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Leonard Goldberg

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Leonard Goldberg
Born(1934-01-24)January 24, 1934
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 4, 2019(2019-12-04) (aged 85)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film producer
Television producer
Spouse
Wendy J. Howard
​
(m. 1972)​
Children1, 2 stepsons including John

Leonard J. Goldberg (January 24, 1934 – December 4, 2019) was an American film and television producer.[1] He had his own production company, Panda Productions (formerly Mandy Films, and earlier Daydream Productions when he was working with Jerry Weintraub).[2] He served as head of programming for ABC, and was president of 20th Century Fox. Goldberg was also the executive producer of the CBS series Blue Bloods.

Early life and education

Goldberg was born on January 24, 1934, to a Jewish family, the son of Jean (née Smith) and William Goldberg.[3] He was a graduate of New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he received a B.S. in economics in 1955.[3]

Career

As a producer, he was responsible for producing several television films, including the Peabody Award–⁠winning Brian's Song (1971) and The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976); the latter helping to launch John Travolta's movie career. He also produced a string of hit television series while in partnership with Aaron Spelling; the best-known being Charlie's Angels, Hart to Hart, Starsky & Hutch, Fantasy Island and Family. He produced the Oscar-nominated movie WarGames (1983) as well as the comedy The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977).[4] He also partnered with producer Jerry Weintraub in the late 1970s, working on the television show When the Whistle Blows, and had development contracts with ABC and Universal Pictures.[5] In 1981, he received an agreement with MGM/UA Entertainment Co. to produce and distribute TV shows as well as feature films under the Mandy Productions (later Mandy Films) company. He subsequently left MGM in 1984 to sign with Paramount Pictures to produce films and TV shows.[6]

He also produced the Emmy Award–⁠winning television film Something About Amelia, which aired on ABC in 1984. It was one of the highest-rated television films of the year, watched by around 60–⁠70 million people.[7]

Goldberg served as president of 20th Century Fox from 1987 to 1989, during which time the studio produced such films as Broadcast News, Big, Die Hard, Wall Street and Working Girl. Under his own banner, Goldberg produced the successful motion picture features WarGames, Sleeping with the Enemy, Double Jeopardy and the Charlie's Angels films series. He also produced Unknown, starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones and Frank Langella, released in theaters in February 2011. After he left 20th Century Fox in 1989,[8] he moved to The Walt Disney Studios to serve as a film producer, before going back to Fox to sign a feature film production contract.[9] In the late 1990s, he worked at Universal Studios as a film producer.[10]

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a member of Wilshire Boulevard Temple.[11]

Goldberg served on the CBS Board of Directors from 2007 to 2018.

Personal life and death

In 1972, he married Wendy Howard.[3] He had one daughter, Amanda Erin Goldberg and two stepsons, Richard Mirisch[3] and Beverly Hills City Councilmember John A. Mirisch.

Goldberg died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on December 4, 2019, as a result of injuries sustained in a fall. He was 85 years old.[12][13]

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

Year Film Credit Notes
1974 California Split Executive producer
1976 Baby Blue Marine
1977 The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
1981 All Night Long
1983 WarGames Executive producer
1986 SpaceCamp Executive producer
1991 Sleeping with the Enemy
1992 The Distinguished Gentleman
1993 Aspen Extreme
1999 Double Jeopardy
2000 Charlie's Angels
2003 Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
2011 Unknown
2019 Charlie's Angels Executive producer Final film as a producer
As an actor
Year Film Role Notes
2007 The Underdog's Tale Hank Direct-to-video

