RIP Alan Donnes

Alan Donnes Dies: Producer, Writer, Comic & Former National Lampoon Chief Was 57

Deadline

By Erik Pederson

July 9, 2020

Alan Donnes, who worked as a stand-up comic before producing films, acting, doing radio, writing about sports and running National Lampoon, died July 8 of bacterial meningitis in Los Angeles. He was 57 and had been hospitalized for three weeks. His longtime friend Ken Trahan confirmed the news.

A native of New Orleans, Donnes fairly epitomized “multihyphenate.” Hr toured as a stand-up comic for several years before producing a local radio show that focused mostly on the NFL and its New Orleans Saints. He later wrote a book titled Patron Saints: How the Saints Gave New Orleans a Reason to Believe about the team’s post-Katrina impact on the city. He also covered boxing for many years and was part of Larry Holmes’ management team when he was the world’s heavyweight champion.

In 2011, Donnes was part of a new team brought in at National Lampoon that hoped to revitalize the brand and make movies. While there he produced co-wrote and produced its Dirty Movie (2011), Snatched (2011) and Another Dirty Movie (2012), also playing bit roles in both Dirty Movie films.

He later ran National Lampoon as its president for several years and received “special thanks” credits in two documentaries about the storied brand: Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead (2015) and A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018).

DONNES, Alan

Born: 3/15/1963, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Died: 7/8/2020, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Alan Donnes’ western – actor:

Hickok – 2017 (Ben)