Alex Gordon

The producer of such films as The Day the World Ended (1956) and Requiem for a Gunfighter (1965), Alex Gordon's longtime friendship with beloved Western singer/star Gene Autry eventually lead the former Renown Pictures advertising and publicity man to a lucrative career in Hollywood. A native of London who served in WWII, Gordon returned from battle to take a position at Renown Pictures, running Gene Autry's fan club in his free time. Gordon eventually met the popular singing cowboy when he came to Blighty for a personal appearance, and when Gordon later moved to New York, Autry hired him as an advance man for his many U.S. tours. A natural transition to Hollywood followed soon thereafter, and, in 1954, Gordon landed his first production job in the Johnny Carpenter Western The Lawless Rider. Soon striking up a friendship with lawyer and Carpenter representative Samuel Z. Arkoff, Gordon joined Arkoff and partner Jim Nicholson's American International Pictures, eventually producing 18 films for the busy production company. A departure from AIP in 1957 found Gordon producing such pictures as The Underwater City (1962) and Requiem for a Gunfighter. In 1968, he headed a film restoration project at 20th Century Fox. Later working for the Gene Autry Foundation, Gordon remained with the organization for the remainder of his career. Alex Gordon died June 24, 2003, in Los Angeles following an extended illness. He was 80.