Frank Price | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 17, 1930 Decatur, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Hollywood studio head, script writer, editor |
| Years active | 1951–2001 |
| Employer(s) | Universal Television, Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures |
| Known for | Early TV format innovations; greenlighting famous films of the 1980s; historic bust of Howard the Duck |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Roy Price David Price 2 other sons |
Frank Price (born May 17, 1930)[1] is an American retired television writer and film studio executive. He held a number of executive positions including head of Universal TV; president, and later chairman and CEO, of Columbia Pictures; and president of Universal Pictures.[2] In the 1960s, he is credited with helping to develop the "made-for-TV movie" and the 90-minute miniseries television format, including The Virginian (1962–1970).
As studio president, Price oversaw the production of and/or greenlit famous films of the 1980s including Out of Africa which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1985, Tootsie (1982), Gandhi (1982) and The Karate Kid (1984). He greenlit Howard the Duck (1986) which became one of the worst flops in film history, causing him to resign from Universal.[3][4] Price saved from obscurity the script for Back to the Future (1985),[5] and made the decision to film other long-shots that became blockbusters including Boyz n the Hood (1991)[6] and Ghostbusters (1984).[7] As of 1990 he had been responsible for turning out nine of the ten top-grossing films in Columbia's history.[8]
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