Aaron Ezra Mann
- Producer
German-Born, American producer, writer and director Aaron "Ezra" Mann
is most probably best known for co-producing "In The Region Of Ice."
This film won an Academy Award (Oscar) for best short live action drama
of 1977. With a birth name of Icek Jakob Fiszmann; Aaron's life has
been enriched with a theatrical family heritage spanning well over a
century! His aunt Dora Zlotnik was a popular Polish silent film screen
actress. Her career started when she was cast as an extra in Charlie
Chaplin one-reeler's. In 1921 another Polish silent film screen actress
Pola Negri, starred in the same movie as Dora. It would be Pola's last
non-talking role as she went on to "talking pictures," the newest
technology of the time. Pola became a major star. Dora on the other
hand, who was very much widely known from the silent movies, went
another direction. She toured across Europe's most beloved opera houses
and cabarets performing live her vaudevillian style of song and dance.
Many compared Dora to the legendary Molly Picon. It was after such a
show one evening at the famed Grand Theatre in Warsaw, Poland; that
Dora was introduced to an up and coming handsome young Polish actor.
His name---Paul Muni. Mr. Muni was en route to America; to star in his
first Hollywood Motion Picture for Warner Bros. The two remained
colleagues and close friends for years. Theatrical impresario Florenz
Ziegfeld was an avid admirer of Doras. Mr. Ziegfeld created a starring
musical for her on Broadway. Unfortunately, Hitler's army intercepted
Dora, her husband and their two children moments before boarding an
ocean liner heading to New York. Fortunately though, both Aaron's
parents did survive the war! Aaron's mother Jean (Jadza) was born in
the small town of Sosnoweicz near Warsaw. This area was also home to
Louis B. Mayer, Harry & Jack Warner, Adolph Zukor, Myron Selznik and
Schmuel Gelbfisz (later changed his name to Samuel Goldwyn). Aaron's
father Samuel (Zanjwel) also born in Poland; in the larger city of Lodz
also the birthplace of Roman Polanski. Warsaw became the home site of
Film Polski, considered by many to be the world's finest film school.
While Aaron was attending the American Film Institute in 1974, he was
fortunate to have Slavko Vorkapitch as a professor. Prof. Vorkapitch
formerly taught at Film Polski. It was Prof. Vorkapitch that introduced
the famed Swedish director Ingemar Bergman to Aaron when he visited the
campus that same year. In 1945, Aaron's father apprenticed as a
projectionist/cutter for Central Filmen Producktions in Munich,Germany.
Central specialized in company training, industrial, educational,
military and institutional films. When owner Henrik Ulmerdied, Samuel
was asked to head the small company. On a personal note, Aaron's former
wife Carole remains a long-time executive at 20th Cent. Fox Studios.
Aaron when not traveling on the Continent, resides south of Sunset
Boulevard in Old Bel Air, California.