CHICAGO Producer's Life to Be Made Into TV Series & Biography

Talk about Razzle Dazzle! The rags to riches story of famed CHICAGO producer Marty Richards, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 80, is set to be turned into a biography and television series, according to the New York Post. Maryanne Dittmann, a co-worker of Richards for 40 years and executor of his estate, and Richards' longtime assistant are teaming with 20th Century FOX on the upcoming projects.

The flamboyant producer, born in the Bronx as Morton Richard Klein, began his career as a lounge singer. He met and married Johnson & Johnson heiress Mary Lea Johnson, who propelled his career as a Broadway producer. Explained Dittmann, "He was gay, but [he and Mary Lea] were totally devoted to each other. Mary Lea said, 'I just want him to be discreet. I don't want to be embarrassed.' He protected her tooth and nail."

According to the site, Richards faced legal action from the Johnson family following the death of his wife in 1990 due to his exorbitant spending sprees. The litigation cost him millions of dollars in legal fees.

Just prior to his death, Richards requested that his brother gain possession of his Oscar he received for the big screen adaptation of CHICAGO, a project in which he was a driving force. The film went on to win six Academy Awards in 2002. Sadly, a source shares that following Richards' death, one of Mary Lea's nephews nabbed the statue, reportedly saying, "This will be fun at parties."

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Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos