Biography
Leland Hayward was an American talent agent and theatrical and film producer. Born in Nebraska City, Nebraska, he attended the Hotchkiss School and studied at Princeton University before working as a reporter and press agent. He became a prominent Hollywood agent in the 1930s and 1940s, representing clients including Fred Astaire, James Stewart, Ernest Hemingway and Katharine Hepburn.
In 1945 he sold his agency and turned to producing. He produced the original Broadway productions of Mister Roberts (1948), South Pacific (1949) and The Sound of Music (1959), among many other stage successes. His film credits include the 1955 adaptation of Mister Roberts, The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) and The Old Man and the Sea (1958). He also produced notable television specials.
Hayward received several Tony Awards for his stage productions. He died in Yorktown Heights, New York, in 1971.
