Daniel Goldberg (producer)

Daniel Mitchell Goldberg (March 7, 1949 – July 12, 2023) was a Canadian film producer and screenwriter. He was a writer and producer on the films Meatballs and Stripes.[2] He was also a producer of The Hangover film series[3] and received an Emmy Awards nomination for the film The Late Shift.[2]

Daniel Goldberg
Goldberg in 2011
Born(1949-03-07)March 7, 1949[1]
Died (aged 74)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityCanadian
Alma materMcMaster University
Occupation(s)Film producer, screenwriter
SpouseIlona Herzberg
RelativesAmy Goldberg (sibling)
Harris Goldberg (sibling)

Career

edit

Goldberg met Ivan Reitman in 1966 while studying at McMaster University. He starred in the 1968 short film Orientation which was written and directed by Reitman.[4] In 1969, he became a board member of the McMaster Film Board alongside Reitman, Eugene Levy and Dennis Matheson.[5] The same year, Reitman and Goldberg collaborated to produce a film titled Columbus of Sex, directed by John Hofsess and based on the pornographic memoir My Secret Life. The three were arrested and charged for making and exhibiting an obscene film. Reitman and Goldberg were found guilty, being sentenced to one year of probation and a CA$300 fine.[5]

Goldberg worked together with Reitman for more than 30 years. Their collaborations included Death Weekend (1976), Heavy Metal (1981), Feds (1988), Junior (1994), Space Jam (1996), Private Parts (1997), Commandments (1997), Fathers' Day (1997), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), Road Trip (2000), Evolution (2001), Killing Me Softly (2002), Old School (2003) and EuroTrip (2004).[2][4]

Goldberg first found success with the 1979 film Meatballs which was directed by Reitman and starred Bill Murray. He co-wrote the film with Len Blum, Janis Allen and Harold Ramis, and was also a producer.[6][7] Goldberg would return to the franchise in 1987 as a writer on Meatballs III: Summer Job.[2] He would again collaborate with Blum and Ramis to co-write the 1981 film Stripes which was directed by Reitman and starred Murray and Ramis, with Goldberg also serving as a producer.[8] Goldberg and Blum co-wrote the film Feds which was also directed by Goldberg.[9]

Goldberg found success with his producing career after the mid-1990s. He served as an executive producer on the animated TV shows Beethoven and Extreme Ghostbusters, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for the 1996 television film The Late Shift on which he served as a co-executive producer. He was also a producer on all three films of The Hangover series.[2]

Personal life and death

edit

Daniel was born to Irwin and Audrey Goldberg in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[4] His siblings included Harris Goldberg, Amy Goldberg and Kathryn Hogg.[10] He was married to Ilona Herzberg.[2]

He died in Los Angeles on July 12, 2023, at the age of 74.[2]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Producer Executive
Producer
Writer Director(s)
1969 The Columbus of Sex Yes John Hofsess & Leland R. Thomas
1973 Cannibal Girls Yes Yes Ivan Reitman
1979 Meatballs Yes Yes Ivan Reitman
1981 Stripes Yes Yes Ivan Reitman
1981 Heavy Metal Yes Gerald Potterton
1983 Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone Yes Lamont Johnson
1988 Feds Yes Himself
1994 Junior Yes Ivan Reitman
1996 Space Jam Yes Joe Pytka
1997 Private Parts Yes Betty Thomas
1997 Commandments Yes Daniel Taplitz
1997 Father's Day Yes Ivan Reitman
1998 Six Days Seven Nights Yes Ivan Reitman
2000 Road Trip Yes Todd Phillips
2001 Evolution Yes Ivan Reitman
2002 Killing Me Softly Yes Chen Kaige
2003 Old School Yes Todd Phillips
2004 EuroTrip Yes Jeff Schaffer
2006 School for Scoundrels Yes Todd Phillips
2009 The Hangover Yes Todd Phillips
2010 Due Date Yes Todd Phillips
2011 The Hangover Part II Yes Todd Phillips
2013 The Hangover Part III Yes Todd Phillips
2018 Food Fighter Yes Himself
Other credits
Year Title Role Notes
1968 Orientation Second unit director and actor Directed by Ivan Reitman; short film
1973 Cannibal Girls Editor
1976 Death Weekend / The House by the Lake[11] Sound supervisor
1981 Heavy Metal Post-production supervisor
1994 Junior Second unit director

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1983 Battle of the Network Stars XIV Program coordinator: Trans World International Television special
1994 Beethoven Executive producer 26 episodes
1996 The Late Shift Co-executive producer Television film
1997–1998 Mummies Alive! Executive producer 4 episodes
1997 Extreme Ghostbusters Executive producer 40 episodes
2001–2002 Alienators: Evolution Continues Executive producer 25 episodes

References

edit
  1. ^ Stripes filmmaker Daniel Goldberg brought comedies to the big screen from the Globe & Mail date July 29, 2023
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Pedersen, Erik (July 12, 2023). "Daniel Goldberg Dies: 'The Hangover' Trilogy Producer, 'Late Shift' Emmy Nominee & 'Stripes' Co-Writer Was 74". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "Daniel Goldberg". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-07-09.
  4. ^ a b c Barnes, Mike (July 13, 2023). "Daniel Goldberg, Producer on 'Space Jam,' 'Old School' and the 'Hangover' Films, Dies at 74". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Broomer, Stephen (February 2, 2010). "Trace and travesty: how the Columbus of Sex became My Secret Life". CineAction (79): 58–63. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  6. ^ Bailey, Katie (May 26, 2014). "Dan Goldberg on why Meatballs still sticks". Playback. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  7. ^ Rich, Frank (July 16, 1979). "Cinema: Animal Bunk". Time. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  8. ^ Maslin, Janet (June 26, 1981). "Film: 'Stripes' and the Biggest Wise Guy in the Army". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Maslin, Janet (October 29, 1988). "Reviews/Film; Women at F.B.I. School". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "GOLDBERG, Audrey Rosalie". United Hebrew Memorial Chapel. May 20, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  11. ^ "Death Weekend a.k.a. The House by the Lake". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
edit