Menahem Golan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Menahem Golan
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Menachem Globus
May 31, 1929 |
| Died | August 8, 2014 (aged 85) Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel
|
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Other names | Joseph Goldman |
| Occupation | Director, producer |
| Known for | Founder of Golan-Globus/The Cannon Group |
| Spouse(s) | Rachel Golan |
| Children | 3 |
Menahem Golan (Hebrew: מנחם גולן; May 31, 1929 – August 8, 2014, originally Menachem Globus) was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He was best known for co-owning 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 their native 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 in Tiberias in then British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel), his parents were Jewish emigrants from the Russian Empire. He spent his early years in Tiberias, then studied directing at the Old Vic School and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and filmmaking at New York University. During the 1948 Palestine war, Golan served as a pilot in the Israeli Air Force.
Film career
Golan started as an apprentice at Habima Theater in Tel Aviv. After completing his studies in theater direction, he staged plays in Israel. He gained experience as a filmmaker by working as an assistant to Roger Corman.
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 toys of that 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 failed in theaters 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 hoped to film Spider-Man in 1986 at Cannon Studios in the United Kingdom, and to shoot the exteriors in Tel Aviv. Dolph Lundgren was envisioned as the Green Goblin, and Spider-Man creator Stan Lee was approached to make a cameo as J. Jonah Jameson. Golan struggled for years to produce the Marvel Comics character, but he finally failed when 21st Century Film Corporation went bankrupt and closed in 1996 (along with Carolco Pictures, another company that had agreed to help finance the film). Sony Pictures eventually purchased the Spider-Man rights and produced the first film in 2002. That year, Golan released his adaptation of Crime and Punishment.
Personal
Golan was married to Rachel (1930-2015), makeup artist and had three daughters, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Ruth Golan (born 1953), Naomi (1958-2015) and Yael (born 1964). His cousin was Israeli-American producer Yoram Globus.
Death
Whilst visiting Jaffa, Tel Aviv, with family members on the morning of August 8, 2014, Golan collapsed. He lost consciousness, and attempts to resuscitate him failed. He was 85 years old.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Functioned as | Director | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | ||||
| 1963 | El Dorado | Yes | Yes | No | Menahem Golan | directorial debut |
| 1964 | Sallah Shabati | No | Yes | Yes | Ephraim Kishon | Winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film |
| Eight in the Footstep of One | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | (original title: Shemona B'Ekevot Ahat) | |
| Dalia and the Sailors | Yes | No | No | Menahem Golan | (original title: Dalia Vehamalahim) | |
| 1965 | Trunk to Cairo | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | (original title: Einer spielt falsch |
| 1966 | Fortuna | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| 1967 | Aliza Mizrahi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | (original title: 999 Aliza: The Policeman) |
| 1968 | Tevye and His Seven Daughters | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| Topele | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | (original title: Nes B'Ayara) | |
| Commandos | No | Story | No | Menahem Golan | a.k.a. Sullivan's Marauders | |
| 1969 | What's Good for the Goose | Yes | Yes | No | Menahem Golan | |
