[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 68 (Tuesday, June 6, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E888-E889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         TRIBUTE TO SAUL ZAENTZ

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2000

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to your attention the 
deeds of the acclaimed film producer, Saul Zaentz of Passaic, New 
Jersey, who was feted on Friday, May 19, 2000. It is only fitting that 
the Second Ward Educational and Charitable Foundation, Inc. in 
cooperation with the Passaic Board of Education celebrate the 
dedication of the auditorium at the William B. Cruise Memorial School 
Number 11 as the Saul Zaentz Auditorium because of his remarkable 
talents and contributions to the entertainment industry and society as 
a whole. He is honored for his professional successes and never 
forgetting his roots.
  Saul Zaentz was born on February 28, 1921 in Passaic. He has produced 
only eight movies since 1975, yet three have won the best picture 
Oscar. These are The English Patient (1996), Amadeus (1984), and One 
Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). In addition, his film The 
Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) was nominated for multiple Oscars. 
He has a three-film version of the J.R.R. Tolkien epic Lord of the 
Rings trilogy in production. The first of the three, The Fellowship of 
the Ring, is due out in December of 2000. In 1978, he produced an 
animated film version of the book.

[[Page E889]]

  The 76-year-old's effort, The English Patient, won nine Oscars. The 
making of The English Patient is a story in itself. Saul entered a 
partnership with 20th Century Fox for the film, but the studio insisted 
on big-name casting. Unwilling to compromise, he found another backer 
in Miramax. Because of the size of the budget, the producer also 
persuaded the entire cast and crew to defer half their salaries until 
the film recouped its costs.
  In addition to winning an Oscar for The English Patient, Saul 
garnered the honorary award, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from 
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This only adds to a 
lifetime of achievement. The special award goes to, ``creative 
producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of 
motion picture production,'' according to Academy rules.
  The audience at the 1997 Academy Awards, the night of his triumph, 
was filled with actors and other film professionals who have worked 
with Saul. They all gave him a standing ovation.
  In 1937, Darryl F. Zanuck, Jr. won the first Thalberg Award and Saul 
was the 33rd winner. The previous time the Academy conferred the award, 
in 1995, it went to Clint Eastwood.
  This native of Passaic, who struggled for years to bring The English 
Patient to the screen, was given the Producers Guild's Darryl F. Zanuck 
Award as producer of the year. He also received its Eastman Kodak 
Vision Award for his ``special cinematic vision'' and took home a 
Golden Laurel marking his movie as the best drama of the year. Although 
it is only eight years old, the guild's awards have a near perfect 
record for predicting the best-picture Oscar.
  As a producer Saul's filmography includes many notable productions. 
In addition to his Oscar winning ventures, he has produced At Play in 
the Fields of the Lord (1991), The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Three 
Warriors (1977). He served as Executive Producer for Payday (1972). In 
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, he took an uncredited turn as an 
actor, playing the captain on the shore when the boat returns.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, Saul's family and 
friends, the Second Ward Educational and Charitable Foundation, Inc., 
the Passaic Board of Education, the City of Passaic, the State of New 
Jersey and me in recognizing the outstanding and invaluable 
achievements of Saul Zaentz.

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