Martin Poll began his film career by co-producing 11 feature films and producing 39 half-hour episodes of the classic "Flash Gordon" TV series in Germany and France for international release in a two-year period. In the United States, Poll acquired and reopened the historic Biograph Studio in New York, which had been closed for 20 years. He renamed it Gold Medal Studios, and it was the largest studio in the United States outside of Hollywood. At Gold Medal, he presided over such productions as Elia Kazan's A FACE IN THE CROWD, Paddy Chayefsky's THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT starring Kim Novak and Frederic March, as well as THE GODDESS starring Kim Stanley and Lloyd Bridges, BUTTERFIELD 8 starring Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey and THE FUGITIVE KIND starring Marlon Brando, Anna Magnani and Joanne Woodward. During this time, Poll brought about a renaissance of filmmaking in New York. Location shooting in the City at that time was very complicated and clearance took many days as the police department, fire department, sanitation department, etc. had to sign off on each location. Poll pressured the city and he was made Honorary Film Commissioner to facilitate the location problem. Eventually the Mayor set up a Film Commission. In 1968, Martin Poll produced THE LION IN WINTER (1968), starring Katharine Hepburn and Peter OToole, which received nine Academy Award nominations and won three Academy Awards. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, the New York Film Critics Award for Best Picture, two British Academy Awards and the David di Donatello Award in Italy for Best Picture. Actors who made their film debuts in films produced by Poll include: Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton (THE LION IN WINTER, 1968), Liam Neeson [("Arthur the King" (1985,TV)], Telly Savalas (LOVE IS A BALL, 1963) and Don Johnson (THE MAGIC GARDEN OF STANLEY SWEETHEART, 1970). Poll's other producing credits include LOVE IS A BALL (1963), SYLVIA (1965), THE APPOINTMENT (1969), THE POSSESSION OF JOEL DELANEY (1972), NIGHT WATCH and THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING (both 1973), LOVE AND DEATH (1975, exec. producer), THE SAILOR WHO FELL FROM GRACE WITH THE SEA (1976), SOMEBODY KILLED HER HUSBAND (1978), THE FANTASTIC SEVEN (1979), NIGHTHAWKS (1981), GIMME AN 'F' (1984), HAUNTED SUMMER (1988), MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS (1991), "Diana: Her True Story" (1993, TV, exec. producer), and THE SON TAY RAID (2004). His son is film editor Jon Poll.  Nominated for Best Picture 1968: THE LION IN WINTER - Producer at Haworth 1 nomination