Academy looks back on storied life of its own Richard Kahn

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LOS ANGELES, CA – Former Academy President Richard Kahn passed away Saturday, April 5, in Los Angeles. He was 95.

“All of us at the Academy are deeply saddened to learn of Richard’s passing,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. “Richard was a devoted member of the Academy and the film community at large. During his time on the board, both as our President and as a governor for many years, he played a vital role in establishing traditions that remain today. His vision and leadership leave an indelible mark. He remained a friend to so many, and our thoughts are with his family at this time.”

“Our Dad had a kind and generous soul, a wry sense of humor and was a wonderful father. We will miss him dearly,” said his daughters, Sharon Kahn and Lisa Kahn Feldstern.

Kahn’s career spanned six decades. During his time at Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he worked on films such as “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “The Guns of Navarone,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “A Man for All Seasons,” “Funny Girl,” “Oliver!,” “The Sunshine Boys,” “Network,” and “Clash of the Titans.”

He was a member of the Marketing and Public Relations Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1964 and served on its Branch Executive Committee for 15 years. He also served 12 years as an Academy governor and one term as Academy President from 1988–1989. He had previously been elected to five terms as Vice President and one as Secretary during his tenure.

At the Academy, he helped to launch many initiatives, including the Academy’s new member receptions, which are now held annually across the globe. He also headed the Public Relations Coordinating Committee, which created the Academy’s first Nominees Luncheon in 1982.

Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Kahn began a two-decade tenure at Columbia Pictures following his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and service as a U.S. Navy officer during the Korean War. He joined MGM in 1975, rising to president of MGM International and later executive vice president of marketing for the combined MGM and United Artists after its 1981 acquisition.

In 1983, Kahn launched a film marketing consultancy with his wife, Marianne Kahn, and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s Peter Stark Producing Program until 1989. He also led the Film Information Council as executive chairman (1985–1995) and served on the Board of the Will Rogers Memorial Fund (1987–2001).

In 2000, he received the Hollywood Reporter’s Key Art Pioneer Award for his creative contributions to the entertainment industry.  He is survived by his two daughters, Sharon Kahn and Lisa Kahn Feldstern, his son-in-law, the Honorable Daniel Feldstern, and his grandson and his wife, Nick and Jenn Fasulo-Feldstern.

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