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Ava Ostern Fries, the wife of producer Chuck Fries whose experiences as a Beverly Hills Girl Scout leader inspired the film “Troop Beverly Hills,” died Oct. 2. She was 87.

Born in Dexter, Mo., she moved to Los Angeles after graduating the U. of Tulsa. She started out teaching and acting before joining Danny Thomas Productions as a development executive. She then formed her own production company, Avanti Enterprises, which produced the TV series “Born Famous” about the children of the rich and famous. The series led to the 1989 Shelly Long comedy “Troop Beverly Hills,” based on Fries’ own experiences leading her daughter’s scout troop, remembered for its campy dance numbers, celebrity cameos and extravagant costumes.

A sequel to “Troop Beverly Hills” was announced in 2020.

Fries was active in many charities and worked to give young people opportunities in theater education.

She served on the board of directors for Los Angeles...

Ava Ostern Fries, a producer who used her own experience as a Girl Scout troop leader to create the hit 1989 Shelley Long comedy Troop Beverly Hills, died Oct. 2, her family has announced. She was 87.

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Her passing comes less than six months after the death of her husband of 33 years, longtime TV and film producer Charles “Chuck” Fries.

Born in Dexter, Mo, Ava Fries earned a degree in Theatre Arts and English at the University of Tulsa before moving with her young family to Los Angeles, where she taught English and theater at schools while beginning her career in show business, first as a television actress and off camera.

After serving as a development executive with Danny Thomas Productions, she formed her own production company, Avanti Enterprises, which in 1987 produced the documentary series Born Famous, about the children of the rich and famous.

Charles “Chuck” Fries, whose career as a television and film producer included a long list of classic shows, series and films, died Wednesday, his family announced. He was 92. No cause of death was given.

During a prolific career that spanned more than 60 years, he participated in the production of more than 5,000 series episodes, 140 television movies and miniseries and more than 40 theatrical films. His producing credits range from Tales of the Crypt and The Call of the Wild to TV’s The Amazing Spider-Man and The Martian Chronicles to Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean, Troop Beverly Hills and Screamers.

Born on September 30, 1928, in native of Cincinnati, Fries began his career at Ziv Television in 1952, where he worked on legendary syndicated shows like The Cisco Kid, Highway Patrol, Bat Masterson, and Sea Hunt. He moved to Screen Gems in 1960, where he was involved in the production of such classics as Naked City,...

Charles “Chuck” Fries, the longtime film and television producer who helped introduce the TV movie concept and shepherded films including “Cat People,” died on Thursday. He was 92.

Over his six-decade-plus career, he participated in the production of more than 5,000 episodes of television, 140 television movies and mini-series, and more than 40 theatrical films.

Fries oversaw feature film production for Columbia Pictures, which produced movies during his time at the studio, including “Five Easy Pieces,” “Easy Rider,” “Getting Straight,” “The Horseman” and “Castle Keep.”

He pioneered the television movie while at Metromedia Productions in the 1970s, then launched his own company, Fries Entertainment. Fries Entertainment produced issue-oriented movies like “The Neon Empire,” “Small Sacrifices,” “The Martian Chronicles” and the Emmy-winning “Lbj” with Randy Quaid and Patti Lupone. He served as executive producer on “The Amazing Spider-Man” TV series that ran from 1977 to 1979. More recently, he had an executive producer credit on both the...