Frank Mancuso Sr., who ran Paramount Pictures during one of its most profitable eras and later rebuilt MGM’s United Artists label, died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 93. The Hollywood Reporter said the cause was complications from cancer.
Mancuso’s death closes out a Hollywood career that began far from any studio lot. He started as a theater usher and film buyer in Buffalo, New York, before working his way up to become chairman and CEO of two major studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He spent nearly three decades with Paramount and was considered unusual among studio chiefs for coming up through the marketing ranks rather than production or finance.
Rise To Paramount’s Top Job
Mancuso was serving as president of Paramount’s motion picture group in September 1984 when Martin Davis, chairman and CEO of parent company Gulf & Western, chose him over Michael Eisner to run the studio, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Mancuso replaced Barry Diller as chairman that year. The decision reshaped the industry well beyond Paramount’s walls. Eisner left for Disney, and Jeffrey Katzenberg exited too after being passed over for a promotion.
Paramount thrived under Mancuso’s leadership. The studio finished first at the box office in both 1986 and 1987, capturing a 22% domestic market share in 1986, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The mid-1980s slate under Mancuso included Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, The Golden Child, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Children of a Lesser God. In 1987 alone, Paramount released Fatal Attraction, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Untouchables and Eddie Murphy Raw.
The studio kept producing commercial hits into the late 1980s and 1990, including Coming to America, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Ghost.
Departure From Paramount
Mancuso’s run at Paramount ended after costly sequels including The Two Jakes and The Godfather Part III underperformed at the box office. Martin Davis responded by installing producer Stanley R. Jaffe as chief operating officer above Mancuso, and Mancuso left the studio in March 1991, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
He later filed a $45 million breach of contract lawsuit over his exit and eventually received a reported $20 million settlement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Rebuilding MGM And United Artists
Mancuso returned to the industry in July 1993, named chairman and CEO of MGM in a deal brokered by CAA’s Michael Ovitz. He replaced Alan Ladd Jr. in the role. One of his first moves was reviving United Artists, which had not put out a film since Rocky V in 1990. Mancuso brought in former Warner Bros. executive John Calley to run the relaunched label, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
Under Mancuso, MGM expanded its holdings by acquiring Orion Pictures, The Samuel Goldwyn Co. and assets from PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. The studio’s output during his tenure included Stargate, Get Shorty and The Birdcage, along with three James Bond films.
Mancuso’s time at MGM ended in April 1999 when owner Kirk Kerkorian named Alex Yemenidjian chairman and Chris McGurk vice chairman in his place, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
What It Means For Fans And The Industry
Fans who grew up on Paramount’s 1980s hits were watching a studio built under Mancuso’s watch. Top Gun, Ghost and the Indiana Jones sequel he greenlit remain franchise touchstones decades later, and the Bond films released during his MGM tenure kept that series alive through the 1990s.
Mancuso’s son, Frank Mancuso Jr., followed him into the business as a producer, working on five Friday the 13th films along with Species, Ronin and Stigmata.
Tributes followed news of his death. One colleague said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “When God created Frank Mancuso Sr., he broke the mold. This is not just a saying but the absolute truth.
Mr. Mancuso will forever be a beacon of class in our industry, the greatest example of warmth, integrity and generosity. I had the blessing of his friendship, support and guidance.
I will miss him deeply and will continue to be inspired by his example. Rest in peace, ‘Pops.'”
Background
Mancuso’s two studio tenures spanned 15 years combined, covering some of the most commercially successful periods for both Paramount and MGM. His marketing background set him apart from many of his peers who rose through production or finance, a distinction The Hollywood Reporter noted in detailing his career.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
