Menahem Golan

Menahem Golan (Hebrew: מנחם גולן; May 31, 1929 – August 8, 2014, originally Menachem Globus) was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He was best known for co-owning The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon specialized in producing low-to-mid-budget American films, primarily genre films, during the 1980s after Golan and Globus had achieved significant filmmaking success in their native Israel during the 1970s.[2]

Menahem Golan
מנחם גולן
Born
Menachem Globus[1]

(1929-05-31)May 31, 1929
DiedAugust 8, 2014(2014-08-08) (aged 85)
Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel
NationalityIsraeli
Other namesJoseph Goldman
Occupation(s)Director, producer
Known forFounder of Golan-Globus/The Cannon Group
SpouseRachel Golan
Children3

Golan produced films featuring actors such as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and for a period, was known as a producer of comic book-style films like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Captain America, and his aborted attempt to bring Spider-Man to the silver screen. Golan also wrote and "polished" numerous film scripts under the pen name Joseph Goldman.[3] At the time of his death, Golan had produced over 200 films, directed 44, and won 8 "Kinor David" awards as well as "Israel Prize" in Cinema. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign-Language Film for Franco Zeffirelli's Otello.

Early life

Born Menachem Globus[1] in Tiberias in then British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel), his parents were Jewish emigrants from the Russian Empire. He spent his early years in Tiberias, then studied directing at the Old Vic School and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and filmmaking at New York University. During the Israeli War of Independence, Golan served as a pilot in the Israeli Air Force.

Film career

Menahem Golan awarded Kinor David 1964

Golan started as an apprentice at Habima Theater in Tel Aviv. After completing his studies in theater direction, he staged plays in Israel. He gained experience as a filmmaker by working as an assistant to Roger Corman.[4]

Golan is probably best known as a director for his film Operation Thunderbolt (Mivtsa Yonatan, 1977), about the Israeli raid on Entebbe airport in Uganda. He also produced Eskimo Limon (Lemon Popsicle, 1978), a film that spawned many sequels and an American remake, The Last American Virgin (1982).

An adaptation of the Isaac Bashevis Singer novel The Magician of Lublin (1979) was followed by the musical The Apple (1980). An unusual moral fable with a rock-disco soundtrack, The Apple routinely appears on lists of all-time-worst movies, earning it cult film status.[5]

Golan's production company The Cannon Group produced a long line of films during the 1980s and early 1990s, including Delta Force, Runaway Train, and some of the Death Wish sequels. In 1986, Cannon was taken over by Pathe Communications. Golan produced several comic book-style movies in the last half of the 1980s, most notably Masters of the Universe, based on the toys of that name and inspired by the comics of Jack Kirby.[6] In 1987, Cannon gained infamy after its UK-based production of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace failed in theaters and provoked a negative backlash from fans. Golan resigned from Cannon in 1989, and by 1993 the company had folded. After Cannon's collapse, Golan became head of 21st Century Film Corporation and produced several low to medium-budget films.

Golan hoped to film Spider-Man in 1986 at Cannon Studios in the United Kingdom, and to shoot the exteriors in Tel Aviv. Dolph Lundgren was envisioned as the Green Goblin, and Spider-Man creator Stan Lee was approached to make a cameo as J. Jonah Jameson.[7] Golan struggled for years to produce the Marvel Comics character, but he finally failed when 21st Century Film Corporation went bankrupt and closed in 1996 (along with Carolco Pictures, another company that had agreed to help finance the film). Sony Pictures eventually purchased the Spider-Man rights and produced the first film in 2002. That year, Golan released his adaptation of Crime and Punishment.