| My Margo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | (original title: Margo Sheli) | |
| 1970 | Lupo! | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| Attack at Dawn | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | (original title: Ha-Pritza Hagdola) | |
| 1971 | The Highway Queen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| The Contract | Yes | Yes | No | Menahem Golan | (original title: Katz V'Carasso) | |
| 1972 | I Love You Rosa | No | No | Yes | Moshé Mizrahi | Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film |
| Escape to the Sun | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| The Great Telephone Robbery | Yes | Yes | No | Menahem Golan | (original title: Shod Hatelephonim Hagadol) | |
| 1973 | The House on Chelouche Street | No | No | Yes | Moshé Mizrahi | Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film |
| Kazablan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| Daughters, Daughters | No | No | Yes | Moshé Mizrahi | (original title: Abu el Banat) | |
| 1975 | The Four Deuces | No | No | Yes | William H. Bushnell | |
| Diamonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | a.k.a. Diamond Shaft | |
| Lepke | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| 1976 | The Passover Plot | No | No | Executive | Michael Campus | |
| Tzanani Family | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | (original title: Mishpahat Tzan'ani) | |
| Lupo Goes to New York | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | A sequel to Lupo! | |
| God's Gun | No | No | Yes | Gianfranco Parolini | (original title: Diamante Lobo) | |
| 1977 | Operation Thunderbolt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | Nominated Academy Award for Best International Feature Film |
| Kid Vengeance | No | No | Yes | Joseph Manduke | ||
| 1978 | Lemon Popsicle | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | |
| The Uranium Conspiracy | No | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| The Alaska Wilderness Adventure | No | No | Yes | Fred Meader | ||
| It's a Funny, Funny World | No | No | Yes | Tzvi Shissel | (original title: Yisraelim Matzhikim) | |
| 1979 | The Swap | No | No | Yes | Jordan Leondopoulos | Re-edited from Sam’s Song |
| Lemon Popsicle 2: Going Steady | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | First sequel to Lemon Popsicle | |
| My Mother the General | No | No | Yes | Joel Silberg | ||
| The Magician of Lublin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| Marriage Tel Aviv Style | No | No | Yes | Joel Silberg | (original title: Nisuin Nusah Tel Aviv) | |
| 1980 | The Godsend | No | No | Executive | Gabrielle Beaumont | |
| Schizoid | No | No | Yes | David Paulsen | ||
| Seed of Innocence | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | ||
| Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype | No | No | Yes | Charles B. Griffith | ||
| The Apple | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| New Year's Evil | No | No | Yes | Emmett Alston | ||
| 1981 | Hot Bubblegum: Lemon Popsicle 3 | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | Second sequel to Lemon Popsicle |
| Deathhouse | No | No | Yes | Theodore Gershuny | ||
| Body and Soul | No | No | Yes | George Bowers | ||
| Enter the Ninja | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| Hospital Massacre | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | a.k.a. X-Ray | |
| 1982 | Private Popsicle: Lemon Popsicle 4 | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | Third sequel to Lemon Popsicle |
| Death Wish II | No | No | Yes | Michael Winner | ||
| Lady Chatterley's Lover | No | No | Executive | Just Jaeckin | ||
| The Last American Virgin | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | Remake of Lemon Popsicle | |
| That Championship Season | No | No | Executive | Jason Miller | ||
| Mute Love | No | No | Yes | Joel Silberg | a.k.a. The Secret of Yolanda | |
