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Leonard J. Goldberg (January 24, 1934 – December 4, 2019) was an American film and television producer.[1] He had his own production company, Panda Productions (formerly Mandy Films, and earlier Daydream Productions when he was working with Jerry Weintraub).[2] He served as head of programming for ABC, and was president of 20th Century Fox. Goldberg was also the executive producer of the CBS series Blue Bloods.
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Leonard Goldberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 24, 1934 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 4, 2019 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Film producer Television producer |
| Spouse |
Wendy J. Howard (m. 1972) |
| Children | 1, 2 stepsons including John |
Goldberg was born on January 24, 1934, to a Jewish family, the son of Jean (née Smith) and William Goldberg.[3] He was a graduate of New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he received a B.S. in economics in 1955.[3]
As a producer, he was responsible for producing several television films, including the Peabody Award–winning Brian's Song (1971) and The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976); the latter helping to launch John Travolta's movie career. He also produced a string of hit television series while in partnership with Aaron Spelling; the best-known being Charlie's Angels, Hart to Hart, Starsky & Hutch, Fantasy Island and Family. He produced the Oscar-nominated movie WarGames (1983) as well as the comedy The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977).[4] He also partnered with producer Jerry Weintraub in the late 1970s, working on the television show When the Whistle Blows, and had development contracts with ABC and Universal Pictures.[5] In 1981, he received an agreement with MGM/UA Entertainment Co. to produce and distribute TV shows as well as feature films under the Mandy Productions (later Mandy Films) company. He subsequently left MGM in 1984 to sign with Paramount Pictures to produce films and TV shows.[6]
He also produced the Emmy Award–winning television film Something About Amelia, which aired on ABC in 1984. It was one of the highest-rated television films of the year, watched by around 60–70 million people.[7]
Goldberg served as president of 20th Century Fox from 1987 to 1989, during which time the studio produced such films as Broadcast News, Big, Die Hard, Wall Street and Working Girl. Under his own banner, Goldberg produced the successful motion picture features WarGames, Sleeping with the Enemy, Double Jeopardy and the Charlie's Angels films series. He also produced Unknown, starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones and Frank Langella, released in theaters in February 2011. After he left 20th Century Fox in 1989,[8] he moved to The Walt Disney Studios to serve as a film producer, before going back to Fox to sign a feature film production contract.[9] In the late 1990s, he worked at Universal Studios as a film producer.[10]
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a member of Wilshire Boulevard Temple.[11]
Goldberg served on the CBS Board of Directors from 2007 to 2018.
In 1972, he married Wendy Howard.[3] He had one daughter, Amanda Erin Goldberg and two stepsons, Richard Mirisch[3] and Beverly Hills City Councilmember John A. Mirisch.
Goldberg died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on December 4, 2019, as a result of injuries sustained in a fall. He was 85 years old.[12][13]
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | California Split | Executive producer | |
| 1976 | Baby Blue Marine | ||
| 1977 | The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training | ||
| 1981 | All Night Long | ||
| 1983 | WarGames | Executive producer | |
| 1986 | SpaceCamp | Executive producer | |
| 1991 | Sleeping with the Enemy | ||
| 1992 | The Distinguished Gentleman | ||
| 1993 | Aspen Extreme | ||
| 1999 | Double Jeopardy | ||
| 2000 | Charlie's Angels | ||
| 2003 | Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | ||
| 2011 | Unknown | ||
| 2019 | Charlie's Angels | Executive producer | Final film as a producer |
- As an actor
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Underdog's Tale | Hank | Direct-to-video |
Television
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Daughters of Joshua Cabe | Executive producer | Television film |
| No Place to Run | Executive producer | Television film | |
| Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole | Television film | ||
| The Bounty Man | Television film | ||
| Home for the Holidays | Executive producer | Television film | |
| Every Man Needs One | Executive producer | Television film | |
| 1973 | A Cold Night's Death | Executive producer | Television film |
| Snatched | Executive producer | Television film | |
| The Great American Beauty Contest | Executive producer | Television film | |
| The Letters | Executive producer | Television film | |
| The Bait | Executive producer | Television film | |
| Satan's School for Girls | Television film | ||
| Hijack | Television film | ||
| Letters from Three Lovers | Television film | ||
| The Affair | Executive producer | Television film | |
| 1974 | The Death Squad | Television film | |
| Firehouse | Executive producer | ||
| Chopper One | Executive producer | ||
| The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped | Television film | ||
| Cry Panic | Television film | ||
| Savages | Television film | ||
| Death Sentence | Television film | ||
| Hit Lady | Television film | ||
| Death Cruise | Television film | ||
| Only with Married Men | Executive producer | Television film | |
| The Fireman's Ball | Executive producer | Television film | |
| 1975 | The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return | Executive producer | Television film |
| The Fireman's Ball | Executive producer | Television pilot | |
| Murder on Flight 502 | Executive producer | Television film | |
| The Legend of Valentino | Television film | ||
| 1976 | One of My Wives Is Missing | Executive producer | Television film |
| The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe | Executive producer | Television film | |
| Death at Love House | Executive producer | Television film | |
| 33 Hours in the Life of God | Television film | ||
| The Sad and Lonely Sundays | Executive producer | Television film | |
| The Boy in the Plastic Bubble | Executive producer | Television film | |
| 1972−76 | The Rookies | Executive producer | |
| 1975−76 | S.W.A.T. | Executive producer | |
| 1977 | Little Ladies of the Night | Executive producer | Television film |
| Delta County, U.S.A. | Executive producer | Television film | |
| 1979 | Beach Patrol | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1975−79 | Starsky & Hutch | Executive producer | |
| 1980 | When the Whistle Blows | Executive producer | |
| Blue Jeans | Executive producer | Television film | |
| 1976−80 | Family | Executive producer | |
| 1981 | This House Possessed | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1976−81 | Charlie's Angels | Executive producer | |
| 1982 | Fantasies | Executive producer | Television film |
| Paper Dolls | Executive producer | Television film | |
| 1983 | Deadly Lessons | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1982−83 | Gavilan | Executive producer | |
| 1984 | Something About Amelia | Executive producer | Television film |
| Sins of the Past | Executive producer | Television film | |
| Paper Dolls | Executive producer | ||
| 1977−84 | Fantasy Island | Executive producer | |
| 1979−84 | Hart to Hart | Executive producer | |
| 1985 | Royal Match | Executive producer | Television film |
| Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues | Television film | ||
| 1986 | Alex: The Life of a Child | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1982−86 | T. J. Hooker | Executive producer | |
| 1987 | Home | Executive producer | Television film |
| 1988 | The Cavanaughs | Executive producer | |
| 1993 | Class of '96 | Executive producer | |
| 1999 | Love Letters | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2000 | Runaway Virus | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2002 | Critical Assembly | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2009 | Limelight | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2011 | Charlie's Angels | Executive producer | |
| 2018 | Untitled Paul Attanasio Project | Executive producer | Television pilot |
| 2010−20 | Blue Bloods | Executive producer |
- Thanks
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Blue Bloods | In loving memory of our founder and mentor |
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