Personal

Golan was married to Rachel (1930-2015), makeup artist and had three daughters, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Ruth Golan (born 1953), Naomi (1958-2015) and Yael (born 1964).[4] His cousin was Israeli-American producer Yoram Globus.[8]

Death

Whilst visiting Jaffa, Tel Aviv, with family members on the morning of August 8, 2014, Golan collapsed.[9] He lost consciousness, and attempts to resuscitate him failed.[9] He was 85 years old.[10]

Filmography

Year Title Functioned as Director Notes
Director Writer Producer
1963 El Dorado Yes Yes No Menahem Golan directorial debut
1964 Sallah Shabati No Yes Yes Ephraim Kishon Winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Eight in the Footstep of One Yes No Yes Menahem Golan (original title: Shemona B'Ekevot Ahat)
Dalia and the Sailors Yes No No Menahem Golan (original title: Dalia Vehamalahim)
1965 Trunk to Cairo Yes No Yes Menahem Golan (original title: Einer spielt falsch
1966 Fortuna Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan (original title: Seduced in Sodom)
1967 Aliza Mizrahi Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan (original title: 999 Aliza: The Policeman)
1968 Tevye and His Seven Daughters Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Topele Yes No Yes Menahem Golan (original title: Nes B'Ayara)
Commandos No Story No Menahem Golan a.k.a. Sullivan's Marauders
1969 What's Good for the Goose Yes Yes No Menahem Golan
My Margo Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan (original title: Margo Sheli)
1970 Lupo! Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Attack at Dawn Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan (original title: Ha-Pritza Hagdola)
1971 The Highway Queen Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
The Contract Yes Yes No Menahem Golan (original title: Katz V'Carasso)
1972 I Love You Rosa No No Yes Moshé Mizrahi Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Escape to the Sun Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
The Great Telephone Robbery Yes Yes No Menahem Golan (original title: Shod Hatelephonim Hagadol)
1973 The House on Chelouche Street No No Yes Moshé Mizrahi Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Kazablan Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Daughters, Daughters No No Yes Moshé Mizrahi (original title: Abu el Banat)
1975 The Four Deuces No No Yes William H. Bushnell
Diamonds Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan a.k.a. Diamond Shaft
Lepke Yes No Yes Menahem Golan
1976 The Passover Plot No No Executive Michael Campus
Tzanani Family No No Yes Boaz Davidson (original title: Mishpahat Tzan'ani)
Lupo Goes to New York No No Yes Boaz Davidson A sequel to Lupo!
God's Gun No No Yes Gianfranco Parolini (original title: Diamante Lobo)
1977 Operation Thunderbolt Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Kid Vengeance No No Yes Joseph Manduke
1978 Lemon Popsicle No No Yes Boaz Davidson
The Uranium Conspiracy No No Yes Menahem Golan
The Alaska Wilderness Adventure No No Yes Fred Meader
It's a Funny, Funny World No No Yes Tzvi Shissel (original title: Yisraelim Matzhikim)
1979 The Swap No No Yes Jordan Leondopoulos Re-edited from Sam’s Song
Lemon Popsicle 2: Going Steady No No Yes Boaz Davidson First sequel to Lemon Popsicle
My Mother the General No No Yes Joel Silberg
The Magician of Lublin Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Marriage Tel Aviv Style No No Yes Joel Silberg (original title: Nisuin Nusah Tel Aviv)
1980 The Godsend No No Executive Gabrielle Beaumont
The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood No No Yes Alan Roberts Final sequel to The Happy Hooker
Schizoid No No Yes David Paulsen
Seed of Innocence No No Yes Boaz Davidson
Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype No No Yes Charles B. Griffith
The Apple Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
New Year's Evil No No Yes Emmett Alston
1981 Hot Bubblegum: Lemon Popsicle 3 No No Yes Boaz Davidson Second sequel to Lemon Popsicle
Deathhouse No No Yes Theodore Gershuny
Body and Soul No No Yes George Bowers
Enter the Ninja Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Hospital Massacre No No Yes Boaz Davidson a.k.a. X-Ray
1982 Private Popsicle: Lemon Popsicle 4 No No Yes Boaz Davidson Third sequel to Lemon Popsicle
Death Wish II No No Yes Michael Winner
Lady Chatterley's Lover No No Executive Just Jaeckin
The Last American Virgin No No Yes Boaz Davidson Remake of Lemon Popsicle
That Championship Season No No Executive Jason Miller
Mute Love No No Yes Joel Silberg a.k.a. The Secret of Yolanda
1983 Private Manoeuvres No No Yes Tzvi Shissel Spin-off of Lemon Popsicle and Private Popsicle: Lemon Popsicle 4
The Seven Magnificent Gladiators No No Executive Bruno Mattei
Treasure of the Four Crowns No No Executive Ferdinando Baldi
One More Chance No No Executive Sam Firstenberg
10 to Midnight No No Executive J. Lee Thompson
Nana, the True Key of Pleasure No No Yes Dan Wolman
House of the Long Shadows No No Yes Pete Walker
Hercules No No Yes Luigi Cozzi
Young Warriors No No Yes Lawrence D. Foldes
Revenge of the Ninja No Story Yes Sam Firstenberg Sequel to Enter the Ninja
The Wicked Lady No No Yes Michael Winner Remake of The Wicked Lady
1984 Baby Love: Lemon Popsicle 5 No No Yes Dan Wolman Sequel Lemon Popsicle
The Big Tease: Here Comes Another One No No Yes Yehuda Barkan and Yigal Shilon
Over the Brooklyn Bridge Yes No Yes Menahem Golan
Sahara No Story Yes Andrew V. McLaglen
Breakin' No No Yes Joel Silberg
Making the Grade No No Executive Dorian Walker
Night Soldier No No Yes Dan Wolman
The Naked Face No No Yes Bryan Forbes
Ordeal by Innocence No No Executive Desmond Davis
I'm Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes, the Man and His Work No No Yes Michael Ventura
Sword of the Valiant No No Yes Stephen Weeks
Love Streams No No Yes John Cassavetes
Bolero No No Executive John Derek
Exterminator 2 No No Executive Mark Buntzman
Ninja III: The Domination No No Yes Sam Firstenberg Second sequel to Enter the Ninja
Forced Testimony No No Yes Raphael Rebibo
Missing in Action No No Yes Joseph Zito
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo No No Yes Sam Firstenberg Sequel to Breakin'
1985 Up Your Anchor: Lemon Popsicle 6 No No Yes Dan Wolman Sequel Lemon Popsicle
Maria's Lovers No No Executive Andrei Konchalovsky
Hot Resort No No Yes John Robins
The Ambassador No No Yes J. Lee Thompson
Missing in Action 2: The Beginning No No Yes Lance Hool
Déjà Vu No No Yes Anthony B. Richmond
The Assisi Underground No No Yes Alexander Ramati
Rappin' No No Yes Joel Silberg
Grace Quigley No No Yes Anthony Harvey
Hot Chili No Yes Yes William Sachs screenplay credited as Jospeh Goldman
Lifeforce No No Yes Tobe Hooper
Thunder Alley No No Executive J. S. Cardone
Salomè No No Yes Claude d'Anna
American Ninja No No Yes Sam Firstenberg
Mata Hari No No Executive Curtis Harrington
Hard Rock Zombies No No Yes Krishna Shah
War and Love No No Yes Moshé Mizrahi
Invasion U.S.A. No No Yes Joseph Zito
The Adventures of Hercules No No Yes Luigi Cozzi Sequel to Hercules
The Berlin Affair No No Yes Liliana Cavani
Death Wish 3 No No Yes Michael Winner
King Solomon's Mines No No Yes J. Lee Thompson
Aladdin No No Yes Bruno Corbucci
Fool for Love No No Yes Robert Altman
Runaway Train No No Yes Andrei Konchalovsky
1986 The Lover No No Yes Michal Bat-Adam
Camorra (A Story of Streets, Women and Crime) No No Yes Lina Wertmüller
The Delta Force Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
