Max L. Raab, founder of The Villager and J.G. Hook and a producer of such films as “A Clockwork Orange” and “Walkabout,” died Thursday at his home in Philadelphia of complications from Parkinson’s disease. Raab was 82.
With a knack for identifying trends and recognizing the emergence of the Ivy League look, Raab created The Villager with his brother, Norman, in 1958 and later founded J.G. Hook in 1974, which helped define preppie American sportswear.
Born in Philadelphia in 1926, Raab attended Rutgers Preparatory School and the Wooster Academy. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II and served in Germany and Japan. After returning from Japan, Raab started working for his father’s blouse company, Morgan Raab. At the time, he noticed that women were wearing their fathers’ or husbands’ button-down shirts and he decided to create a women’s version. That led to the creation of The Villager clothing company.
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At its peak, The Villager generated around $140 million in sales and grew to become one of the most important brands at that time until the late Sixties, when countercultural looks took off. Raab also started the Rooster Tie Co., which was known for its unconventional approach to neckwear using nontraditional fabrics.
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While Raab found tremendous success in the apparel business, he had a hankering to pursue his other love, movies.
As Raab explained to WWD in 1998, while watching the filming of “David and Lisa” in Philadelphia in the early Sixties, he cut a deal with the film’s crew: he would provide the cast with Villager apparel, and in return, would be allowed to spend three months on the set, watching the action, asking questions and learning the business. After the three months were up, he acquired the film rights to John Barth’s novel, “End of the Road.” With director Aram Avakian and writer Terry Southern, they adapted the novel for a film that featured the screen debuts of James Earl Jones and Stacy Keach. Raab then purchased the film rights to Anthony Burgess’ controversial novel, “A Clockwork Orange.” After being turned down by all the major studios because of its violent subject matter, director Stanley Kubrick showed interest in the story. Warner Bros. called Raab and made him executive producer of the 1971 film. That was followed by “Walkabout” and “Lions Love.”
After a five-year stint in Hollywood, Raab returned to Seventh Avenue and founded J.G. Hook in 1974. The concept was traditional and classic sportswear with a nautical all-American theme. At its peak in the mid-to-late Eighties, J.G. Hook was generating about $100 million through wholesale volume and licensed products, which ranged from outerwear and dresses to eyewear and home furnishings. In 1998, Raab sold J.G. Hook to Steven Wax, a principal of Robert Stock, and Eric King, who held the J.G Hook dress license, and Raab retired.
“I like making movies, doing deals is a pain,” Raab said when he sold the company. He said he “had some pretty good luck” in the movie business, but didn’t care for the way the studios carried themselves. “You could work on a movie for months, and it could be scrapped because of studio politics,” he said. That was the biggest difference Raab found between Hollywood and Seventh Avenue. “In the fashion business, your fall line has to be ready on time. The film business is somewhat hazier,” said Raab.
Still, he considered his stint in the movie business “an adventure that was worth it.”
“I invested $30,000 in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ as co-executive producer, and I got a return of $300,000 before the first frame was shot. I still get 2 1/2 percent residuals each year.” He had a similar arrangement with “Walkabout.”
Raab’s retirement didn’t last long. In 2001, he made his directorial debut with the documentary “Strut.” He later went on to produce a documentary with Robert Downey Sr. called “Rittenhouse Square.” Raab recruited Downey again for his most recent film, a musical documentary about composer Kurt Weill and his wife and muse, singer and actress Lotte Lenya.
Up until his death, Raab was involved with his movie production company, Max L. Raab Productions in Philadelphia. He loved music, particularly jazz, and sailing catboats and catamarans. He also owned theaters and restaurants, and last year opened a shop in Philadelphia selling collectible model cars, sailboats and airplanes.
“Max Raab was an original and a true visionary, long before Ralph Lauren came on the scene,” said Sidney Kimmel, chairman of Jones Apparel Group and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, a film production company. Before he founded Jones, Raab hired Kimmel to head up Villager’s knitwear division and that business grew from $800,000 to $132 million. “He was a true friend, a mentor and was hip when everyone else was still hep.” Raab and Kimmel also worked together on “Strut.”
Known for his quick one-liners and a twinkle in his eye, Raab mentored many fashion executives throughout his life.
“He put my brother and I in business,” said Kevin McLaughlin, who, with his brother Jay, owns the 44-unit J. McLaughlin retail chain. “We started out with very little capital, and Max had been helping and advising us. He literally said, ‘Take whatever you need, as far as inventory.’ Seventy-five percent of our store was his product when it opened.”
Raab is survived by his wife, Merle, his daughter, Claudia Raab; sons, Adam Gould and Paul English, and two granddaughters. The family has requested that donations may be made to the Parkinson Council of Philadelphia.