Another person says: “The legend, the goat. Truly grateful he gave us peak cinema that will outlive us all to show to many generations amazing stories.”
“With credits like that, the man knew a good flick when he saw it. Rest in peace, good sir,” a third remembers.
A fourth pens: “This dude’s responsible for about half of my childhood. RIP.”
Frank Price was an American television writer and film studio executive who defined his ability and talent within the film industry.
Some of the most successful and celebrated movies of the 20th century are down to Price.
His Hollywood career began in the early 1950s as a story editor, before joining Universal Television in 1959, where he pioneered the made-for-TV movie, mini-series, and the 90-minute drama format.
Price’s television successes included The Virginian, Columbo, and Kojak, among many others.
Later, the TV veteran became president of Columbia Pictures, where he had a string of award-winning and culturally significant films, including Kramer vs. Kramer, Gandhi, and Tootsie.
Without Price, Ghostbusters would not have made its way to the big screen after film executives were reluctant to greenlight it, yet it became one of 1984’s biggest box office hits.
During his time as chairman of MCA/Universal, he oversaw Back to the Future and the Oscar-winning Out of Africa.
The executive legend is also responsible for backing John Singleton’s groundbreaking Boyz n the Hood, which is critically acclaimed for its authentic portrayal of urban Black life in South Central Los Angeles.
The Hollywood legend also backed The Karate Kid despite many executives believing it wouldn’t be a hit.
Price also approved and oversaw Back to the Future, which has become one of the most culturally significant films of the 20th century.
It’s one of Universal’s biggest hit films and has grossed hundreds of millions worldwide and followed by a hugely successful trilogy.
Despite Price’s long-running time of high-hitting films, he famously greenlit Howard the Duck while chairman at Universal; this film is notoriously viewed as one of the biggest disasters in movie history.
The film veteran also famously passed on Steven Spielberg’s E.T., which became the highest-grossing movie in its time.
The 95-year-old’s passing was announced by his son, Roy Price, who is the former head of Amazon Studios. He shared on X (formerly known as Twitter): “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.”
Price’s official cause of death has not yet been announced.
The film industry legend is survived by his wife, Katherine, sons David, Roy, and William.