Daniel Melnick (April 21, 1932 – October 13, 2009) was an American film producer. He began his career in Hollywood as a teenager in television and later became the producer of such films as All That Jazz, Altered States and Straw Dogs. Melnick's films won more than 20 Academy Awards out of some 80 nominations.
Early life and education Daniel Melnick was born on April 21, 1932, in New York City, the son of Celia and Benjamin Melnick, Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. His father died in a car crash when Melnick was a child. His mother later remarried. Melnick attended the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan. After high school, Melnick attended New York University.Martin, Douglas. "Daniel Melnick, Hollywood Producer, Dies at 77", The New York Times, October 16, 2009. During the 1950s, Melnick served in the United States Army where he produced entertainment for troops while stationed at New Jersey's Fort Dix and Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
Television, film and theater After relocating to Hollywood as a 19-year-old, he became CBS Television's youngest producer, and then shortly thereafter was hired by ABC, where he worked on the development of such programs as The Flintstones and The Fugitive.
Talent Associates After a stint in the army, Melnick returned to New York City in the late '50s, becoming a partner in Talent Associates, a production company founded several years earlier by David Susskind and Leonard Stern. Among other productions, TA created the Emmy Award winning secret agent satire Get Smart that ran from 1965 to 1970 on CBS and NBC, as well as the police drama N.Y.P.D. that ran on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from 1967 to 1969. Melnick's role in Get Smart was to hire Mel Brooks and Buck Henry to create a half hour sitcom addressing in Melnick's words "the two biggest things in the entertainment world today – James Bond and Inspector Clouseau". ABC paid for a pilot episode, but did not purchase the series, so Melnick turned to Grant Tinker at NBC, who had Don Adams under contract and were looking for a project for the comedian.
Talent Associates produced the Emmy Award-winning TV productions aired on CBS, with Ages of Man starring John Gielgud in 1966, which included readings from William Shakespeare's works ranging from Romeo and Juliet to Richard II, with critic Jack Gould of The New York Times calling it "a viewing occasion to be treasured".Gould, Jack. "TV: Gielgud Excels in Shakespeare; C.B.S. Gives Adaptation of 'Ages of Man' Readings Range From Romeo to Richard II", The New York Times, January 24, 1966. Accessed October 18, 2009. In 1967 they presented Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, starring Lee J. Cobb, a production that Jack Gould of The Times described as one "that will stand as the supreme understanding of the tragedy of Willy Loman."Gould, Jack. "TV: 'Death of a Salesman'; New Interpretation Tops Stage Version-- Miss Dunnock and Cobb Repeat Roles", The New York Times, May 9, 1966. Accessed October 18, 2009. The firm, Talent Associates, was bought out by Norton Simon, Inc. in August 1968 for an undisclosed price, with the commitment that the unit would operate independently and the principals would stay on in senior positions to manage the company.Dallos, Robert E. "Susskind Concern Bought by Norton Simon, Inc.; Talent Associates Agrees to Become Subsidiary – Plans Expansion ", The New York Times, August 20, 1968. Accessed October 18, 2009.
Together with Joseph E. Levine of Embassy Pictures, Susskind and Melnick produced the Broadway theatre musical comedy Kelly, by Eddie Lawrence and Mark Charlap.Zolotow, Sam. "New Group Plans To Put On 'Kelly'; Levine, Susskind, Melnick Will Produce Musical", The New York Times, April 17, 1964. Accessed October 18, 2009. Promotion for the play included an event on the Brooklyn Bridge with a series of chorus girls."City Lends the Brooklyn Bridge To Show Girls and Press Agent; City Lends the Brooklyn Bridge To Show Girls and Press Agent", The New York Times, October 28, 1964. Accessed October 18, 2009. The play, a story about the 1886 incident of Steve Brodie who (claimed to have) jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge and survived, opened on February 16, 1965."'Kelly' Opens Here February 16", The New York Times, December 17, 1964. Accessed October 18, 2009. The play lasted only one performance on Broadway, which was later described by Melnick's son as "not his favorite moment in history", but nonetheless one he wore with grace.
The 1971 psychological thriller Straw Dogs was his first feature film.
Head of MGM In February 1972, Melnick was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as head of production. At that time, MGM was in a financial decline with the studio scaling back production but while head of the studio, he produced several well-received films including the 1975 Neil Simon comedy The Sunshine Boys (1975) and Paddy Chayefsky's Network, directed by Sidney Lumet, a biting satire of television production that was credited with boosting the studio's financial performance during 1976. Melnick also mined the studio's extensive archives to create the successful series of That's Entertainment! compilation films showcasing classic movies from MGMs heydey as Hollywood's most prestigious film studio.Nelson, Valerie J. "Daniel Melnick dies at 77; film and TV producer helped launch 'Get Smart,' 'Network,' 'Kramer vs. Kramer'", Los Angeles Times, October 15, 2009. Accessed October 18, 2009. In 1976, he left MGM to start IndieProductions (later known as The IndieProd Company) at Columbia Pictures.
