Lewis Allen, 81, producer of "Annie"

"Annie," the project for which he is best known, opened in 1977 and ran for six years, making it the 18th-longest-running show in Broadway history. He won a Tony for it and for two plays he produced: Herb Gardner's "I'm Not Rappaport" in 1986 and Terrence McNally's "Master Class" in 1996.

Mr. Allen also produced several films, including Shirley Clarke's "The Connection" (1961), Francois Truffaut's "Fahrenheit 451" (1966), and both the 1963 and 1990 versions of "Lord of the Flies."

He was an early supporter of "Annie," which started life at a regional theater in Connecticut. Although that production received lukewarm reviews, Mr. Allen got producer-director Mike Nichols to join him in backing the Broadway version, which spawned a 1982 film that Mr. Allen did not produce.

He also produced "Annie 2," a sequel planned for Broadway in 1990 that closed out of town.

Mr. Allen was born in Berryville, Va., and graduated from the University of Virginia. He served with the American Field Service during World War II.

His wife, Jay Presson Allen, wrote the screenplays for "Cabaret" (1972) and Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie" (1964).