| 1983 | Private Manoeuvres | No | No | Yes | Tzvi Shissel | Spin-off of Lemon Popsicle and Private Popsicle: Lemon Popsicle 4 |
| The Seven Magnificent Gladiators | No | No | Executive | Bruno Mattei | ||
| Treasure of the Four Crowns | No | No | Executive | Ferdinando Baldi | ||
| One More Chance | No | No | Executive | Sam Firstenberg | ||
| 10 to Midnight | No | No | Executive | J. Lee Thompson | ||
| Nana, the True Key of Pleasure | No | No | Yes | Dan Wolman | ||
| House of the Long Shadows | No | No | Yes | Pete Walker | ||
| Hercules | No | No | Yes | Luigi Cozzi | ||
| Young Warriors | No | No | Yes | Lawrence D. Foldes | ||
| Revenge of the Ninja | No | Story | Yes | Sam Firstenberg | Sequel to Enter the Ninja | |
| The Wicked Lady | No | No | Yes | Michael Winner | Remake of The Wicked Lady | |
| 1984 | Baby Love: Lemon Popsicle 5 | No | No | Yes | Dan Wolman | Sequel Lemon Popsicle |
| The Big Tease: Here Comes Another One | No | No | Yes | Yehuda Barkan and Yigal Shilon | ||
| Over the Brooklyn Bridge | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| Sahara | No | Story | Yes | Andrew V. McLaglen | ||
| Breakin' | No | No | Yes | Joel Silberg | ||
| Making the Grade | No | No | Executive | Dorian Walker | ||
| Night Soldier | No | No | Yes | Dan Wolman | ||
| The Naked Face | No | No | Yes | Bryan Forbes | ||
| Ordeal by Innocence | No | No | Executive | Desmond Davis | ||
| I'm Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes, the Man and His Work | No | No | Yes | Michael Ventura | ||
| Sword of the Valiant | No | No | Yes | Stephen Weeks | ||
| Love Streams | No | No | Yes | John Cassavetes | ||
| Bolero | No | No | Executive | John Derek | ||
| Exterminator 2 | No | No | Executive | Mark Buntzman | ||
| Ninja III: The Domination | No | No | Yes | Sam Firstenberg | Second sequel to Enter the Ninja | |
| Forced Testimony | No | No | Yes | Raphael Rebibo | ||
| Missing in Action | No | No | Yes | Joseph Zito | ||
| Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo | No | No | Yes | Sam Firstenberg | Sequel to Breakin' | |
| 1985 | Up Your Anchor: Lemon Popsicle 6 | No | No | Yes | Dan Wolman | Sequel Lemon Popsicle |
| Maria's Lovers | No | No | Executive | Andrei Konchalovsky | ||
| Hot Resort | No | No | Yes | John Robins | ||
| The Ambassador | No | No | Yes | J. Lee Thompson | ||
| Missing in Action 2: The Beginning | No | No | Yes | Lance Hool | ||
| Déjà Vu | No | No | Yes | Anthony B. Richmond | ||
| The Assisi Underground | No | No | Yes | Alexander Ramati | ||
| Rappin' | No | No | Yes | Joel Silberg | ||
| Grace Quigley | No | No | Yes | Anthony Harvey | ||
| Hot Chili | No | Yes | Yes | William Sachs | screenplay credited as Jospeh Goldman | |
| Lifeforce | No | No | Yes | Tobe Hooper | ||
| Thunder Alley | No | No | Executive | J. S. Cardone | ||
| Salomè | No | No | Yes | Claude d'Anna | ||
| American Ninja | No | No | Yes | Sam Firstenberg | ||
| Mata Hari | No | No | Executive | Curtis Harrington | ||
| Hard Rock Zombies | No | No | Yes | Krishna Shah | ||
| War and Love | No | No | Yes | Moshé Mizrahi | ||
| Invasion U.S.A. | No | No | Yes | Joseph Zito | ||
| The Adventures of Hercules | No | No | Yes | Luigi Cozzi | Sequel to Hercules | |
| The Berlin Affair | No | No | Yes | Liliana Cavani | ||
| Death Wish 3 | No | No | Yes | Michael Winner | ||
| King Solomon's Mines | No | No | Yes | J. Lee Thompson | ||
| Aladdin | No | No | Yes | Bruno Corbucci | ||
| Fool for Love | No | No | Yes | Robert Altman | ||
| Runaway Train | No | No | Yes | Andrei Konchalovsky | ||
| 1986 | The Lover | No | No | Yes | Michal Bat-Adam | |
| Camorra (A Story of Streets, Women and Crime) | No | No | Yes | Lina Wertmüller | ||
| The Delta Force | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| The Naked Cage | No | No | Executive | Paul Nicholas | ||
