Menahem Golan was born Menahem Globus in Tiberias, Israel, in May 1929, to parents of Polish descent. He was a pilot for the Israeli Air Force in his early years, changing his surname to Golan for patriotic reasons in 1948.
Golan attended the Old Vic Theatre School in London, where he honed his craft. After returning to Israel, he produced for theater until joining producer Roger Corman as an assistant on The Young Racers (1963). His debut film in partnership with his cousin Yoram Globus was El Dorado (1963).
The cousins established Noah Films to produce films for the Israeli market. Golan's role was as producer and creative partner, with Globus as the financial expert. The company gained recognition overseas when its production Sallah Shabati (1964) won an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and the Golden Globe in the same category in 1965.
In 1979, the pair bought control of The Cannon Group Inc. from Dennis Friedland and Christopher C. Dewey. Under their control, Cannon grew from a small company to a studio that produced 35 pictures in 1987 alone.
Golan and Globus hit their peak with Cannon in the mid-1980s, signing Sylvester Stallone for a record US$13 million in 1983 for Over the Top (1987) and purchasing the UK's Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment in 1986. This led to their ownership of the ABC cinema circuit and Elstree Studios in Britain.
However, by 1987, the money was running out. Many of their movies were not making enough at the box office, and they had taken on a lot of debt during their rapid growth. They were initially rescued by Warner Bros., which took distribution rights to Cannon's better films and took an interest in some of its assets.
The end of Cannon came in 1989 when, virtually bankrupt, the company was bought by Giancarlo Parretti and renamed Pathé Communications. Golan fell out with Parretti and Globus, leaving Pathé, and started 21st Century Pictures.
Golan produced a number of films that received widespread distribution, including Death Wish: The Face of Death (1994) and Captain America (1990). However, by the mid-1990s, this company had folded, too.
Golan's name was later linked with other new companies, including International Dynamic Pictures and Magic Entertainment. He rejoined cousin Yoram for both, but the two soon fell out again and went their separate ways.
Golan's latest company is New Cannon Inc., and his recent works include Crime and Punishment (2002) and Return from India (2002). Unfortunately, it now seems unlikely that Golan will recreate the success of his heyday.
