As producer, director, writer,
and editor, Victor Stoloff has
actively engaged in producing
feature motion pictures and
television programs throughout the
world. His varied projects have
taken him to the five continents,
from the back lots of Hollywood to
the remote African region of
Timbuktu.
After Studying two years of law,
at 20 , he introduced the first
sound recording system built in
Egypt, launching his professional
career as founder, cameraman, and
editor of the first arabic language
newsreel company, "ORIENT
ACTUALITIES". In addition
to Egyptian , he speaks French,
Italian, German, Spanish, and
Russian fluently.
In the famous Oasis of Siwa, he
wrote, directed, and edited
"DESERT BOY" now part
of the of the film collection at
the Museum of Modern Art in New
York City. Its critical acclaim
earned him an assignment with Lord
Kenneth Clark of the Ministry of
Information in England, for whom he
wrote "BLACK IVORY,"
and original drama about the
freeing of Central Africa from a
notorious slave trader by General
Gordon.
Setting sail for the United
States, Stoloff met Nelson A.
Rockefeller in New York City. Mr.
Rockefeller, then coordinator of
Inter-American Affairs, agreed to
finance a documentary-style drama
entitled "BETTER DRESSES,
FIFTH FLOOR."
Stoloff directed "KID
BROTHER" for the Ministry
of Agriculture, a film he wrote
with Dorothy Thompson. They also
collaborated on "LITTLE
ISLES OF FREEDOM," which
starred Charles Boyer, and released
by Warner Bros..., and is now at
the Museum of Modern Art.
For Television, Stoloff directed
"THE FORD THEATER,"
which established Screen Gems. He
was twice associate producer,
writer, and director of CBS-TV’s
hour long special "HIGH
ADVENTURE WITH LOWELL THOMAS."
He directed many "NATIONAL
VELVET" shows for NBC, and
he produced 22 one hour shows on
location for CBS of the first
season of "HAWAII FIVE
-O."
In the feature film field,
Stoloff has been associated with
William Dieterle, Sidney Buchman,
Hunt Stromberg, and David O.
Selznick. He was involved in the
production of "YOUNG
WIDOW" with Jane Russell and
of "CARMEN" with
Rita Hayworth. He Collaborated with
Dieterle on "THIS IS
DYNAMITE" and "ROOTS
MALONE" with William
Holden at Columbia; SEPTEMBER
SONG" With Joan Fontain at
Paramount; "THIS LOVE OF
OURS" with Ginger Rogers
for Selznick; and KISMET" with
Ronald Colman and Marlene Dietrich
for MGM.
Victor Stoloff produced and
directed the first American film
made entirely in Italy, "MIRELLA"
with Douglas Montgomery and Sarah
Churchill, as well the first U.S.
Feature motion picture shot
entirely in Egypt, "EGYPT
BY THREE," released by
Filmmakers. "THE LONE
JOURNEY," which he wrote,
produced and directed, was filmed
around the world with Peter
Townsend and distributed by Pathé.
He wrote the original story and
screenplay ‘VOLCANO"
for Anna Magnani. With Robert Hill
he co-authored ‘SHARK
REEF" for Roger Corman and
"THE SINNER",
released by RKO. He also developed
the screenplay "SARAH
BERNHARDT" in
collaboration with Ben Hecht for
Selznick.
He wrote and produced ‘OF
LOVE AND DESIRE" released
by 20th Century-Fox, and directed
his own production, "INTIMACY,"
for Seven Arts(Warners). For ABC
Pictures he wrote, produced, and
directed the "THE
THREE-HUNDRED YEAR WEEKEND,"
a Cinerama release, and wrote and
directed "WHY" the first
picture to use the color
videotape-to-film transfer system,
for Robert Cohn in partnership with
Technicolor. It starred Jeannie
Berlin and O.J Simpson.
Stoloff fulfilled a two-year
contract with Stafford Productions,
Inc, during which he wrote an
original film story, "ESCAPE
FROM SOBIBOR," as
well as set up production of a
multi-million dollar film, Moshe
Mizrahi's "CHILDREN AT
WAR," screenplay by
Abby Mann.
He wrote and directed "ISRAEL
IS REAL" on the 1967 war
for ZDF TV (Germany).
As a result of his collaboration
with Aram Khatchaturian, Stoloff
produced a film in the former
U.S.S.R. of composer’s ballet "GAYANE,"
of "Sabre Dance"
fame, using six Panavision cameras
and the Rolling Stones sound
system.
He produced and directed’ "THE
WASHINGTON AFFAIR,"
introducing Tom Selleck. The
picture was acquired for TV and
home video by Viacom.
Among the television pilots
created by Stoloff are "PSYCHODRAMA,"
and "CHEVROLET
THEATER" starring Michael
Moriarty, aired in prime time on
USA Network. He also produced and
directed the "THE
INTERVIEW," a one hour
television show starring Eli
Wallach, and was the originator and
executive producer of ‘HAVEL’S
AUDIENCE WITH HISTORY."
Sponsored by Shearson Lehman.
Recently directed Eli Wallach in
scenes interviewing a Holocaust
survivor in preparation:
Producing a ten million dollars
theatrical film based on a true
story telling failing of the
justice system to meet mental
illness. needs it is about a
schizophrenic who stabbed his
mother to death. Academy award
winner have expressed interest.
In 1974 Victor Stoloff was
filming in Iran as part of a TV
series "THE WOMAN OF
IRAN". Stoloff had the
opportunity to meet with the famous
Dr. Habib Levi, and managed to film
his entire family which Stoloff
continued to film in 1985. After
the Iranian revolution, the Levi
family had to settle in the United
States.
Victor Stoloff also filmed the
very imposing ceremony after Dr.
Levy's funeral, attended by more
than five thousand people.
Dr. Habib Levi's fame comes from
the writing of a book on the Ten
Lost Tribes of Israel. They did not
disperse but instead went to Iran.
From there the Diaspora began.
Today at UCLA the Levi's created a
Chair to continue these studies.
In July 2000 Victor Stoloff
completed his filming of the Levi
family, including the children and
grandchildren. Victor Stollof
presented the film to the family as
a gift.
Visit Victor Stoloff website
http://thefutureoffilms.com
Other links for Victor Stoloff