Dawn Leslie Steel (1946–97) was an American film studio executive and producer, one of the first women to lead a major Hollywood studio. Her career spanned merchandising, film production, and studio leadership, making her a trailblazer in the entertainment industry.
Born in New York City, Steel attended Boston University and New York University, studying marketing before leaving to pursue business ventures. She founded Oh Dawn, a merchandising company known for novelty items, including Gucci-logo toilet paper, which led to a trademark lawsuit.
Steel entered Hollywood in 1978, joining Paramount Pictures as Director of Merchandising and Licensing, working on marketing tie-ins for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. She later became President of Production (1985,) overseeing hits like Flashdance (1983,) Top Gun (1986,) and Fatal Attraction (1987.)
In 1987, she became President of Columbia Pictures, making history as one of the first women to run a major studio. She revitalized Columbia, overseeing films like Ghostbusters II (1989) and Awakenings (1990.) She later founded Atlas Entertainment, producing City of Angels (1998.)
Her memoir, They Can Kill You But They Can’t Eat You: Lessons from the Front (1993,) offers insights into her Hollywood career and leadership philosophy.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Dawn Steel
You don’t resign from these jobs, you escape from them.
—Dawn Steel
Topics: Hollywood
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