Columbia He was hired by Columbia Pictures as its president in June 1978 to replace David Begelman, who had resigned in the wake of an embezzlement scandal. There he oversaw the development of the 1978 picture Midnight Express and the 1979 films Kramer vs. Kramer and The China Syndrome.
In 1980, he moved to 20th Century Fox where he completed Bob Fosse's All That Jazz, with Fox paying for filming that Columbia would not finance. That same year he produced Altered States with Warner Brothers, an adaptation of a Chayefsky novel that Columbia was unwilling to fund. Shortly after that, he resurrected The IndieProd Company to set up his own projects after his mismanagement at Columbia, that given a right of first refusal to produce projects.
Later years Melnick's later films included the 1987 Steve Martin comedy Roxanne, an adaption of the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac, Mountains of the Moon in 1990, the 1991 Steve Martin comedy L.A. Story, and the action comedy Blue Streak (1999), which was his final film credit. Through The IndieProd Company, Carolco Pictures acquired the company in 1987. In 1989, the company set up a joint partnership with Rastar Productions to start a joint venture Rastar/IndieProd at Carolco Pictures, headed by Nancy Tanen and Tracy Barone, both of them would eventually join Channel Productions briefly in 1993. In 1992, Carolco sold off IndieProd, becoming an independent production company once again, and received a four-year $350 million distribution pact with TriStar Pictures and Japan Satellite Broadcasting in order to invest money into their own films.
Personal life In February 1955, Melnick married Linda Rodgers, the daughter of Richard Rodgers and Dorothy Feiner Rodgers, at her parents' home in Manhattan."Linda Rodgers Becomes Bride; Daughter of Composer Wed to Dan Melnick of Army in Home of Her Parents", the New York Times, February 20, 1955. Accessed October 18, 209. Their son, Peter Rodgers Melnick, became a composer. After he and Linda Rodgers divorced in 1971, Melnick fathered a daughter.
Melnick was known for personal elegance and refined tastes in art, dress, and architecture. A thinker, he often offered sage advice, once telling a young assistant that "the best contracts are written not in the thrall of a new marriage but with the possibility of a divorce in mind."
He once said to the same assistant that, when facing a business dilemma, he would sometimes ask himself what the 17th-century French statesman Cardinal Richelieu, whose genius for intrigue he admired, might do in a similar situation.
During Melnick's days on the 20th Century-Fox lot, some of his staffers would affectionately refer to him (albeit privately) as Mel Nick. The inspiration for the name arose when deliverymen arrived in front of the unmarked Indieprod building with a wardrobe box of clothes from Ralph Lauren – on which someone had scrawled in large letters MEL and below it NICK. Not knowing who he was or where to find him, one shouted, "We're looking for a Mel Nick! There a Mel Nick around here?"
In regard to producing films, Melnick once reminded one of his assistants, who he thought was working too hard, that "this business is supposed to be fun."
His regular poker games would include such Hollywood notables as Johnny Carson, Chevy Chase, Barry Diller, Steve Martin, Carl Reiner and Neil Simon.
Melnick died at the age of 77 on October 13, 2009, at his home in Los Angeles of lung cancer. He was survived by a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren.
Select credits He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film Year Film Credit Notes Other notes 1971 Straw Dogs 1979 All That Jazz Executive producer 1980 First Family Altered States Executive producer 1982 Making Love 1984 Unfaithfully Yours Executive producer Footloose Executive producer 1986 Quicksilver 1987 Roxanne 1988 Punchline 1990 Mountains of the Moon Air America 1991 L.A. Story 1999 Universal Soldier: The Return Executive producer Blue Streak Executive producer 2004 Air America: Operation Jaguar Executive producer Direct-to-video Final film as a producer
As Head of MGM
Year Film 1972 They Only Kill Their Masters 1973 The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing Westworld 1975 The Sunshine Boys 1976 Network
Thanks
Year Film Role 1998 Smoke Signals Thanks
Television Year Title Credit Notes 1953 The Bob Crosby Show Associate producer 1963 The DuPont Show of the Week Executive producer 1963−64 Hootenanny Executive producer 1964 East Side/West Side Executive producer Mr. Broadway Executive producer 1966 Ages of Man Television film Death of a Salesman Television film ABC Stage 67 Run, Buddy, Run Executive producer 1967 Good Company Executive producer The Desperate Hours Television film 1967−68 He & She 1968 Penelope Beware! Television film 1967−69 N.Y.P.D. Executive producer 1968−69 The Generation Gap Executive producer 1989 Get Smart, Again! Executive producer Television film
Thanks
Year Title Role 2004 American Masters Thanks 2013 Special Collector's Edition In memory of
References
External links