Frank Price, the legendary Hollywood executive, television producer and writer has died at the age of 95. According to his family, Price passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Santa Monica home on Sunday, August 25.
Roy Price wrote on Instagram, “My father, Frank Price, passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning at 95. He lived a full life and we will miss him deeply.”
He born on May 17, 1930, in Decatur, Illinois, Price began his career in the early 1950s as a story editor for CBS and Columbia Television. His keen eye for storytelling quickly propelled him into executive roles, where he revolutionized television by introducing innovative formats such as the made-for-TV movie and the 90-minute miniseries.
Price later became one of the most influential studio leaders in Hollywood history. As president of Columbia Pictures from 1978 to 1983, he greenlit some of the most iconic films of the era, including “Ghostbusters,” “The Karate Kid,” “Tootsie,” “Gandhi,” and “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Under his leadership, Columbia earned multiple Academy Awards and box office triumphs.
In 1983, Price moved to Universal Pictures as chairman, where he championed hits like “Back to the Future” and “Out of Africa” — the latter winning the Best Picture Oscar. However, the infamous flop “Howard the Duck” led to his resignation in 1986. Price later returned to Columbia in the 1990s, approving critically acclaimed projects such as “Boyz n the Hood,” “The Prince of Tides,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” and “Groundhog Day.”
Beyond the boardroom, Price served on the Board of Councilors at USC’s School of Cinema-Television until 2021, mentoring the next generation of filmmakers and leaving a lasting impact on the industry.
Frank Price is remembered as a visionary who balanced creative risk with commercial success, shaping Hollywood for more than five decades.
He is survived by his wife, Katherine, his son Roy Price, and grandchildren.
His wife Katherine Crawford is an actress and known for Riding with Death (1976), A Walk in the Spring Rain (1970) and Gemini Man (1976). She also starred in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963 – Season 1 Episode 28: “Last Seen in Blue Jeans”) as Loren Saunders.
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