Frank Mancuso Sr., former Paramount and MGM chief, dies at 93
Frank Mancuso Sr., who rose from theater usher to run Paramount Pictures and later MGM/UA, died at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 1 aged 93, his family said. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter both ran career obituaries.
1 / 3
The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Frank Mancuso Sr., who went on to lead two major Hollywood studios, Paramount and MGM/UA, died on Oct. 1 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 93. VarietyLC “died on Oct. 1 at his home in Los Angeles from complications of cancer, per a family statement. He was 93.” Read at Variety ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “Mancuso died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles of complications from cancer, his family announced.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 2He started as a part-time usher and film buyer in Buffalo, New York, and joined Paramount in 1962 as a Buffalo film booker. He spent nearly three decades there, working in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles, and was known as a top distribution and marketing executive. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Mancuso started out as a part-time usher at the 3,500-seat Lafayette Theatre” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ VarietyLC “Mancuso worked for Paramount in Toronto, Buffalo, New York and Los Angeles.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 2As president of Paramount's motion picture division from 1983, he used music videos to promote Flashdance and released Terms of Endearment over the Thanksgiving weekend; the film went on to win the best-picture Oscar. The Hollywood ReporterLC “distinguished himself by using music videos to promote Flashdance and giving eventual best-picture winner Terms of Endearment a release during the then-sleepy Thanksgiving weekend.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ VarietyLC “the film went on to be a major grosser and win the Oscar for best picture.” Read at Variety ↗
Left · 2In 1984 Martin Davis, head of parent company Gulf & Western, chose him over Michael Eisner to run the studio after Barry Diller left for 20th Century Fox. Eisner then left for Disney. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Martin Davis, chairman and CEO of parent conglomerate Gulf & Western, selected him over Michael Eisner to take over the flagging studio in September 1984.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ VarietyLC “Mancuso was selected to run Paramount after Diller went off to head 20th Century Fox.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 2Under Mancuso, Paramount released hits including Top Gun, Fatal Attraction and Beverly Hills Cop II. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it finished first at the box office in 1986 and 1987, and its television arm launched shows such as Cheers and Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Paramount adopted a tentpole philosophy and finished first at the box office in 1986 and ’87”“the studio launched The Arsenio Hall Show, Entertainment Tonight, Cheers, Family Ties and Star Trek: The Next Generation under his watch.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ VarietyLC “Mancuso churned out profitable films such as “Top Gun,” “Fatal Attraction” and the first two “Beverly Hills Cop” pics” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 2Costly flops such as The Two Jakes and The Godfather Part III soured Davis on him. Davis brought in producer Stanley Jaffe as his boss, and Mancuso left in 1991. He filed a $45 million breach-of-contract suit and settled for a reported sum of up to $20 million. VarietyLC “Mancuso filed a $45 million breach-of-contract suit, contending that he’d been fired, and later settled for as much as $20 million.” Read at Variety ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “Mancuso exited in March 1991 and filed a $45 million breach of contract lawsuit, eventually receiving a reported $20 million in a settlement.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Left · 2In 1993 he replaced Alan Ladd Jr. as chairman and CEO of the debt-laden MGM/UA, then owned by Crédit Lyonnais. The Hollywood Reporter says CAA's Michael Ovitz orchestrated the deal; it also says he restarted United Artists under John Calley and acquired Orion Pictures and The Samuel Goldwyn Co. The Hollywood ReporterLC “in a deal orchestrated by CAA’s Michael Ovitz, he was named by Credit Lyonnais-owned MGM to replace Alan Ladd Jr. as chairman and CEO.”“acquired Orion Pictures, The Samuel Goldwyn Co. and assets from PolyGram Filmed Entertainment” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ VarietyLC “He took the unlikely and highly risky job of running MGM/UA, a shell of its former self, highly leveraged and deeply in debt.