Papich, Stephen 1925–2005
Papich, Stephen 1925–2005
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born May 22, 1925, in St. David, IL; died of cancer, December 16, 2005, in Los Angeles, CA. Choreographer, stage producer and director, and author. Papich was a former movie choreographer who would go on to be a producer and director for shows at the Hollywood Bowl in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and then attended Katherine Dunham's School of Dance and Cultural Arts before going to Hollywood. There, he worked for Twentieth Century-Fox as a choreographer for such films as The Robe and South Pacific. In 1955 he was given the job of producer and director for the Hollywood Bowl, where he remained until 1965. Afterwards, he continued to work as a stage producer, including for the 1976 musical Winner Take All. Papich was the author of two books: a biography of Josephine Baker titled Remembering Josephine (1976) and Silver Heels and Flying Arrows.
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
Los Angeles Times, January 18, 2006, p. B10.
New York Times, January 22, 2006, p. A25.