Howard Gottfried, ‘Network’ Producer, Dies at 94
By Pat Saperstein Variety 12/12/2017
Howard Gottfried, who received an Oscar nomination as producer of the 1976 media satire “Network,” died of a stroke Friday in Los Angeles. He was 94.
Gottfried also partnered with “Network” writer Paddy Chayefsky on films including “Altered States” and “The Hospital.” He met Chayefsky as a regular in a New York card game, and the two started on their first project, “The Hospital.” Gottfried met the film’s lead, George C. Scott, when Gottfried served as his divorce attorney.
Chayefsky won the best screenplay Oscar for “Network,” which also won Oscars for Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch and Beatrice Straight. Finch’s character, irate news anchor Howard Beale, was named for Gottfried.
Raised in the Bronx, Gottfried started his career as a lawyer and became involved in off-Broadway theater. He then went to United Artists, where he oversaw TV series such as “Gilligan’s Island,” “The Patty Duke Show” and “The Fugitive.” Gottfried later moved to Ed Sullivan Productions.
He won the PGA Hall of Fame award for “Network” in 2002.
Among his other producing credits were “Body Double,” “Torch Song Trilogy,” “The Men’s Club,” and the TV series “Calucci’s Department.”
Among his survivors are his wife, Mary Lynn; daughter Norah Weinstein and her husband, Brian Weinstein, president of Bad Robot; daughter Elizabeth Colling and her husband Stephane Colling; and four grandchildren.
R.I.P. Howard Gottfried
Whether they are behind the camera or in front of it, this is the place to discuss all filmmakers regardless of their role in the filmmaking process.
Jump to
- Announcements
- ↳ General Announcements
- Introductions
- ↳ Let Me Introduce Myself...
- The Academy Awards
- ↳ The 10th Decade
- ↳ 97th Academy Awards
- ↳ 96th Academy Awards
- ↳ 95th Academy Awards
- ↳ 94th Academy Awards
- ↳ 93rd Academy Awards
- ↳ 92nd Academy Awards
- ↳ 91st Academy Awards
- ↳ The 9th Decade
- ↳ 90th Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 90th Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 89th Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 89th Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 88th Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 88th Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 87th Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 87th Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 86th Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 86th Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 85th Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 85th Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 84th Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 84th Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 83rd Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 83rd Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 82nd Nominations and Winners
- ↳ 82nd Predictions and Precursors
- ↳ 81st and Other 9th Decade Discussions
- ↳ The 8th Decade
- ↳ The Damien Bona Memorial Oscar History Thread
- ↳ Other Oscar Discussions
- General Film Discussions
- ↳ 2020s
- ↳ Coming Soon
- ↳ 2024
- ↳ 2023
- ↳ 2022
- ↳ 2021
- ↳ 2020
- ↳ 2010s
- ↳ 2019
- ↳ 2018
- ↳ 2017
- ↳ 2016
- ↳ 2015
- ↳ 2014
- ↳ 2013
- ↳ 2012
- ↳ 2011
- ↳ 2010
- ↳ 2000s
- ↳ 2009
- ↳ 2008
- ↳ 2000 - 2007
- ↳ The First Century
- ↳ Dream Projects
- ↳ The People
- ↳ Other Film Discussions
- Miscellaneous Discussions
- ↳ Help Forum
- ↳ DVD Discussions
- ↳ Current Events
- ↳ Broadcast Media
- ↳ The Cam Dagg Memorial Theatre and Literature Forum
- ↳ General Off-Topic