Moustapha Akkad

Syrian-born producer of ' Halloween ' movies

Syrian-born film producer Moustapha Akkad, whose three decades of work in Hollywood ranged from the " Hallo-ween " slasher films to more serious movies with Muslim themes, died yesterday from wounds suffered in the bombing of a hotel in Jordan. He was 75.

The Los Angeles resident died at a Jordanian hospital.

Bombs exploded almost simultaneously Wednesday at three Amman hotels including the Radisson SAS, where Mr. Akkad had been greeting his daughter, Rima Akkad Monla, in the lobby.

The attacks killed 57 people, including Monla, 34, who was buried in Lebanon. She and her father had been in Amman for a wedding.

Mr. Akkad produced all eight " Halloween " movies. He also directed and produced two religious-themed films, " The Message " and " Lion of the Desert, " both starring Anthony Quinn.

Mr. Akkad, the eldest of eight siblings, was born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1930. He came to California in 1950 to study filmmaking, said his sister, Leila Akkad.

He earned a degree in theater arts from the University of California Los Angeles, then went to work as a production assistant for director Sam Peckinpah on the Western " Ride the High Country " in 1962.

Mr. Akkad ' s most serious efforts could be seen in his two dramas about the history of Islam. " The Message, " a 1976 film about the Prophet Muhammad, was widely acclaimed in the Middle East.

But a group of American Muslims declared " The Message " to be sacrilege and took hostages at three locations when the film opened in Washington, demanding that it not be shown in the United States.

Mr. Akkad was baffled by the reaction to the film, which he said cost $17 million to make and was nominated for an Academy Award for best original score.

" Lion of the Desert, " a 1981 film, told the story of a Muslim rebel who fought against Italy ' s World War II conquest of Libya.

Rima Akkad Monla grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1995 with a degree in international relations. She lived in Beirut, Lebanon. Survivors include her husband, Ziad Monla, and their sons, ages 2 and 4.

Mr. Akkad, who was divorced, also had three sons, Tarek, Malek and Zeido.