Which film marked the debut of Quincy Jones as a film producer?

Before his involvement in the making of the 1985 film "The Color Purple", Quincy Jones only prior film experience was as a composer. Here he is the producer, and he approached Steven Spielberg to direct. Spielberg was initially reluctant to take the job, feeling his knowledge of the Deep South was inadequate and that the film should be directed by someone of color. He was finally convinced to do job.

"The Color Purple", an American epic coming-of-age film, was written by Menno Meyjes; it was based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning 1982 novel by Alice Walker and was Spielberg's eighth film as a director. It was a departure from the busters for which he had become known. It was also the first film directed by Spielberg for which John Williams did not compose the music, instead featuring a score by Quincy Jones. (the producer). The film stars Whoopi Goldberg in her breakthrough role, with Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey (in her film debut), Margaret Avery, and Adolph Caesar.

The film tells the story of a young African-American girl named Celie Harris and the brutal experiences she endured including domestic violence, incest, child sexual abuse, poverty, racism, and sexism.

It was a box office success, grossing $98.4 million against a budget of $15 million. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise going to its acting, direction, screenplay, musical score, and production values. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.