E. Duke Vincent Dies At 91: Emmy-Winning 'Dynasty' And 'Beverly Hills 90210' Producer Passes Away

Emmy-winning producer E. Duke Vincent has sadly passed away. He was 91.

The producer of the show ‘Dynasty’ died on February 10 at his home in Montecito, California as revealed by his wife, Pamela Hensley Vincent, in an obituary she wrote for The Santa Barbara Independent.

The obituary began with the statement, “With profound sorrow, I inform you of the passing of my beloved and brilliant husband, E. Duke Vincent, a legendary Blue Angel, an Emmy award-winning television producer and writer, and an accomplished novelist.”

Born Edward Ventimiglia on April 30, 1932, in New Jersey, he was the sole child of Margaret and Egizio Ventimiglia. Prior to making a name for himself in the entertainment industry, Vincent initially pursued his aspirations in aviation. Following his graduation from Seton Hall University in New Jersey, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a member of the Blue Angels during the 60-61 seasons.

However, his passion for television peaked when he filmed the photo sequences for the NBC show titled ‘The Blue Angels,’ which led him to depart from the Navy in 1962.

Joining hands with writer Arnie Kane, he co-wrote and produced seven one-hour documentaries titled ‘Man in Space.’ He also worked with the executive producers of ‘The Dick van Dyke’ show on ‘Good Morning World,’ which marked the true beginning of his increasing contributions in television production roles.

Following his work on television films like ‘Panache’ and ‘The Imposter,’ he teamed up with Aaron Spelling in 1978. Together, they share production credits for 43 series, which include popular shows such as ‘Dynasty,’ ‘Beverly Hills 90210,’ ‘Melrose Place,’ ‘The Colbys.’ Together, they created seven mini-series’ and 39 made-for-television films, including Emmy-winning ‘And the Band Played On.’

Other than being in the entertainment industry, he also had writing talents, which can be witnessed in the four novels he has penned: ‘Mafia Summer,’ ‘Black Widow,’ ‘The Strip,’ and ‘The Camelot Conspiracy.’

The obituary continued to state, “During his 40-year Hollywood career, Duke wrote or produced over 2,300 hours of film and tape, including 1,600 hours of prime-time and over 750 hours of daytime television.” His title at the time of his retirement was Executive Producer and Vice Chairman of Spelling Television.

May his soul rest in peace.