Lars Schmidt (producer)

Lars Reinhold Schmidt (11 June 1917 – 18 October 2009) was a Swedish theatrical producer, director and publisher. He owned theaters in Paris, France, and Sweden. Schmidt was instrumental in bringing American theater to the European stage. He produced and translated numerous post-war American plays in Europe; including A Street Car Named Desire, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Oklahoma! and Anne Frank. He is considered one of the most important cultural personalities of the 20th century evolution and commercialization of European theatre. In a 1964 Life magazine article, he was called "Europe's most important theatrical producer." Lars Schmidt married three-time Academy Award-winning film star Ingrid Bergman in December 1958.