Born in Szilagy-Somylo, Austria-Hungary (now in Hungary). Hungarian immigrant who came to America in his teens and worked his way up through the ranks to become an assistant director at Paramount in 1923. After producing several successful films in Europe, Pasternak revived the flagging fortunes of Universal with a series of hit musicals starring Deanna Durbin in the mid-1930s. He is also credited with discovering Judy Garland, who later starred in his musicals PRESENTING LILY MARS (1943), IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949) and SUMMER STOCK (1950). Pasternak also cast Mario Lanza in THE TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS (1950) and THE GREAT CARUSO (1951), and rejuvenated the career of Marlene Dietrich with DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939). In 1945 Pasternak fought MGM for permission to film the now classic live-action/animated sequence in ANCHORS AWEIGH, in which Gene Kelly dances with the cartoon mouse, Jerry (at a cost of $150,000). Over a 40-year career, Pasternak was responsible for over a hundred films, mostly family-oriented, frothy fare which earned a total of some $400 million. He headed one of MGM's three musical "units" in the 1940s and, in 1960, produced the influential adolescent-romance-on-the-beach film, WHERE THE BOYS ARE. Pasternak produced the telecasts of the 37th, 38th and 39th Awards ceremonies (1965-67). Esther Williams once said of him: "Joe Pasternak. The only person I've ever known to eat spaghetti with his hands."

Nominated for Best Picture 1936: THREE SMART GIRLS - Producer at Universal (w. Charles R. "Buddy" Rogers)    Nominated for Best Picture 1937: ONE HUNDRED MEN AND A GIRL - Associate Producer at Universal (w. Charles R. "Buddy" Rogers)    Nominated for Best Picture 1945: ANCHORS AWEIGH - Producer at MGM 3 nominations