Daniel Melnick
Daniel Melnick (* April 21, 1932 in New York City, New York, † October 13, 2009 in Los Angeles, California ) was an American film and theater producer.
Life
Melnick studied at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and New York University, after which he completed his military service in the United States Army. Subsequently, he moved to Hollywood and was hired in 1954 at the age of 20 years as a producer at CBS, but soon changed it to ABC. Among other things, he was in charge there, the television series The Flintstones and The Fugitive. Later he started his own business as a producer and produced television dramas. For an adaptation of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman with Lee J. Cobb in the title role, he was awarded the 1967 Emmy Award.
After 1971 Straw Dogs produced a first feature film, Melnick moved the following year to MGM, where he was head of production for three years from 1974. In 1978 he was hired by Columbia Pictures as Managing Director, where he oversaw, among other things, the production of Kramer vs. Kramer and The China Syndrome. After disagreements on film financing, he moved to 20th Century Fox.
Besides his work as director of various film studios, he produced movies like Footloose and LA Story. He also worked as a theater producer on Broadway and headed 1978-1979 the Playhouse Theatre in New York.
Melnick died from cancer. He was divorced and had two children, one of which is the composer Peter Rodgers Melnick.