Jonathan D. Krane (May 1, 1952 – August 1, 2016) was an American screenwriter,
film producer
A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...
, talent manager, and studio head.
He's most known in Hollywood for his decade and a half partnership with
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
, who he managed from 1987 until 2002. Together, they made some of Travolta's biggest films including ''
Look Who's Talking'' (1989),
''Phenomenon'' (1996), ''
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
'' (1996), ''
Face/Off'' (1997), ''
Primary Colors
A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a bro ...
'' (1998), ''
General's Daughter'' (1999), ''
Domestic Disturbance
''Domestic Disturbance'' is a 2001 American psychological thriller film directed by Harold Becker and starring John Travolta, Vince Vaughn, Teri Polo, Steve Buscemi, and Matt O'Leary.
Plot
In Southport, Maryland, Susan Morrison, recently divor ...
'' (2001), ''
Swordfish
Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfis ...
'' (2001) and ''
Basic
BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...
'' (2003).
Krane was born in Hollywood, CA, on May 1, 1952. He graduated from
Hollywood Hills High School at the age of 15,
and received his bachelor's degree in liberal arts at
St. John's College.
After finishing his undergraduate work, he lived for one year in England, France, and Greece, independently studying civil liberties in European criminal justice systems before returning to the states to study law at
Yale Law School. He was awarded his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1976.
He began his legal career as an associate at Los Angeles law firm of Irell & Manella, specializing in international motion picture taxation and entertainment law. This specialty would expose him to the world of entertainment and set him up for his future career as a talent manager and film producer.
He married actress
Sally Kellerman on May 11, 1980, in a private ceremony at
Jennifer Jones' Malibu home. In 1989, they adopted newborn twins, Jack and Hannah.
The family resided part-time in
Jupiter, Florida from 1991 to 2008.
A chance meeting with
Blake Edwards at an industry party would change the course of his career. Edwards was reportedly tired of working with the studio system and Krane pitched him his idea for a "new type of film studio." After further discussions, they partnered together to form Blake Edwards Entertainment, where Krane would serve as CEO. Krane would develop and produce the projects so Edwards could focus on writing and directing.
Their first project was the hit film ''
Trail of the Pink Panther
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. T ...
,'' which they followed up with ''
Curse of the Pink Panther'' the next year''.'' All told, they made seven films together before Jonathan left to expand his own company called Management Company Entertainment (MCE), which he had formed in 1983.
The separation was not amicable, with Blake later saying he "was furious with Krane and no longer spoke to him because Krane had made all his contacts through Edwards and then left."
Krane took MCE public in 1987 as "Management Co. Entertainment Group", which made him the youngest CEO of a publicly traded company at the time.
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krane, Jonathan D.
American film producers
1952 births
2016 deaths