Marvin Minoff
Encyclopedia
Marvin Minoff was an American
film
and television producer
best known for producing The Nixon Interviews
between British
journalist
David Frost
and former U.S. President Richard Nixon
in 1977. Minoff also produced the 1998 film
Patch Adams
, starring Robin Williams
.
Harry Minoff, was originally from Brooklyn, New York. He attended both Syracuse University
and New York University
before enlisting in the United States Army
during the Korean War
.
in New York City
. Minoff then moved to the International Famous Artists, a forerunner of International Creative Management
(ICM). He eventually became the Vice President of the motion picture department at International Famous Artists. Minoff represented a number of notable figures during his fifteen years at the talent agencies, including Cicely Tyson
, screenwriters Bruce Joel Rubin
and David W. Rintels, and director
, Sidney Lumet
. He also packaged several films, including the 1970 movie, Love Story
and the 1971 blockbuster
film, The French Connection
.
In 1974, Minoff departed International Famous Artists and the talent agency business to become the president of David Paradine Television
, which had been founded by journalist David Frost
. While president of the company, Minoff teamed with television producer John Birt to co-executive produce
The Nixon Interviews
between Frost and Richard Nixon
. The interviews, which took place three years after Nixon left office, were broadcast in syndication in 1977. The Nixon Interviews would later be adapted into a Broadway play, which in turn, formed the basis for the 2008 film Frost/Nixon
, directed by Ron Howard, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture
. Actor Keith MacKechnie portrayed Minoff in the film.
Minoff also produced interviews with former Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger
and the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
as head of Paradine Television. Additional, Minoff produced several television films for Paradine, including Dynasty, which was based on the novel, "The Ordeal of Patty Hearst" by James Michener. He also produced the television movie, Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger, which starred his future wife, actress Bonnie Franklin
, as Margaret Sanger
.
Minoff left David Paradine Television in the early 1980s and worked for a time as a indie producer. In 1985, Minoff partnered with actor and producer Mike Farrell
to form Farrell/Minoff Productions, which created a series of made-for-TV movies. Minoff and Farrell would work closely together in a professional partnership for the next twenty-five year. Their many television movies featured such actors as Fred Savage
, Ed Asner
, Helen Hunt
, Jill Clayburgh
, Missy Crider, Patricia Wettig
and Tess Harper
.
Together, Minoff and Farrell produced two feature films. Their first film was 1988's Dominick and Eugene
for Orion Pictures
, which earned actor Tom Hulce
a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. Farrell and Minofff later co-produced Patch Adams
in 1998, which starred Robin Williams
.
on November 11, 2009, at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife of 29 years, actress Bonnie Franklin
; a son, Jed, and his wife, Madoka; a daughter, Julie, and her husband, Glenn Mar; and two granddaughters, Natasha Mar Minoff and Maya Grace Minoff.
Minoff was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
in Hollywood Hills
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
best known for producing The Nixon Interviews
The Nixon Interviews
The Nixon Interviews were a series of interviews of former United States President Richard Nixon conducted by British journalist Sir David Frost, and produced by John Birt. They were recorded and broadcast on television in four programs in 1977...
between British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
David Frost
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
and former U.S. President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
in 1977. Minoff also produced the 1998 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Patch Adams
Patch Adams (film)
Patch Adams is a 1998 comedy-drama film starring Robin Williams. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it is based on the life story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing Matter by Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film is generally considered a box-office success,...
, starring Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
.
Biography
Minoff, the son of theatrical haberdasherHaberdasher
A haberdasher is a person who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, zips, and other notions. In American English, haberdasher is another term for a men's outfitter. A haberdasher's shop or the items sold therein are called haberdashery.-Origin and use:The word appears in...
Harry Minoff, was originally from Brooklyn, New York. He attended both Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
before enlisting in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Career
His career in the entertainment industry began as a talent agent at the William Morris AgencyWilliam Morris Agency
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Minoff then moved to the International Famous Artists, a forerunner of International Creative Management
International Creative Management
International Creative Management is a talent and literary agency with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London. ICM is a full-service agency representing creative and technical talent in the fields of motion pictures, television, fiction and nonfiction publishing, music, live performance,...
(ICM). He eventually became the Vice President of the motion picture department at International Famous Artists. Minoff represented a number of notable figures during his fifteen years at the talent agencies, including Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson is an American actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for her Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots....
, screenwriters Bruce Joel Rubin
Bruce Joel Rubin
Bruce Joel Rubin is a screenwriter best known for the supernatural romance, Ghost for which he won the 1991 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay...
and David W. Rintels, and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet was an American director, producer and screenwriter with over 50 films to his credit. He was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director for 12 Angry Men , Dog Day Afternoon , Network and The Verdict...
