Jonathan D. Krane

Jonathan D. Krane (May 1, 1952 – August 1, 2016) was an American screenwriter, film producer, talent manager, and studio head. He's most known in Hollywood for his decade and a half partnership with John Travolta, whom he managed from 1987 until 2002. Together, they made some of Travolta's biggest films including Look Who's Talking, Phenomenon (1996), Michael (1996), Face/Off (1997), Primary Colors (1998), General's Daughter (1999), Domestic Disturbance (2001), Swordfish (2001) and Basic (2003).

Life Krane was born in Hollywood, California, the son of a Los Angeles car-leasing executive. He graduated from Hollywood Hills High School at the age of 15, After finishing his undergraduate work, he lived for one year in England, France, and Greece, independently studying civil liberties in European criminal justice systems before returning to the states to study law at Yale Law School. They adopted newborn twins. Kramer and Kellerman separated twice during their 36-year marriage, first for a few months in 1994, then again during 1997–98 over Krane's public affair with Nastassja Kinski. As Kellerman had dated married men in the past, she forgave her husband for the affair.

Management Company Entertainment Group A chance meeting with Blake Edwards at an industry party would change the course of his career. Edwards was reportedly tired of working with the studio system and Krane pitched him his idea for a "new type of film studio." After further discussions, they partnered together to form Blake Edwards Entertainment, where Krane would serve as CEO. Krane would develop and produce the projects so Edwards could focus on writing and directing.

Their first project was the hit film Trail of the Pink Panther, which they followed up with Curse of the Pink Panther the next year. All told, they made seven films together before Krane left to expand his own company called Management Company Entertainment (MCE), which he had formed in 1983.

Krane took MCEG public in 1987 as "Management Company Entertainment Group", which made him the youngest CEO of a publicly traded company at the time.

In July 1989, MCEG acquired UK-based home video distributor Virgin Vision (including subsidiary Virgin Films) from the Virgin Group, and renamed it MCEG Virgin Vision. MCEG's existing home video divisions, including MCEG Home Video and Forum Home Video, were merged with the US division of Virgin Vision to form MCEG Virgin Home Entertainment. MCEG's acquisition of Virgin Vision was proved to be unsuccessful, and in 1990, MCEG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company sold 85% of Virgin Vision to GE Capital, and the Virgin Group reacquired 15%. The US and Australian operations of MCEG Virgin Home Entertainment were shut down, while the UK branch remained in operation, and when Virgin's stake was sold to GE Capital in 1991, was renamed Vision Video Ltd. (VVL).

In 1992, John Kluge acquired MCEG and renamed it MCEG/Sterling Entertainment.

In 1995, MCEG/Sterling and two other companies owned by Kluge were merged into Orion Pictures to form the Metromedia International Group, which was acquired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1997.

Death Krane died suddenly of a heart attack on August 1, 2016, at age 64 in his home in Hollywood Hills.

Filmography Year Title Role 1982 Trail of the Pink Panther executive producer 1983 Curse of the Pink Panther executive producer The Man Who Loved Women executive producer 1984 Micki & Maude executive producer 1986 A Fine Mess executive producer That's Life! producer 1987 Blind Date executive producer 1988 You Can't Hurry Love producer The Chocolate War producer Slipping into Darkness producer 1989 The Experts executive producer Getting It Right producer Catch Me If You Can producer C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. producer Look Who's Talking producer Limit Up producer 1990 Without You I'm Nothing producer Fatal Charm executive producerproducer Look Who's Talking Too producer 1991 Chains of Gold producer Cold Heaven producer Convicts producer 1992 Boris and Natasha: The Movie producer Breaking the Rules producer 1993 Look Who's Talking Now producer 1994 Love Is a Gun producer 1995 The Point of Betrayal producer 1996 Phenomenon executive producer Michael producer 1997 Face/Off executive producer Movies Kill executive producer The Lay of the Land producer Mad City executive producer 1998 Primary Colors executive producer 1999 The General's Daughter executive producer 2000 Battlefield Earth producer Lucky Numbers producer Bar Hopping producer 2001 Swordfish producer Domestic Disturbance producer 2003 Basic producer 2007 The Prince and the Pauper: The Movie executive producer 2010 Father of Invention producer