Sidney Sheinberg Price was a trailblazing Hollywood executive who defied convention by rising from a writing background to become a prominent figure in the television and film industries. His illustrious career spanned over four decades, marked by numerous achievements and milestones.
Price's professional journey began in the early 1950s, when he worked as a story editor and writer for CBS-TV. He then interrupted his TV career to serve as a story editor at Columbia Pictures from 1953 to 1957, a role he would later reprise at two separate times.
In the 1970s, Price's impressive tenure as the head of Universal TV saw him develop or supervise a plethora of iconic television shows, including The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Battlestar Galactica, and The Rockford Files, among many others. His innovative approach to television programming led to the creation of new formats, such as made-for-TV movies, mini-series, and 90-minute series.
In 1978, Price left his position as president of Universal TV to become president, and later chairman and CEO, of Columbia Pictures. During his tenure, he was instrumental in producing story-driven, award-winning films like Kramer vs. Kramer, Tootsie, and Gandhi, as well as top-grossing blockbusters like Ghostbusters and The Karate Kid.
However, Price's tenure at Columbia was not without its challenges. He clashed with parent company Coca-Cola over his autonomy, leading him to leave the company in 1983. He subsequently returned to Universal as chairman of the motion picture group and president of Universal Pictures, where he oversaw the development of Back to the Future, Fletch, Out of Africa, and The Breakfast Club.
After Sony's acquisition of Columbia, Price was appointed to head the company. However, his tenure was short-lived, as he was replaced by Mark Canton in October 1991. Price went on to maintain an association with Sony Pictures Entertainment through an exclusive production deal.
Throughout his illustrious career, Price's passion for storytelling and innovative approach to the entertainment industry left a lasting impact on the world of television and film.
