Harold Greenberg

Harold Greenberg was an unpretentious businessman and highly successful film producer He was 13 when he went to work in his uncles secondhand camera store Many years later he launched his career on a seemingly endless upward path when he acquired exclusive rights to sell films on the site of EXPO 67 as well as photographic rights in the pavilions In 1972 he moved into film production and acquired Astral Films in 1973 He was Executive Producer on titles like the 1973 feature emThe Neptune Factorem directed by a hrefhttpswwwnorthernstarscadanielpetrieDaniel Petriea and costarring Ben Gazzara a hrefhttpswwwnorthernstarscapidgeonwalterWalter Pidgeona a hrefhttpswwwnorthernstarscarhodesdonnellyDonnelly Rhodesa and a hrefhttpswwwnorthernstarscawigginschrisChris Wigginsa Other well received Canadian features include emBreaking Pointem Bob Clark 1976 ema hrefhttpswwwnorthernstarscainpraiseofolderIn Praise of Older Womenaem George Kaczender 1978 and ema hrefhttpswwwnorthernstarscaporkysPorkysaem Bob Clark 1981 In 1982 he was deputy producer for Gilles Carles ema hrefhttpswwwnorthernstarscamariachapdelaineMaria Chapdelaineaem Speciality television channels began appearing in Canada in 1983 Astral purchased what was then known as First Choice Communications and changed the name to The Movie Network which is now owned by Bell Media and operates as CRAVE One of the requirements dictated by the CRTC was that Astral and all license holders give something back to the industry No funding mechanism existed for script development so it was Greenbergs idea to create a fund to develop Canadian screenwriters After his death FUND the Foundation to Underwrite New Drama was renamed The Harold Greenberg Fund in his honour Perhaps fearing a conflict of interest the CRTC also imposed a condition of his license that he could no longer produce films Following his success at EXPO 67 his company had grown in many directions He had became president of Path Humphries laboratories in 1968 then as mentioned Astral Films in 1973 His various interests were amalgamated under the name Astral Bellevue Path which was shortened to Astral Communications in 1992 An absolutely vital Canadian film industry builder he was the recipient of many honours including being named an officer of the Order of Canada Chevalier de la Lgion dHonneur and Chevalier de lOrdre National du Qubec Harold Greenberg was 64 when he died on Canada Day July 1 1996 Unless otherwise noted we list his credits as an Executive Producerbrbrbr