| Field of Honor | No | No | Yes | Kim Dae-hie and Hans Scheepmaker | ||
| America 3000 | No | No | Yes | David Engelbach | ||
| P.O.W. the Escape | No | No | Yes | Gideon Amir | ||
| Murphy's Law | No | No | Executive | J. Lee Thompson | ||
| Pirates | No | No | Yes | Roman Polanski | ||
| Dangerously Close | No | No | Executive | Albert Pyun | ||
| Cobra | No | No | Yes | George P. Cosmatos | ||
| Invaders from Mars | No | No | Yes | Tobe Hooper | ||
| Lightning, the White Stallion | No | No | Yes | William A. Levey | ||
| Detective School Dropouts | No | No | Yes | Filippo Ottoni | a.k.a. Dumb Dicks | |
| The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 | No | No | Yes | Tobe Hooper | ||
| Otello | No | No | Yes | Franco Zeffirelli | ||
| Avenging Force | No | No | Yes | Sam Firstenberg | ||
| 52 Pick-Up | No | No | Yes | John Frankenheimer | ||
| Castaway | No | No | Yes | Nicolas Roeg | ||
| Firewalker | No | No | Yes | J. Lee Thimpson | ||
| Duet for One | No | No | Yes | Andrei Konchalovsky | ||
| 1987 | Young Love: Lemon Popsicle 7 | No | No | Yes | Walter Bannert | Sequel Lemon Popsicle |
| Million Dollar Madness | No | Yes | Yes | Naftali Alter | ||
| Dutch Treat | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | ||
| Assassination | No | No | Executive | Peter R. Hunt | ||
| Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold | No | No | Yes | Gary Nelson | Sequel to King Solomon's Mines | |
| The Assault | No | No | Executive | Fons Rademakers | Won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film | |
| Over the Top | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| Number One with a Bullet | No | No | Yes | Jack Smight | ||
| The Barbarians | No | No | Yes | Ruggero Deodato | ||
| Down Twisted | No | No | Yes | Albert Pyun | ||
| Street Smart | No | No | Yes | Jerry Schatzberg | ||
| The Hanoi Hilton | No | No | Yes | Lionel Chetwynd | ||
| Beauty and the Beast | No | No | Yes | Eugene Marner | ||
| Rumpelstiltskin | No | No | Yes | David Irving | ||
| American Ninja 2: The Confrontation | No | No | Yes | Sam Firstenberg | Sequel to American Ninja | |
| Diary of a Mad Old Man | No | No | Executive | Lili Rademakers | ||
| The Emperor's New Clothes | No | No | Yes | David Irving | ||
| Too Much | No | No | Yes | Éric Rochat | ||
| Three Kinds of Heat | No | No | Yes | Leslie Stevens | ||
| Sleeping Beauty | No | No | Yes | David Irving | ||
| Superman IV: The Quest for Peace | No | No | Yes | Sidney J. Furie | ||
| Masters of the Universe | No | No | Yes | Gary Goddard | ||
| Penitentiary III | No | No | Yes | Jamaa Fanaka | ||
| Mascara | No | No | Executive | Patrick Conrad | ||
| King Lear | No | No | Yes | Jean-Luc Godard | ||
| Tough Guys Don't Dance | No | No | Yes | Norman Mailer | ||
| Dancers | No | No | Yes | Herbert Ross | ||
| Surrender | No | No | Executive | Jerry Belson | ||
| Barfly | No | No | Executive | Barbet Schroeder | ||
| Business as Usual | No | No | Yes | Lezli-An Barrett | ||
| Under Cover | No | No | Yes | John Stockwell | ||
| Death Wish 4: The Crackdown | No | No | Executive | J. Lee Thompson | ||
| 1988 | Summertime Blues: Lemon Popsicle VIII | No | No | Yes | Reinhard Schwabenitzky | |
| Braddock: Missing in Action III | No | No | Yes | Aaron Norris | ||
| Going Bananas | No | Yes | Yes | Boaz Davidson | ||
| Alien from L.A. | No | No | Yes | Albert Pyun | ||
| Bloodsport | No | No | Yes | Newt Arnold | ||
| Appointment with Death | No | No | Executive | Michael Winner | ||
| Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation | No | No | Executive | Godfrey Reggio | ||
| Shy People | No | No | Yes | Andrei Konchalovsky | ||
| Salsa | No | No | Yes | Boaz Davidson | ||
| The Frog Prince | No | No | Yes | Jackson Hunsicker | ||
| Puss in Boots | No | No | Yes | Eugene Marner | ||
| Journey to the Center of the Earth | No | No | Yes | Rusty Lemorande and Albert Pyun | ||
| Hero and the Terror | No | No | Executive | William Tannen | ||
