Menahem Golan

Menahem Golan (; 31 May 1929 – 8 August 2014, originally Menachem Globus) was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He co-owned The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon specialized in producing low-to-mid-budget American films, primarily genre films, during the 1980s after Golan and Globus had achieved significant filmmaking success in Israel during the 1970s.

Golan produced films featuring actors such as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and for a period, was known as a producer of comic book-style films like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Captain America, and his aborted attempt to bring Spider-Man to the silver screen. Golan also wrote and polished numerous film scripts under the pen name Joseph Goldman. At the time of his death, Golan had produced over 200 films, directed 44, and won 8 "Kinor David" awards as well as "Israel Prize" in Cinema. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign-Language Film for Franco Zeffirelli's Otello.

Early life Born Menachem Globus

Golan is probably best known as a director for his film Operation Thunderbolt (Mivtsa Yonatan, 1977), about the Israeli raid on Entebbe airport in Uganda. He also produced Eskimo Limon (Lemon Popsicle, 1978), a film that spawned many sequels and an American remake, The Last American Virgin (1982).

An adaptation of the Isaac Bashevis Singer novel The Magician of Lublin (1979) was followed by the musical The Apple (1980). An unusual moral fable with a rock-disco soundtrack, The Apple routinely appears on lists of all-time-worst movies, earning it cult film status.

Golan's production company The Cannon Group produced a long line of films during the 1980s and early 1990s, including Delta Force, Runaway Train, and some of the Death Wish sequels. In 1986, Cannon was taken over by Pathe Communications. Golan produced several comic book-style movies in the last half of the 1980s, most notably Masters of the Universe, based on the Mattel toy line of the same name and inspired by the comics of Jack Kirby. In 1987, Cannon gained infamy after its UK-based production of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace performed poorly at the box office, received mixed to negative reviews from critics and provoked a negative backlash from fans. Golan resigned from Cannon in 1989, and by 1993 the company had folded. After Cannon's collapse, Golan became head of 21st Century Film Corporation and produced several low to medium-budget films.

Golan planned to shoot Spider-Man: The Movie in 1986 at both Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom and on location in Tel Aviv, Israel. Dolph Lundgren, who played He-Man in Masters of the Universe was envisioned for the role of the Green Goblin, and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee was approached to make a cameo appearance in the film as J. Jonah Jameson. Golan struggled for years to produce the film and finally failed when 21st Century Film Corporation filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors in 1996 (along with Carolco Pictures, another company that had agreed to help finance the film). Sony Pictures eventually purchased the rights to the Marvel Comics character and released a Spider-Man film in 2002, directed by Sam Raimi. That year, Golan released his adaptation of Crime and Punishment.

Personal life Golan was married to Rachel (1930–2015), a makeup artist. Together, they had three daughters, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Ruth Golan (born 1953), Naomi (1958–2015) and Yael (born 1964).

Death Whilst visiting Jaffa, Tel Aviv, with family members on the morning of 8 August 2014, Golan collapsed. He lost consciousness, and attempts to resuscitate him failed.

Filmography Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 1963 El Dorado 1964 Sallah Shabati Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated-Academy Award for Best International Feature Film Eight in the Footstep of One (original title: Shemona B'Ekevot Ahat) Dalia and the Sailors (original title: Dalia Vehamalahim) 1965 Trunk to Cairo (original title: Einer spielt falsch 1966 Fortuna (English title: Seduced in Sodom) 1967 Aliza Mizrahi (English title: 999 Aliza: The Policeman)1968 Tevye and His Seven Daughters Topele (original title: Nes B'Ayara) Commandos 1969 What's Good for the Goose My Margo (original title: Margo Sheli)1970 Lupo! Attack at Dawn (original title: Ha-Pritza Hagdola)1971 The Highway Queen The Contract (original title: Katz V'Carasso)1972 Escape to the Sun The Great Telephone Robbery (original title: Shod Hatelephonim Hagadol) 1973 Kazablan 1975 Diamonds Lepke 1977 Operation Thunderbolt Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film 1977 Kid Vengeance 1978 The Uranium Conspiracy 1979 The Magician of Lublin 1980 The Apple 1981 Enter the Ninja 1983 Revenge of the Ninja 1984 Over the Brooklyn Bridge Sahara 1985 Hot Chili Screenplay credited as "Joseph Goldman" 1986 The Delta Force 1987 Million Dollar Madness Over the Top 1988 Going Bananas Hanna's War 1989 Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects Mack the Knife 1992 Hit the Dutchman 1993 Silent Victim Deadly Heroes 1995 Russian Roulette: Moscow 95 Luise and the Jackpot 1996 1998 Lima: Breaking the Silence Armstrong The Versace Murder 2001 Death Game 2002 Crime and Punishment Return from India 2003 Final Combat 2005 Days of Love 2007 Children of Wax A Dangerous Dance 2008 Marriage Arrangement 2009 Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!!

