'Rocky,' 'Raging Bull' Producer Robert Chartoff Dies At 81

SANTA MONICA (AP) — Robert Chartoff, the Oscar-winning movie producer behind the boxing classics "Rocky" and "Raging Bull," died Wednesday, associates said. He was 81.

Chartoff died at his home in Santa Monica, Lynn Hendee, the president of his company, Chartoff Productions. He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Born in Depression-era New York City, Chartoff had been a movie producer for nearly a decade when he found his career-defining hit in 1976's "Rocky," the small-budget movie starring and written by Sylvester Stallone that became a blockbuster and won three Academy Awards including best picture.

Chartoff and his partner Irwin Winkler would go on to produce all seven movies in the "Rocky" series, including the forthcoming "Creed," which is in post-production and due for release later this year.

He kept working into his late 70s and 80s, his recent credits including 2013's "Ender's Game" with Harrison Ford and 2014's "The Gambler" with Mark Wahlberg.

He also produced a different, darker take on boxing in the Martin Scorcese-directed "Raging Bull" in 1980.

His other credits included 1983's "The Right Stuff," which won four Oscars, and 1969's "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" a cult hit starring Jane Fonda.

He had five children with three different wives, and is survived by his current wife jenny Weyman.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)