Irving Ludwig was born on November 3, 1910 in Luck, Poland, Russian Empire [now Lutsk, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine]. He was married to Helen Ludwig. He died on November 26, 2005 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
Distribution executive with the Walt Disney Company, beginning in 1940
with Fantasia (1940) until his retirement in 1980.
Buried at Mt. Sinai Hollywood Hills Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn
Drive, Los Angeles, California. Mt. Sinai is adjacent to Forest Lawn
Hollywood Hills which borders the city of Glendale.
He entered the entertainment industry in 1929 as a part time usher at
New York's Rivoli Theatre. His career continued to advance and in 1959
he was named president of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Co. He
stayed in that position until his retirement in 1980.
He was part of the group responsible for handling the release of
Disney's "Fantasia". The film was so innovative that distribution was a
problem. Ludwig and his group purchased old theaters in some cities to
show the film.