Producer only Year Title Director Notes 1972 I Love You RosaMoshé Mizrahi Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film1973 The House on Chelouche Street Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film Daughters, Daughters (original title: Abu el Banat) 1975 The Four Deuces William H. Bushnell 1976 Tzanani Family Boaz Davidson (original title: Mishpahat Tzan'ani) Lupo Goes to New York God's Gun Gianfranco Parolini (original title: Diamante Lobo)1978 Lemon Popsicle Boaz Davidson The Alaska Wilderness Adventure Fred Meader It's a Funny, Funny World Tzvi Shissel (original title: Yisraelim Matzhikim)1979 The Swap Jordan Leondopoulos Re-edited from Sam's Song Lemon Popsicle 2: Going Steady Boaz Davidson My Mother the General Joel Silberg Marriage Tel Aviv Style (original title: Nisuin Nusah Tel Aviv)1980 The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood Alan Roberts Schizoid David Paulsen Seed of Innocence Boaz Davidson Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype Charles B. Griffith New Year's Evil Emmett Alston1981 Hot Bubblegum: Lemon Popsicle 3 Boaz Davidson Deathhouse Theodore Gershuny Body and Soul George Bowers Hospital MassacreBoaz Davidson1982 Private Popsicle: Lemon Popsicle 4 Death Wish II Michael Winner The Last American Virgin Boaz Davidson Mute Love Joel Silberg 1983 Private Manoeuvres Tzvi Shissel Nana, the True Key of Pleasure Dan Wolman House of the Long Shadows Pete Walker Hercules Luigi Cozzi Young Warriors Lawrence D. Foldes The Wicked Lady Michael Winner1984 Baby Love: Lemon Popsicle 5 Dan Wolman The Big Tease: Here Comes Another One Yehuda BarkanYigal Shilon Breakin' Joel Silberg Night Soldier Dan Wolman The Naked Face Bryan Forbes I'm Almost Not Crazy:John Cassavetes, the Man and His Work Michael Ventura Sword of the Valiant Stephen Weeks Love Streams John Cassavetes Ninja III: The Domination Sam Firstenberg Forced Testimony Raphael Rebibo Missing in Action Joseph Zito Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo Sam Firstenberg 1985 Up Your Anchor: Lemon Popsicle 6 Dan Wolman Hot Resort John Robins The Ambassador J. Lee Thompson Missing in Action 2: The Beginning Lance Hool Déjà Vu Anthony B. Richmond The Assisi Underground Alexander Ramati Rappin' Joel Silberg Grace Quigley Anthony Harvey Lifeforce Tobe Hooper Salomè Claude d'Anna American Ninja Sam Firstenberg Hard Rock Zombies Krishna Shah War and Love Moshé Mizrahi Invasion U.S.A. Joseph Zito The Adventures of Hercules Luigi Cozzi The Berlin Affair Liliana Cavani Death Wish 3 Michael Winner King Solomon's Mines J. Lee Thompson Aladdin Bruno Corbucci Fool for Love Robert Altman Runaway Train Andrei Konchalovsky1986 The Lover Michal Bat-Adam Camorra (A Story of Streets, Women and Crime) Lina Wertmüller Field of Honor Kim Dae-hieHans Scheepmaker America 3000 David Engelbach P.O.W. the Escape Gideon Amir Pirates Roman Polanski Cobra George P. Cosmatos Invaders from Mars Tobe Hooper Lightning, the White Stallion William A. Levey Detective School Dropouts Filippo Ottoni The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Tobe Hooper Otello Franco Zeffirelli Avenging Force Sam Firstenberg 52 Pick-Up John Frankenheimer Castaway Nicolas Roeg Firewalker J. Lee Thompson Duet for One Andrei Konchalovsky1987 Young Love: Lemon Popsicle 7 Walter Bannert Dutch Treat Boaz Davidson Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold Gary Nelson Number One with a Bullet Jack Smight The Barbarians Ruggero Deodato Down Twisted Albert Pyun Street Smart Jerry Schatzberg The Hanoi Hilton Lionel Chetwynd Beauty and the Beast Eugene Marner Rumpelstiltskin David Irving American Ninja 2: The Confrontation Sam Firstenberg The Emperor's New Clothes David Irving Too Much Éric Rochat Three Kinds of Heat Leslie Stevens Sleeping Beauty David Irving Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Sidney J. Furie Masters of the Universe Gary Goddard Penitentiary III Jamaa Fanaka King Lear Jean-Luc Godard Tough Guys Don't Dance Norman Mailer Dancers Herbert Ross Business as Usual Lezli-An Barrett Under Cover John Stockwell1988 Summertime Blues: Lemon Popsicle VIII Reinhard Schwabenitzky Braddock: Missing in Action III Aaron Norris Alien from L.A. Albert Pyun Bloodsport Newt Arnold Shy People Andrei Konchalovsky Salsa Boaz Davidson The Frog Prince Jackson Hunsicker Puss in Boots Eugene Marner Journey to the Center of the Earth Rusty LemorandeAlbert Pyun Messenger of Death J. Lee Thompson Doin' Time on Planet Earth Charles Matthau Platoon Leader Aaron Norris Evil Angels Fred Schepisi Hansel and Gretel Len Talan1989 Snow White Michael Berz Manifesto Dušan Makavejev Red Riding Hood Adam Brooks CyborgAlbert Pyun 1990 Captain America1992 The Finest Hour Shimon Dotan Mad Dog CollGreydon Clark Dance Macabre

Executive producer only

Awards and recognition 1978: Nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Operation Thunderbolt 1984: Won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture Bolero 1986: Nomination for Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture Cobra 1987: Nomination for Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture Tough Guys don't dance In 1999, Golan was awarded the Israel Prize for his contribution to cinema. In 1994 Golan was awarded the Ophir Prize of the Israeli Film Academy for his Lifetime Achievement. The movie theater in the Azrieli building in Tel Aviv bore the name of the Golan-Globus company. It was closed in 2008.