Ewing Miles Brown

Film producer, director, and actor Ewing Miles Brown, known affectionately to legions of performers and crew members in the industry as "Lucky" Brown, passed away from respiratory failure on Monday, May 27, 2019, at the age of 97. Lucky enjoyed a more than 90 year career in Hollywood. He made his acting debut in the "Our Gang ' series in the 1920's. Followed by bit parts in many films of the time period. By his late teens he was transitioning to the production side of the business and had become an editor for Emperor Films. With a brief break during World War 2 where Lucky served with distinction in the Pacific Theater as a Sargent in the US Army, he returned to Hollywood to further his career. He continued to work in the studio system until the mid 1950's both in front of and behind the camera. Working on big budget studio films such as "Shane" as an actor and directing stunts as well as shooting second unit on many of the early western television shows of the day. Becoming increasingly stifled like so many artists of the time by the studio system, Lucky struck out on his own and formed his own studio and production company called Movie Tech Studios. Movie Tech Studios offered stages, editing rooms and wardrobe rental, albeit on a small scale, this was available to many burgeoning, independent filmmakers of the 1960's and 70's. Filmmakers who, like Lucky, were thwarted by the Major Studios in their artistic endeavors. During this time Lucky was able to finance and produce his own films as well as operating a full service studio in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. Notably, he produced and directed "A Whale Of A Tale" starring William Shatner, Andy Devine and Marty Allen, a family story of one little boys adventures at California's Marine Land park. Lucky was a mentor to many up and coming filmmakers of the 1980's and 90's, as well as an enthusiastic participant both in front of and behind the camera. Still developing and creating motion pictures well into his 90's Lucky was working on "Curse of the Gorgon" at the time of his death.