Frank Yablans

Frank Yablans (August 27, 1935 – November 27, 2014) was an American studio executive, film producer and screenwriter.

Frank Yablans
Born(1935-08-27)August 27, 1935
Brooklyn, New York, US
DiedNovember 27, 2014(2014-11-27) (aged 79)
Los Angeles, California, US
NationalityUnited States
OccupationFilm producer
Studio head
Known forPresident of Paramount Pictures
Partner(s)Nadia Pandolfo
ChildrenRobert Yablans
Sharon Abrams
Edward Yablans
Parent(s)Annette and Morris Yablans

Early life

Yablans was born in Brooklyn, New York to Annette and Morris Yablans. His father was a cab driver. His older brother is film producer Irwin Yablans of Halloween (1978) fame.[1] He was Jewish.[2][3][4][5]

Career

Yablans entered the motion picture business in 1956 joining Warner Bros. sales force.[6] In 1959, he joined Buena Vista as the Milwaukee sales manager where he stayed until 1966.[6] He joined Sigma III and later transitioned to Filmways after they acquired Sigma III.[6]

He became Executive Vice President of Sales for Paramount Pictures in June 1969.[6] In that position, his expert marketing of the film Love Story (1970) led to his appointment as Paramount Studios' President on May 10, 1971.[6]

As head of Paramount, he oversaw the release and marketing of such classic movies as The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974), and Chinatown (1974).[7] He also personally supervised the 100th birthday celebrations of studio founder Adolph Zukor in January 1973.

After a reorganization at Paramount in which Charles Bluhdorn, the Chairman and CEO of Gulf & Western Industries, was replaced by Barry Diller, Yablans announced his resignation as president on November 8, 1974, https://www.nytimes.com/1974/11/12/archives/yablans-resigns-at-paramount-leaves-as-president-operating-chief.html.[6]

Following the end of his presidency, he became an independent producer, working primarily through Paramount and 20th Century Fox. He was executive producer of such films as Silver Streak (1976), The Other Side of Midnight (1977), Congo (1995), and the popular HBO series "Rome." He also wrote and produced North Dallas Forty (1979) and Mommie Dearest (1981), the latter winning the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay.

Yablans was then recruited by Kirk Kerkorian to head his troubled and debt-laden film company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).[8] While Yablans' reorganization of MGM and United Artists (UA) into a single entity as MGM/UA served to reduce costs and overhead, the company continued to lose value and in 1986 was purchased by Ted Turner Productions for a reported $1.25 billion.[9]

In 2003, Yablans founded Promenade Pictures, a production company committed to the production of "family-friendly" entertainment, with their most ambitious project the "Epic Stories of the Bible" series of CGI-animated features, inaugurated with The Ten Commandments (2007) and Noah's Ark: The New Beginning (2012).

Death

Yablans died on Thanksgiving, November 27, 2014, from natural causes at the age of 79.[10][11] He had three children – Robert Yablans (deceased), Sharon Abrams, and Edward Yablans – and a long-time companion, Nadia Pandolfo.[11]

References
  1. "Show Business: The Promoter: Frank Yablans". Time. 18 March 1974. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  2. Arnold, Gary (March 19, 1978). "Frank Yablans - 'Someone Has To Play the Heavy'". The Washington Post.
  3. Erens, Patricia (August 22, 1988). The Jew in American Cinema. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253204936.
  4. Cones, John (April 2015). Motion Picture Biographies: The Hollywood Spin on Historical Figures. Algora Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 9781628941166.
  5. Biskind, Peter (April 4, 1999). Easy Riders Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-And Rock 'N Roll Generation Saved Hollywood. Simon & Schuster. p. 145. ISBN 9780684857084.
  6. Murphy, A.D. (November 13, 1974). "Frank Yablans Resigns Par Presidency". Variety. p. 3.
  7. Cieply, Michael (28 November 2014). "Frank Yablans, Paramount Executive in Fertile '70s, Dies at 79". The New York Times.
  8. Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher (20 June 1990). "Books of The Times; What Went Wrong at M-G-M, by a Participant - New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  9. Friendly, David T. (13 November 1986). "LEO ROARS HIS LAST AT THE OLD MGM STAND : Culver City Sound Stages Lose Some Old Trademarks and Take On a New Identity With New Owners ". The Los Angeles Times.
  10. Barnes, Mike. "Former Paramount President Frank Yablans Dies at 79". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  11. Saperstein, Pat (27 November 2014). "Frank Yablans, Former Paramount President, Dies at 79". Variety. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
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