The Naked Cage No No Executive Paul Nicholas
Field of Honor No No Yes Kim Dae-hie and Hans Scheepmaker
America 3000 No No Yes David Engelbach
P.O.W. the Escape No No Yes Gideon Amir
Murphy's Law No No Executive J. Lee Thompson
Pirates No No Yes Roman Polanski
Dangerously Close No No Executive Albert Pyun
Cobra No No Yes George P. Cosmatos
Invaders from Mars No No Yes Tobe Hooper
Lightning, the White Stallion No No Yes William A. Levey
Detective School Dropouts No No Yes Filippo Ottoni a.k.a. Dumb Dicks
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 No No Yes Tobe Hooper
Otello No No Yes Franco Zeffirelli
Avenging Force No No Yes Sam Firstenberg
52 Pick-Up No No Yes John Frankenheimer
Castaway No No Yes Nicolas Roeg
Firewalker No No Yes J. Lee Thimpson
Duet for One No No Yes Andrei Konchalovsky
1987 Young Love: Lemon Popsicle 7 No No Yes Walter Bannert Sequel Lemon Popsicle
Million Dollar Madness No Yes Yes Naftali Alter
Dutch Treat No No Yes Boaz Davidson
Assassination No No Executive Peter R. Hunt
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold No No Yes Gary Nelson Sequel to King Solomon's Mines
The Assault No No Executive Fons Rademakers Won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Over the Top Yes No Yes Menahem Golan
Number One with a Bullet No No Yes Jack Smight
The Barbarians No No Yes Ruggero Deodato
Down Twisted No No Yes Albert Pyun
Street Smart No No Yes Jerry Schatzberg
The Hanoi Hilton No No Yes Lionel Chetwynd
Beauty and the Beast No No Yes Eugene Marner
Rumpelstiltskin No No Yes David Irving
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation No No Yes Sam Firstenberg Sequel to American Ninja
Diary of a Mad Old Man No No Executive Lili Rademakers
The Emperor's New Clothes No No Yes David Irving
Too Much No No Yes Éric Rochat
Three Kinds of Heat No No Yes Leslie Stevens
Sleeping Beauty No No Yes David Irving
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace No No Yes Sidney J. Furie
Masters of the Universe No No Yes Gary Goddard
Penitentiary III No No Yes Jamaa Fanaka
Mascara No No Executive Patrick Conrad
King Lear No No Yes Jean-Luc Godard
Tough Guys Don't Dance No No Yes Norman Mailer
Dancers No No Yes Herbert Ross
Surrender No No Executive Jerry Belson
Barfly No No Executive Barbet Schroeder
Business as Usual No No Yes Lezli-An Barrett
Under Cover No No Yes John Stockwell
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown No No Executive J. Lee Thompson
1988 Summertime Blues: Lemon Popsicle VIII No No Yes Reinhard Schwabenitzky
Braddock: Missing in Action III No No Yes Aaron Norris
Going Bananas No Yes Yes Boaz Davidson
Alien from L.A. No No Yes Albert Pyun
Bloodsport No No Yes  Newt Arnold
Appointment with Death No No Executive Michael Winner
Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation No No Executive Godfrey Reggio
Shy People No No Yes Andrei Konchalovsky
Salsa No No Yes Boaz Davidson
The Frog Prince No No Yes Jackson Hunsicker
Puss in Boots No No Yes Eugene Marner
Journey to the Center of the Earth No No Yes Rusty Lemorande and Albert Pyun
Hero and the Terror No No Executive William Tannen
Messenger of Death No No Yes J. Lee Thompson
Doin' Time on Planet Earth No No Yes Charles Matthau
Platoon Leader No No Yes Aaron Norris
Evil Angels No No Yes Fred Schepisi
Hanna's War Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Hansel and Gretel No No Yes Len Talan
Haunted Summer No No Executive Ivan Passer
1989 Snow White No No Yes Michael Berz
Manifesto No No Yes Dušan Makavejev
Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects No Yes Executive J. Lee Thompson
Red Riding Hood No No Yes Adam Brooks
Cyborg No No Yes  Albert Pyun
Caged Fury No No Executive Bill Milling
Mack the Knife Yes Yes Executive Menahem Golan
