RIP, Melvin Simon

Something I should have known but did not: Melvin Simon, who died today, was the producer of Porky’s, among other movies. Mel Simon, you ask? Mall mogul Mel Simon, that’s who. The company that he co-founded with his brothers in the early days of U.S. malls, now called Simon Property Group, currently owns more retail space than anyone (263 million square feet or so: or about 9.4 square miles of gross leasable area.)

I never met the man, though I did interview one of his daughters about 10 years ago at Simon HQ in Indianapolis. Apparently in the late ’70s he decided to have a go at Hollywood, and managed to produce Porky’s and its sequel, as well as some lesser-known titles, such as Zorro, the Gay Blade and Chu Chu and the Philly Flash.

I admit that I saw Porky’s, on tape in the early 1990s, because I didn’t know much about it beforehand. It came out when I was in college, a time when I saw few new movies, so I'd missed even hearing much about it. I was long past the target demographic -- dim 12-year-old boys -- when I finally did see it. I didn’t get much out of it.

According to the AP: “ ‘I did about 25 movies and I got out of it, thank God — it didn't cost me any money ultimately,’ Simon told The Indianapolis Star in 2002. ‘It was a good lesson, and I wouldn't do it again.’ "

RIP, Mr. Simon.