Overview

• Price died in his sleep at 95 in Santa Monica, according to his son Roy Price, the former head of Amazon Studios.
• He advanced from television writing and producing to lead Universal Television in the 1970s before becoming president and later chairman and CEO of Columbia Pictures.
• During his tenures, Columbia and Universal released Kramer vs. Kramer, Gandhi, Out of Africa, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future and The Karate Kid, with multiple Best Picture wins among them.
• His leadership also included setbacks such as Universal’s Howard the Duck and public clashes that preceded departures, including a reported $10 million severance when he was replaced by Mark Canton at Columbia.
• He founded Price Entertainment, producing films like Shadowlands and A Bronx Tale, served on boards for the Academy, Sundance and the MPAA, chaired USC’s cinema board, and is survived by his wife Katherine, sons David, Roy and William, and 14 grandchildren.