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1Variety says he engineered the 1996 sale of MGM for $1.3 billion to former owner Kirk Kerkorian and Australia's Seven Network, and that MGM acquired sole ownership of the James Bond property in 1999. VarietyLC “helped engineer a sale of the company for $1.3 billion in 1996 to its former owner, Kirk Kerkorian and Australia’s Seven Network.”“In March 1999, MGM paid Sony $5 million, making the former the clear and sole owner of the lucrative James Bond property.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 2Mancuso left MGM in April 1999 after a box-office drought. Alex Yemenidjian replaced him as chairman. VarietyLC “Mancuso resigned, and Alex Yemenidjian took his place.” Read at Variety ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “Mancuso lasted until April 1999, when MGM owner Kirk Kerkorian replaced him with Alex Yemenidjian as chairman” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Left · 2He chaired the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and The Hollywood Reporter adds that he also chaired the Geffen Playhouse. VarietyLC “Mancuso was chairman of the corporate board of the Motion Picture and Television Fund.” Read at Variety ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “Mancuso held chairman posts at the Motion Picture & Television Fund and at the Geffen Playhouse.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 2He is survived by his wife, whom he met aged 12, and by his daughter Maria and son Frank Mancuso Jr., a producer of five Friday the 13th films, Species and Ronin. Variety names his wife as Frances, while The Hollywood Reporter calls her Fay. Actor Andy Garcia called him "a beacon of class in our industry". VarietyLC “He met his wife Frances when he was 12 years old.” Read at Variety ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “He also is survived by his wife, Fay, a fellow Buffalo native whom he married in 1957 (they first met when they were 12)”“Mr. Mancuso will forever be a beacon of class in our industry” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both trade outlets ran detailed career obituaries. They lead on his rise from the distribution side to head of Paramount and MGM, and on the hits and flops of his tenures.
- Emphasis
- Variety stresses his marketing instincts, the nicknames 'the Godfather' and 'Gentleman Frank', and the 1996 MGM sale. The Hollywood Reporter stresses his Buffalo origins, box-office rankings, television hits, his survivors and a tribute from Andy Garcia.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Variety omits the family survivors beyond his wife and two children, and the Geffen Playhouse role. The Hollywood Reporter does not mention the $1.3 billion 1996 MGM sale or the Bond rights deal.
- Charged language
- “Godfather”“Gentleman Frank”“beacon of class”
- For example
-
“Mancuso, known as the Godfather or Gentleman Frank, worked his way slowly up the ranks” — Variety
“Mancuso Sr., who rose from jobs as a theater usher and film buyer in Buffalo, New York, to become the chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures and then MGM” — The Hollywood Reporter
Centre1 outlet
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Frank Mancuso Sr. died at home in Los Angeles at 93 from complications of cancer, per his family.
- He rose through Paramount's distribution ranks to run the studio from 1984, then led MGM/UA from 1993 to 1999.
- He left Paramount in 1991 after a $45 million breach-of-contract suit that settled for up to about $20 million.
- His son Frank Mancuso Jr. is a producer.
Where accounts differ
-
Name of Mancuso's wife
- Left
- Variety calls her Frances; The Hollywood Reporter calls her Fay.
Frank Mancuso Sr. person
His family announced his death. Andy Garcia, in a statement quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, praised his warmth, integrity and generosity.
“the greatest example of warmth, integrity and generosity.” — The Hollywood Reporter
Paramount Pictures organisation
Paramount is covered as the studio where Mancuso spent nearly three decades, rising from film buyer to chairman and CEO.
“spending almost three decades with Paramount Pictures, starting as a film buyer and ending as chairman and CEO.” — Variety
Left2 articles
-
Frank Mancuso Sr., Former Chief of Paramount, MGM/UA, Dies at 93
Neutral Career obituary that credits his marketing skill and the MGM turnaround, and notes the flops and ouster at Paramount.
-
Frank Mancuso Sr., Former Chairman of Paramount and MGM, Dies at 93
Sympathetic Obituary that follows his rise from usher to studio chief, with box-office hits, a full list of survivors and a tribute from Andy Garcia.
Centre1 article
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 7 Oct 19:13 First VarietyLC Frank Mancuso Sr., Former Chief of Paramount, MGM/UA, Dies at 93
- 7 Oct 19:27 +15m The Hollywood ReporterLC Frank Mancuso Sr., Former Chairman of Paramount and MGM, Dies at 93
- 7 Oct 19:40 +27m DeadlineN Frank G. Mancuso Sr. Dies: Former Head Of Paramount Pictures & MGM Was 93
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.