John Daly, at 71; producer of 13 Oscar-winning movies

LOS ANGELES - John Daly, the British-born producer of 13 Oscar-winning movies including "Platoon" and "The Last Emperor" who helped launch the careers of many A-list directors and actors, died Friday of cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his family said. He was 71.

Mr. Daly was chairman of Film and Music Entertainment Inc. Over a career that spanned four decades, he helped to produce films that earned 13 Oscars for Best Picture and 21 Oscar nominations, as well as numerous Golden Globes and other awards.

Mr. Daly's companies boosted the career starts of seminal directors such as Oliver Stone ("Platoon," "Salvador"), Bernardo Bertolucci ("The Last Emperor"), and Robert Altman ("Images"), as well as actors Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, and Julia Roberts.

"John was truly a giant in the industry who changed filmmaking for the better," said Lawrence Lotman, chief financial officer and acting chief executive officer of Film and Music Entertainment Inc., in a statement.

Born in London, Mr. Daly joined with British actor David Hemmings in 1967 to form Hemdale, a company that managed rock bands such as Yes and Black Sabbath.

Hemdale later became a leading independent film producer and distributor in Great Britain with movies such as "Tommy," according to a biography issued by Film and Music Entertainment Inc.

Under Mr. Daly's stewardship, Hemdale produced more than 100 films that grossed more than $1.5 billion.

Since 2003, Mr. Daly had been at the helm of Film and Music Entertainment Inc. In 2004, he produced, co-wrote, and directed "The Aryan Couple," starring Martin Landau, which received awards at film festivals around the world.

He leaves three sons, Michael, Julian, and Timothy, and one daughter, Jenny.