He and his brother-in-law, Michael Shure, then founded Evans Partnership, a real estate investment firm.
His brother Robert Evans produced numerous motion pictures, including Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Godfather (1972), and Chinatown (1974).
[2] He began serving in the United States Army in 1944[5] during World War II, and left military service in 1946.
[6] After leaving the Army, Evans found work in an aunt's clothing store in New York City as a salesman.
He approached Joseph Picone, a 31-year-old tailor and immigrant from Sicily who made clothes for Archie Evans, and asked him to manufacture a sample.
)[9] Picone set up an assembly line to manufacture the skirts in a storefront located at Fifth Avenue and East 46th Street.
[15] He and Shure also financed the construction of 1099 14th Street NW in Washington, D.C.—which, at the time it was built, had the tallest tower in the city.
[16] William Webber, a financial investment consultant who worked for the firm, said that Evans' status as a fashion magnate and brother to a movie studio executive lent an air of celebrity to the firm that often convinced banks to lend Evans Partnership money to construct more speculative structures.
Playwright Don McGuire had written a play in the early 1970s about an unemployed male actor who cross-dresses in order to get jobs.
Titled Would I Lie to You?, the play was shopped around Hollywood for several years until it came to the attention of comedian and actor Buddy Hackett in 1978.
)[18] During 1979, Evans co-wrote a screenplay based on the film with director Dick Richards and screenwriter Bob Kaufman.
Hoffman wanted complete creative control, and Evans agreed to remove himself from screenwriting tasks.
[13] In 1992, Evans met with screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who pitched an idea about Las Vegas showgirls.
In 1975, Frances and her two daughters were asphyxiated by toxic fumes during a fire in their apartment building on East 80th Street in New York City.
The nonprofit educated the public about the life-saving nature of smoke detectors, and lobbied cities and states to enact fire codes requiring them in all buildings.
[24] An adherent of the Jewish faith, Evans' funeral service was held at Congregation Emanu-El in New York City on June 7.
[26] In addition to his fire safety crusade, Charles Evans was involved in a number of charitable activities.
[27] In 2009, through a $1 million gift from the foundation, the Westphal College at Drexel University in Philadelphia created the Charles Evans Fashion Design Library and established an award scholarship that covers tuition costs for a Fashion Design student in their senior year.
[30] In 2006, Fireman magazine honored Evans with an award for his fire safety efforts over the past 25 years.