Stephen J. Friedman

Stephen Jay Friedman (March 15, 1937 – October 4, 1996) was an American film producer known for The Last Picture Show and The Big Easy (1986). In 1980, he formed Kings Road Entertainment He began his legal career with the Federal Trade Commission, then went to work as an entertainment attorney for Columbia Pictures and Paramount Studios. Also that year, he set up a foreign office for Kings Road Entertainment in order to handle in-house productions, as well as acquisitions for the studio, and took over operations for Terry Glinwood.

In 1986, it signed a television pact with ITC Entertainment to handle syndicated rights to then-upcoming theatrical motion pictures that would be handled by the studio for a multi-million dollar agreement. In 1987, Kings Road Entertainment had entered into a partnership with the New Century/Vista Film Corporation, in order to handle distribution of The Big Easy and Morgan Stewart's Coming Home in a twin pack.

That year, Kings Road Entertainment entered into the film distribution business in order to handle six in-house pictures and six acquisitions annually, and hired Leo Greenfield to serve as executive vice president of the studio and president of distribution, and joining Greenfield were Donald Smolen, who was senior vice president of advertising and Henry Seggerman as senior vice president of production and acquisition and the new Kings Road distribution office set up branches in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago in anticipation of the company's first pictures they are distributing.

Death Friedman died of multiple myeloma at home in Brentwood, California at the age of 59.

In the years following Friedman's death, most of the Kings Road library would change hands several times, most recently to FilmRise and, currently, Lionsgate.

Selected filmography He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film Year Film Credit Notes Other notes 1971 The Last Picture Show 1974 Lovin' Molly 1977 Slap Shot 1978 Bloodbrothers 1979 Fast Break 1980 Hero at Large Little Darlings 1981 Eye of the Needle The Incubus Executive producer 1984 All of Me 1985 Creator Enemy Mine 1986 Touch and Go The Big Easy 1987 Morgan Stewart's Coming Home 1989 Kickboxer 1991 Kickboxer 2 1992 Kickboxer 3 There Goes the Neighborhood 1994 Kickboxer 4 Direct-to-video 1995 Redemption: Kickboxer 5 Direct-to-video Mother Executive producer Direct-to-video Final film as a producer

As writer Year Film 1974 Lovin' Molly

Miscellaneous crew Year Film Role Notes 1995 Mother Presenter Direct-to-video

Thanks Year Film Role 1997 Mean Guns Dedicated to the memory of

Television Year Title Credit Notes 1978 The President's Mistress Executive producer Television film