Frank Price, ex-Columbia chief and Universal executive, dies at 95

Frank Price, the writer-producer who rose from the era of television Westerns to lead Columbia Pictures and later head Universal’s film division, died Monday in Santa Monica at age 95. He died in his sleep of natural causes, surrounded by family, his son said. Price’s career spanned the heyday of network television and the blockbuster film era, yielding a string of Oscar winners and audience favorites while shaping the executive approach to talent, budget and risk that defined Hollywood for decades.

Price began his rise in television, becoming a trusted writer and producer at Universal Television in the 1950s and 1960s. He helped launch The Virginian, among television’s longest-running Westerns, and later produced Ironside and It Takes a Thief while cultivating a reputation for hands-on development and a writer’s instinct for story. His work in television extended to landmark miniseries and telefilms that pushed the boundaries of what could be attempted on screen, including That Certain Summer and Rich Man, Poor Man. He also presided over a slate of popular series during a period of rapid growth for the industry, including The Six Million Dollar Man, Quincy, The Incredible Hulk...