Masque of the Red Death No No Executive Alan Birkinshaw
The Black Cat No No Executive Luigi Cozzi
1990 Night of the Living Dead No No Executive Tom Savini
The Forbidden Dance No Story Executive Greydon Clark
Bad Jim No No Executive Clyde Ware
The Appointed No No Executive Daniel Wachsmann
The 5th Monkey No No Executive  Éric Rochat
Captain America No No Yes Albert Pyun
Bullseye! No No Executive Michael Winner
1991 Naked Robot 4 1/2 No No Executive Philip J. Cook
Virgin High No No Executive Richard Gabai
Killing Streets No Story Executive Stephen Cornwell
1992 Hit the Dutchman Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
The Finest Hour No No Yes Shimon Dotan
Mad Dog Coll No No Yes Greydon Clark
Dance Macabre (film) No No Yes Greydon Clark
Hot Under the Collar No No Executive Richard Gabai
Desert Kickboxer No No Executive Isaac Florentine
Three Days to a Kill No No Executive Fred Williamson
1993 Silent Victim Yes No Yes Menahem Golan
Deadly Heroes Yes Yes No Menahem Golan
Midnight Witness No No Executive Peter Foldy
Rage No No Executive Anthony Maharaj
Emmanuelle 7 No No Executive Francis Leroi
Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde No No Executive John Shepphird
Dead Center No Story Executive Steve Carver
1994 Death Wish V: The Face of Death No No Executive Allan A. Goldstein
Stickfighter No No Executive BJ Davis
1995 Russian Roulette: Moscow 95 Yes No No Menahem Golan
Luise and the Jackpot Yes No No Menahem Golan
1996 Superbrain Yes No No Menahem Golan
1998 Lima: Breaking the Silence Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Armstrong Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
The Versace Murder Yes Yes No Menahem Golan
1999 Speedway Junky No No Executive Nickolas Perry
2001 Death Game Yes No Yes Menahem Golan
2002 Crime and Punishment Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Return from India Yes No Yes Menahem Golan
2003 Final Combat Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
2005 Days of Love Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
2007 A Dangerous Dance Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
Children of Wax No Yes Yes Ivan Nitchev
2008 Marriage Arrangement Yes Yes Yes Menahem Golan
2009 Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! No Yes No Evgeny Afineevsky

Awards and recognition

See also

References

  1. "מנחם גולן". ishim.co.il.
  2. Fabrikant, Geraldine (1 March 1989). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Golan Quits Cannon Group To Form His Own Company". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  3. Ronald Grover. "Unraveling Spider-Man's Tangled Web". Business Week (April 15, 2002). Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
  4. "Writers and Production Artists: Menachem Golan". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  5. Wingrove, David (1985). Science Fiction Film Source Book. Longman Group Limited.
  6. Cronin, Brian (2 November 2006). "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #75". comicbookresources.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
  7. Jankiewicz, Pat (July 2002). "Scott Leva, the Man Who Was Almost Spider-Man". Starlog/Comics Scene Presents Spider-Man 1 (1): 62–64.
  8. "Remembering Israeli Movie Mogul Menahem Golan". 13 August 2014.
  9. "Menahem Golan, Producer of 1980s Action Movies, Dies at 85". Yahoo.com. August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  10. Natale, Richard (8 August 2014). "Menachem Golan, Who Headed Cannon Films, Dies at 85". Variety.
  11. "The 50th Academy Awards (1978) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  12. "Israel Prize Official Site - Recipients in 1999 (in Hebrew)". Archived from the original on 21 September 2011.
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