| Messenger of Death | No | No | Yes | J. Lee Thompson | ||
| Doin' Time on Planet Earth | No | No | Yes | Charles Matthau | ||
| Platoon Leader | No | No | Yes | Aaron Norris | ||
| Evil Angels | No | No | Yes | Fred Schepisi | ||
| Hanna's War | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| Hansel and Gretel | No | No | Yes | Len Talan | ||
| Haunted Summer | No | No | Executive | Ivan Passer | ||
| 1989 | Snow White | No | No | Yes | Michael Berz | |
| Manifesto | No | No | Yes | Dušan Makavejev | ||
| Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects | No | Yes | Executive | J. Lee Thompson | ||
| Red Riding Hood | No | No | Yes | Adam Brooks | ||
| Cyborg | No | No | Yes | Albert Pyun | ||
| Caged Fury | No | No | Executive | Bill Milling | ||
| Mack the Knife | Yes | Yes | Executive | Menahem Golan | ||
| Masque of the Red Death | No | No | Executive | Alan Birkinshaw | ||
| The Black Cat | No | No | Executive | Luigi Cozzi | ||
| 1990 | Night of the Living Dead | No | No | Executive | Tom Savini | |
| The Forbidden Dance | No | Story | Executive | Greydon Clark | ||
| Bad Jim | No | No | Executive | Clyde Ware | ||
| The Appointed | No | No | Executive | Daniel Wachsmann | ||
| The 5th Monkey | No | No | Executive | Éric Rochat | ||
| Captain America | No | No | Yes | Albert Pyun | ||
| Bullseye! | No | No | Executive | Michael Winner | ||
| 1991 | Naked Robot 4 1/2 | No | No | Executive | Philip J. Cook | |
| Virgin High | No | No | Executive | Richard Gabai | ||
| Killing Streets | No | Story | Executive | Stephen Cornwell | ||
| 1992 | Hit the Dutchman | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| The Finest Hour | No | No | Yes | Shimon Dotan | ||
| Mad Dog Coll | No | No | Yes | Greydon Clark | ||
| Dance Macabre (film) | No | No | Yes | Greydon Clark | ||
| Hot Under the Collar | No | No | Executive | Richard Gabai | ||
| Desert Kickboxer | No | No | Executive | Isaac Florentine | ||
| Three Days to a Kill | No | No | Executive | Fred Williamson | ||
| 1993 | Silent Victim | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| Deadly Heroes | Yes | Yes | No | Menahem Golan | ||
| Midnight Witness | No | No | Executive | Peter Foldy | ||
| Rage | No | No | Executive | Anthony Maharaj | ||
| Emmanuelle 7 | No | No | Executive | Francis Leroi | ||
| Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde | No | No | Executive | John Shepphird | ||
| Dead Center | No | Story | Executive | Steve Carver | ||
| 1994 | Death Wish V: The Face of Death | No | No | Executive | Allan A. Goldstein | |
| Stickfighter | No | No | Executive | BJ Davis | ||
| 1995 | Russian Roulette: Moscow 95 | Yes | No | No | Menahem Golan | |
| Luise and the Jackpot | Yes | No | No | Menahem Golan | ||
| 1996 | Superbrain | Yes | No | No | Menahem Golan | |
| 1998 | Lima: Breaking the Silence | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| Armstrong | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| The Versace Murder | Yes | Yes | No | Menahem Golan | ||
| 1999 | Speedway Junky | No | No | Executive | Nickolas Perry | |
| 2001 | Death Game | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| 2002 | Crime and Punishment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| Return from India | Yes | No | Yes | Menahem Golan | ||
| 2003 | Final Combat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| 2005 | Days of Love | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| 2007 | A Dangerous Dance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| Children of Wax | No | Yes | Yes | Ivan Nitchev | ||
| 2008 | Marriage Arrangement | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menahem Golan | |
| 2009 | Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! | No | Yes | No | Evgeny Afineevsky | |
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.
See also
In Spanish: Menahem Golan para niños
