Frank von Zerneck
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Frank von Zerneck | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 4, 1940 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Television producer |
| Children | Danielle von Zerneck (daughter) |
| Relatives | Daniel P. Mannix (father-in-law) |
Frank von Zerneck (born November 4, 1940) is an American television producer.[1]
Career
[edit]Zerneck's career began as a theater producer in Los Angeles, but the compant was expanded and moved to television in 1974 in a collaboration with Robert Greenwald and Jack Schlissel (although Jack was later withdrawn) through his company Moonlight Productions,[2][3] which resulted in the Emmy nominated docudrama 21 Hours at Munich. Shortly before that, Schissel had to leave David Merrick as general manager in order to allow to became a producer, while still working for Moonlight.[4]
The success of the television movie led after years of being based at Paramount Television since 1976, it signed a production deal with Filmways Television in 1978.[5] When Filmways became Orion Pictures, Moonlight Productions signed a deal with ITC Entertainment in 1983.[6][7] Moonlight was later known as Frank von Zerneck Films. They briefly partnered with former ABC employee Stu Samuels in the mid to late 1980s under the name von Zerneck/Samuels Productions.[8]
In late 1988,[9] Zerneck and fellow producer Robert M. Sertner created von Zerneck/Sertner Films, a long-term venture which has resulted in nearly a hundred television films. Earlier on, in 1988, he signed on to produce television movies for Turner Network Television.[10] Of the company's most notable productions are four Native American films produced for Turner Network Television between 1993 and 1996, which included the Emmy winning Geronimo, Crazy Horse,[1] and Golden Globe nominated Lakota Woman. Tecumseh, which concluded the series, was also critically acclaimed. Recent productions have largely consisted of disaster and true crime dramas. In 2010, Sertner broke off to start his own production company at ABC Studios, which led the company to be renamed as Frank von Zerneck Films.[11]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Scott, Tony (July 5, 1996). "Review: 'Crazy Horse'". Variety.
- ↑ "Jack Schlissel and Partners for Moonlight Productions". Variety. May 8, 1974. p. 29. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "von Zerneck, Frank 1940–". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
- ↑ "Jack Schlissel Leaves Merrick To Be Producer". Variety. p. 87. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Moonlight At Filmways". Variety. February 15, 1978. p. 49. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Moonlight Productions (print ad)". Variety. March 9, 1983. p. 101. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "ITC Tunes New Moonlight Sonata". Variety. March 16, 1983. pp. 58, 172. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ Wilson, John M. (1987-08-02). "STILL WAITING FOR THE LAST HURRAH". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ↑ "TV, film production company is formed" (PDF). Television Age. November 28, 1988. p. 137. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "In production" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 16, 1988. p. 68. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2011-02-24). "Lifetime Orders 'Natalee Holloway' Movie Sequel, Reality Series WIth Holloway's Mom". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
External links
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