. He also packaged several films, including the 1970 movie, Love Story
Love Story (1970 film)
Love Story is a 1970 romantic drama film written by Erich Segal and based on his novel Love Story. It was directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well known as a tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute , and was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story...
and the 1971 blockbuster
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
film, The French Connection
The French Connection (film)
This article is about the 1971 film. For the British fashion label, see French Connection .The French Connection is a 1971 American crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the non-fiction book by Robin Moore...
.
In 1974, Minoff departed International Famous Artists and the talent agency business to become the president of David Paradine Television
David Paradine Productions
David Paradine Productions is a television production company formed by Sir David Frost.-References:* Accessed 30 March 2007....
, which had been founded by journalist David Frost
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
. While president of the company, Minoff teamed with television producer John Birt to co-executive produce
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
The Nixon Interviews
The Nixon Interviews
The Nixon Interviews were a series of interviews of former United States President Richard Nixon conducted by British journalist Sir David Frost, and produced by John Birt. They were recorded and broadcast on television in four programs in 1977...
between Frost and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. The interviews, which took place three years after Nixon left office, were broadcast in syndication in 1977. The Nixon Interviews would later be adapted into a Broadway play, which in turn, formed the basis for the 2008 film Frost/Nixon
Frost/Nixon (film)
Frost/Nixon is a 2008 historical drama film based on the 2006 play by Peter Morgan which dramatizes the Frost/Nixon interviews of 1977. The film was directed by Ron Howard and produced for Universal Pictures by Howard, Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment and Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working...
, directed by Ron Howard, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
. Actor Keith MacKechnie portrayed Minoff in the film.
Minoff also produced interviews with former Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
and the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
as head of Paradine Television. Additional, Minoff produced several television films for Paradine, including Dynasty, which was based on the novel, "The Ordeal of Patty Hearst" by James Michener. He also produced the television movie, Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger, which starred his future wife, actress Bonnie Franklin
Bonnie Franklin
Bonnie Gail Franklin is an American actress, best known for her starring role in the television series One Day at a Time.-Personal life:...
, as Margaret Sanger
Margaret Sanger
Margaret Higgins Sanger was an American sex educator, nurse, and birth control activist. Sanger coined the term birth control, opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, and established Planned Parenthood...
.
Minoff left David Paradine Television in the early 1980s and worked for a time as a indie producer. In 1985, Minoff partnered with actor and producer Mike Farrell
Mike Farrell
Michael Joseph "Mike" Farrell is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series M*A*S*H . He is an activist for politically liberal causes....
to form Farrell/Minoff Productions, which created a series of made-for-TV movies. Minoff and Farrell would work closely together in a professional partnership for the next twenty-five year. Their many television movies featured such actors as Fred Savage
Fred Savage
Fredrick Aaron "Fred" Savage is an American actor, director and producer of television and film.He is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series The Wonder Years and as the grandson in The Princess Bride...
, Ed Asner
Ed Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
, Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
, Jill Clayburgh
Jill Clayburgh
Jill Clayburgh was an American actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles in An Unmarried Woman and Starting Over.-Personal life:...
, Missy Crider, Patricia Wettig
Patricia Wettig
Patricia Wettig is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for her roles in the television series Thirtysomething, Prison Break and Brothers & Sisters...
and Tess Harper
Tess Harper
Tess Harper is an American actress.-Early life:Born Tessie Jean Washam on August 15, 1950 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. Her parents' names are Ed and Rosemary Washam. She grew up around lots of quilts and quilt makers. On her own time, she liked to sit on the porch-swing and read...
.
Together, Minoff and Farrell produced two feature films. Their first film was 1988's Dominick and Eugene
Dominick and Eugene
Dominick and Eugene is a 1988 American drama film directed by Robert M. Young about twin brothers, Dominick and Eugene. Dominick has an intellectual disability due to an accident in his youth. The film was directed by Robert M...
for Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
, which earned actor Tom Hulce
Tom Hulce
Thomas Edward "Tom" Hulce is an American actor and theater producer. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Mozart in the movie Amadeus and his role as "Pinto" in National Lampoon's Animal House. Additional acting awards included a total of four Golden Globe...
a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. Farrell and Minofff later co-produced Patch Adams
Patch Adams (film)
Patch Adams is a 1998 comedy-drama film starring Robin Williams. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it is based on the life story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing Matter by Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film is generally considered a box-office success,...
in 1998, which starred Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
.
Death
Marvin Minoff died at his home in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on November 11, 2009, at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife of 29 years, actress Bonnie Franklin
Bonnie Franklin
Bonnie Gail Franklin is an American actress, best known for her starring role in the television series One Day at a Time.-Personal life:...
; a son, Jed, and his wife, Madoka; a daughter, Julie, and her husband, Glenn Mar; and two granddaughters, Natasha Mar Minoff and Maya Grace Minoff.
Minoff was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries refers to two Jewish cemeteries in the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area. The original cemetery is located at 5950 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. The cemetery was originally established in 1953 by the neighboring Forest...
in Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
.