Television

Year Title Credit Notes
1972 The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Executive producer Television film
No Place to Run Executive producer Television film
Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole Television film
The Bounty Man Television film
Home for the Holidays Executive producer Television film
Every Man Needs One Executive producer Television film
1973 A Cold Night's Death Executive producer Television film
Snatched Executive producer Television film
The Great American Beauty Contest Executive producer Television film
The Letters Executive producer Television film
The Bait Executive producer Television film
Satan's School for Girls Television film
Hijack Television film
Letters from Three Lovers Television film
The Affair Executive producer Television film
1974 The Death Squad Television film
Firehouse Executive producer
Chopper One Executive producer
The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped Television film
Cry Panic Television film
Savages Television film
Death Sentence Television film
Hit Lady Television film
Death Cruise Television film
Only with Married Men Executive producer Television film
The Fireman's Ball Executive producer Television film
1975 The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return Executive producer Television film
The Fireman's Ball Executive producer Television pilot
Murder on Flight 502 Executive producer Television film
The Legend of Valentino Television film
1976 One of My Wives Is Missing Executive producer Television film
The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe Executive producer Television film
Death at Love House Executive producer Television film
33 Hours in the Life of God Television film
The Sad and Lonely Sundays Executive producer Television film
The Boy in the Plastic Bubble Executive producer Television film
1972−76 The Rookies Executive producer
1975−76 S.W.A.T. Executive producer
1977 Little Ladies of the Night Executive producer Television film
Delta County, U.S.A. Executive producer Television film
1979 Beach Patrol Executive producer Television film
1975−79 Starsky & Hutch Executive producer
1980 When the Whistle Blows Executive producer
Blue Jeans Executive producer Television film
1976−80 Family Executive producer
1981 This House Possessed Executive producer Television film
1976−81 Charlie's Angels Executive producer
1982 Fantasies Executive producer Television film
Paper Dolls Executive producer Television film
1983 Deadly Lessons Executive producer Television film
1982−83 Gavilan Executive producer
1984 Something About Amelia Executive producer Television film
Sins of the Past Executive producer Television film
Paper Dolls Executive producer
1977−84 Fantasy Island Executive producer
1979−84 Hart to Hart Executive producer
1985 Royal Match Executive producer Television film
Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues Television film
1986 Alex: The Life of a Child Executive producer Television film
1982−86 T. J. Hooker Executive producer
1987 Home Executive producer Television film
1988 The Cavanaughs Executive producer
1993 Class of '96 Executive producer
1999 Love Letters Executive producer Television film
2000 Runaway Virus Executive producer Television film
2002 Critical Assembly Executive producer Television film
2009 Limelight Executive producer Television film
2011 Charlie's Angels Executive producer
2018 Untitled Paul Attanasio Project Executive producer Television pilot
2010−20 Blue Bloods Executive producer
Thanks
Year Title Role
2019 Blue Bloods In loving memory of our founder and mentor

References

  1. ^ "Leonard Goldberg". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013.
  2. ^ "Leonard Goldberg". CBS Corporation.
  3. ^ a b c d "Goldberg, Leonard 1934-". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  4. ^ Canby, Vincent (August 20, 1977). "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) 'Bad News Bears' Make Comeback in an Effort to Go on to Japan". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Program Briefs" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 21, 1978. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  6. ^ "In Brief" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 23, 1984. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  7. ^ (18 January 1984). "'Something About Amelia,' the made-for-TV movie about incest, carried...", UPI
  8. ^ "Goldberg Leaves Fox After a Two-Year String of Hits". Los Angeles Times. April 22, 1989. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  9. ^ "Leonard Goldberg to Set Up Shop at Fox : Hollywood: The move signals an aggressive effort by the studio brass to firm up relationships with more filmmakers". Los Angeles Times. May 28, 1993. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  10. ^ Busch, Anita M. (March 14, 1997). "Hughes takes U VP turn". Variety. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  11. ^ Hollywood Reporter: "Hollywood's Hottest $150 Million Project Is an 83-Year-Old Synagogue—Studio heads, agency chieftains and top producers have come together, 'Avengers'-style, to save their iconic but decaying Wilshire Boulevard Temple—an A-list house of worship far from the Westside" by Gary Baum, May 30, 2012
  12. ^ Leonard Goldberg, Former 20th Century Fox President and ABC Head of Programming, Dies at 85
  13. ^ Leonard Goldberg, Producer of 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Blue Bloods,' Dies at 85
Business positions
Preceded by Vice President, Programs ABC
1966–1969 		Succeeded by
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