburn, Robert Culp, Steve McQueen, Mel Brooks, Herbert Ross, Charles Strouse, and Lee Adams. Elkins turned to Broadway theatre producing in 1962 with the Garson Kanin play Come on Strong.
The following year, he saw former client Sammy Davis, Jr. performing at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, and approached him about starring in a musical version of Clifford Odets' Golden Boy. When Davis expressed interest, Elkins approached Odets to adapt his 1937 hit play and write the book for the musical (revised by William Gibson when Odets died in August 1963) and hired Strouse and Adams to compose the score. Elkins reunited with director Penn for his first film production, Alice's Restaurant (1969) with Arlo Guthrie.
This was followed by the Golden Globe-nominated film A New Leaf (1971), screen adaptations of Oh! Calcutta! (1972) and A Doll's House (1973), and Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979). For television, Elkins produced the documentaries Pippin: His Life and Times (1981), Sex, Censorship and the Silver Screen (1996), An Evening with Quentin Crisp (1999), and Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool (2005). Elins owned the screen rights to the Kurt Vonnegut novel Cat's Cradle, which currently is in development.
Elkins was the subject of a 1972 book, The Producer by Christopher Davis.
Served with Army of the United States, 1950-1952. Member National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, American Federation of television and Radio Artists, Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Dramatists Guild, League New York Theatres, National Conference Personal Managers.
Married Claire Bloom, 1969 (divorced 1974) Married Sandi Love. Children: John, Daniel Hillard.