Robert Churchill; Educational Film Producer

Robert Churchill, 86, creator of educational films on topics ranging from cereal to AIDS. Born in Chicago, he earned a law degree from Harvard University, passed the California bar and studied photography at the Art Center School in Los Angeles. After his fashion photos were published in such magazines as Vogue, he moved into cinematography with “Valley Town” in 1939. Drafted in 1941, Churchill made training films for the Army Signal Corps Photographic Center, including a comedy called “Spare Time in the Army,” which was distributed to commercial theaters by Columbia. After a brief postwar fling at writing screenplays, he co-founded Churchill Wexler Film Productions with Sy Wexler in 1948. Their first film, “Wonders in Your Own Backyard,” was produced for $836. He worked with different partners over the years, and produced films for his Churchill Films & Churchill Media until 1996. The company was acquired by American Educational Products in 1994. On Dec. 18 in Los Angeles.