Stephen J. Friedman (producer)
Encyclopedia
Stephen J. Friedman was an American
film producer
known for The Last Picture Show
(1971) and The Big Easy (1988). In 1980 he formed Kings Road Entertainment, making him one of the first independent film producers to raise substantial film funding through a publicly traded company.
Born in Brooklyn
, New York
, Friedman graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
and then obtained a law degree at Harvard University
. He began his legal career with the Federal Trade Commission
, then went to work as an entertainment attorney for Columbia Pictures
and Paramount Studios.
Anxious to be a producer, Friedman acquired the film rights to the 1966 novel The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry
. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including the Academy Award for Best Picture
. Three years later he scripted and produced Lovin' Molly
, also adapted from a McMurtry novel, and followed this with producing credits on Slap Shot (1977), Hero at Large
(1980), Little Darlings
(1980), The Incubus (1981), and Eye of the Needle
(1981).
Friedman's first film produced in conjunction with Kings Road Entertainment, named after the West Hollywood street where he lived, was All of Me with Steve Martin
and Lily Tomlin
. Additional credits at Kings Road include The Best of Times
(1986) with Robin Williams
and Kurt Russell
, The Big Easy (1987, nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film
) with Dennis Quaid
and Ellen Barkin
, Jacknife
(1989) with Robert De Niro
and Ed Harris
, and Kickboxer
(1989) with Jean Claude Van Damme. His final project was Mother
(1996) with Albert Brooks
and Debbie Reynolds
.
Friedman died of multiple myeloma
at home in Brentwood, California
at the age of 59.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film producer
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...
known for The Last Picture Show
The Last Picture Show
The Last Picture Show is a 1971 American drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from a semi-autobiographical 1966 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry....
(1971) and The Big Easy (1988). In 1980 he formed Kings Road Entertainment, making him one of the first independent film producers to raise substantial film funding through a publicly traded company.
Born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Friedman graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and then obtained a law degree at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He began his legal career with the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
, then went to work as an entertainment attorney for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
and Paramount Studios.
Anxious to be a producer, Friedman acquired the film rights to the 1966 novel The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry
Larry Jeff McMurtry is an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the old West or in contemporary Texas...
. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including the 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...
. Three years later he scripted and produced Lovin' Molly
Lovin' Molly
Lovin' Molly is a 1974 drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Anthony Perkins, Beau Bridges, Blythe Danner in the title role, Ed Binns, and Susan Sarandon. The film is based on one of Larry McMurtry's first novels, Leaving Cheyenne...
, also adapted from a McMurtry novel, and followed this with producing credits on Slap Shot (1977), Hero at Large
Hero at Large
Hero at Large is a 1980 comedy film starring John Ritter and Anne Archer. The film was written by former Disney screenwriter, AJ Carothers and directed by Martin Davidson. The original music score was composed by Patrick Williams.-Plot:...
(1980), Little Darlings
Little Darlings
Little Darlings is a 1980 teen film starring Tatum O'Neal, Kristy McNichol, Matt Dillon and Armand Assante, directed by Ronald F. Maxwell.The screenplay is written by Kimi Peck and Dalene Young. The original music score is composed by Charles Fox...
(1980), The Incubus (1981), and Eye of the Needle
Eye of the Needle
Eye of the Needle is a spy thriller novel written by British author Ken Follett. It was originally published in 1978 by the Penguin Group titled Storm Island. This novel was Follett's first successful, bestselling effort as a novelist, and it earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the...
(1981).
Friedman's first film produced in conjunction with Kings Road Entertainment, named after the West Hollywood street where he lived, was All of Me with Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
and Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
. Additional credits at Kings Road include The Best of Times
The Best of Times (film)
The Best of Times is a 1986 American film starring Robin Williams and Kurt Russell.-Plot:Robin Williams plays Jack Dundee, a banker obsessed with what he considers the most shameful moment in his life: The moment that he dropped a perfectly thrown pass in the final seconds of the 1972 high school...
(1986) with 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...
and Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
, The Big Easy (1987, nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film
Independent Spirit Award for Best Film
The Independent Spirit Award for Best Film is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.-1980s:* 1985: After Hours - Martin Scorsese** Blood Simple - Joel and Ethan Coen** Smooth Talk...
) with Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
and Ellen Barkin
Ellen Barkin
Ellen Barkin is an American film, television and theatre actress.-Early life:She was born Ellen Rona Barkin in Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, the daughter of Evelyn , a hospital administrator who worked at Jamaica Hospital, and Sol Barkin, a chemical salesman...
, Jacknife
Jacknife
Jacknife is a 1989 American film directed by David Jones and starring Robert De Niro and Ed Harris. The film focuses on a small, serious story, with emphasis on characterization and the complex tension between people in a close relationship...
(1989) with Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
and Ed Harris
Ed Harris
Edward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...
, and Kickboxer
Kickboxer (film)
Kickboxer is a 1989 martial arts film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and former world Kickboxing champion, Dennis Alexio. Like Van Damme's previous film, Bloodsport, it showcases Van Damme's martial arts fighting abilities...
(1989) with Jean Claude Van Damme. His final project was Mother
Mother (1996 film)
Mother is a 1996 comedy-drama film directed by Albert Brooks, and was co-written by Brooks with Monica Johnson. The film stars Brooks and Debbie Reynolds.-Plot:...
(1996) with Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks
Albert Lawrence Brooks is an American actor, voice actor, writer, comedian and director. He received an Academy Award nomination in 1987 for his role in Broadcast News...
and Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
.
Friedman died of multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
at home in Brentwood, California
Brentwood, California
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010....
at the age of 59.
Additional filmography
- BloodbrothersBloodbrothers (1978 film)Bloodbrothers is a 1978 coming-of-age film directed by Robert Mulligan. It stars Richard Gere, Paul Sorvino, Tony Lo Bianco and Marilu Henner. The film was also based on the novel of the same title by Richard Price...
(1978) - The President's MistressThe President's MistressThe President's Mistress is a 1978 American television film produced by Kings Road Entertainment featuring Beau Bridges, Susan Blanchard and Larry Hagman.-Plot:...
(1978) - Enemy MineEnemy Mine (film)Enemy Mine is a 1985 science fiction film based on the story of the same title by Barry B. Longyear. It was produced by 20th Century Fox, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, and starred Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr...
(1985) - CreatorCreator (film)Creator is a 1985 film directed by Ivan Passer, starring Peter O'Toole, Vincent Spano, Mariel Hemingway, and Virginia Madsen. It is based on a book of the same title by Jeremy Leven.-Plot:...
(1985) - Touch and Go (1986)
- Morgan Stewart's Coming HomeMorgan Stewart's Coming HomeMorgan Stewart's Coming Home is a 1987 comedy film directed by Paul Aaron/Terry Winsor and starring Jon Cryer, Viveka Davis, Paul Gleason, Nicholas Pryor and Lynn Redgrave. The screenplay was written by Ken Hixon and David N. Titcher...
(1987) - There Goes the Neighbourhood (1992)