Puttnam Gets Columbia Post

British producer David Puttnam, whose movies include “Chariots of Fire,” “The Killing Fields,” and “Midnight Express,” today was named chairman and chief executive officer of Columbia Pictures, the studio’s top creative post.

Puttnam, 45, will take over on Sept. 1, succeeding Guy McElwaine, who resigned in April. A longtime critic of the Hollywood studio system, Puttnam declined at a news conference to discuss terms of his contract, which reportedly covers 3 1/2 years at an annual salary of $1 million.