Michael White

Michael White, the Scottish-born producer of theater and film hits -- including "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and "Oh! Calcutta!" – has died. He was 80.

White died Monday evening in Ojai, California, according to multiple news sources.

White's ex-girlfriend, the film director Lyndall Hobbs, told Reuters: "It would seem he died of heart failure, having been told about eight weeks ago that he needed open-heart surgery, but he was too weak for surgery. Michael had an appetite for life that was unmatched in my opinion."

In a post on Facebook, actor and "Monty Python" veteran Eric Idle wrote: "Chalky" was one of a kind and will be missed."

Terry Gilliam, Idle's "Python" colleague, also shared his condolences on Twitter: "'Chalky' White is gone, leaving years of indelible graffiti scrawled across the cultural walls of the world ... from 'Oh Calcutta' to 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail,' and much, much more. He is sadly missed."

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White was born Jan. 16, 1936, in Glasgow, Scotland. A graduate of the Sorbonne in Paris, France, he went on to work in theater first, including the stage production of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." He soon produced the film version of "Rocky Horror" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," both in 1975.

In a career spanning 50 years, he produced 27 films and more than 100 stage productions.