Montreal: The Canadian production industry is deeply saddened by the death July 1 of Harold Greenberg, founder and chairman of the board of Astral Communications.

A genuinely bigger-than-life personality, what was special about Harold Greenberg was his love for his own industry, perhaps unmatched by any other major Canadian communications executive.

‘He was probably the only man I know who could incite affection so spontaneously, so deeply,’ says Andre Bureau, vice-chairman of Astral Communications and its broadcast group ceo.

‘The guy had a way of creating an environment of friendship, love, understanding. He was prepared to fight but his first thing was to create that kind of environment. That’s why people loved him.’

Robert Lantos, chairman and ceo of Alliance Communications, says, ‘Harold’s love for this business and the people in it was most exemplary, and that is what I will remember most fondly. He was an icon and we have precious few.’

Bill Mechanic, president and coo of Fox Filmed Entertainment, knew Greenberg for 15 years. Their dealings involved program sales to pay-tv and later video (at Disney) as well as movies from Fox.

Mechanic says he and Greenberg didn’t always share the same views, but ‘some of the fights became very friendly and respectful.’

‘Harold was a true Quebecer and made no bones about it,’ says Tom Sherak, senior executive vp, 20th Century Fox, who had many dealings with Greenberg since 1983. ‘He was a very proud man and if I had to say anything about Harold it is that he is one of those people who will go down as one of the genuine moguls in our industry – no different than any of the Warners or past people. Harold was a modern-day mogul.

‘He was always Harold, and that was straightforward. An honest man, very philanthropic and involved in a lot of causes down here and always there if we really needed him. I used to kid him for years and try to get him to adopt me. My relationship with him is one I will always cherish and be thankful for.’

Monumental figure

Canadian producer Denis Heroux, Astral’s creative point man in Europe, and Telescene Communications president Robin Spry also spoke to Playback expressing sorrow at the passing of the monumental Canadian industry figure.

Heroux pointed out that Greenberg pioneered Canadian coproduction as early as the late 1960s.

Lantos says Greenberg was an industry icon who stood firm for a distinctive Canadian rights market.

‘We have all been beneficiaries of Harold’s tireless lobbying for legislation of various sorts in Canada conducive to a favorable production climate.’

Greenberg played a key role in building ties between the production sectors in Canada and France, says Lantos. ‘He built bridges which others later successfully crossed.’

Says Mechanic: ‘We would occasionally tangle on the cultural rights issuebut you knew where he stood and to a certain extent, I could understand.

‘I have the greatest respect for him. He was a man who not only accomplished a lot from scratch and built an empire, but he did it with vision and creativity and was also an honest man. To me, to have someone with integrity in that kind of position was just great.’

Greenberg had all the ‘fluff’ skills required of a major entertainment executive but was a straight shooter in Mechanic’s book, ‘and if he said he was going to do something, he did it.’

While Greenberg and his brothers ultimately built a $355 million-a-year business, David Novek, a veteran Montreal film industry publicist and a friend of the family for over 40 years, says Greenberg didn’t just walk in and start cutting deals in Hollywood.

‘He lobbied hard for many years before doing any significant business,’ says Novek. ‘He worked his way up. He was such an honorable man.’

Harold gave of himself as well as his money, and that is true leadership,’ he says.

Terribly ill in his final months, he devoted time writing letters on behalf of the Cinematheque Quebecoise’s fund-raising campaign, which he cochaired with filmmaker Denys Arcand.

Loved movies

Novek says Greenberg loved movies and was an avid reader of magazines and the trade press. ‘He was always up to date on the latest industry and political issues. He genuinely loved the business.’

Tributes to Greenberg (Jan. 11, 1930 to July 1, 1996) have been sent from all over the world, from high government officials including Prime Minister Jean Chretien, to cabinet ministers here and abroad, and industry executives in Europe and the u.s.

Tributes were also published in the trade press from industry personalities including Jacquelin Bouchard (apftq), Francois Macerola (Telefilm Canada), Justine Heroux (Cinevideo Plus), Michael Spencer and John Ross (Film Finances Canada), Nicolas Clermont (Filmline International) and Serge Losique (Montreal World Film Festival).

An ardent defender

Greenberg tirelessly promoted Montreal as an international film center. He was a Canadian patriot. An ardent defender of Canada’s cultural industries, Greenberg wasn’t always willing to wait for government to take action.

In 1989, Bureau and lawyer Francis Fox were hired by Greenberg, at his own expense, to defend Canada’s vital coproduction interests in Europe.

‘The treaties were on the verge of being dumped by the European Union,’ says Bureau. ‘No one realized how it (the television directive) might affect our treaties. It was his (Harold’s) own initiative. Harold said, `We have to do it now, we can’t wait for government.’ That is the kind of thing he was capable of. He didn’t say, `Oh my God, it will cost too much!’ It simply had to be done, and if no one else came forward, he would do it.’

Greenberg pushed hard to unite the Canadian industry during the nafta negotiations, when ‘cultural activities were not exactly preeminent on our government’s agenda.’

Greenberg was chairman of the Canadian Culture/Communications Industries Committee and also a member of the Sector Advisory Group on International Trade right up until last year.

A rich and successful businessman, Greenberg was not a greedy person, says Lantos.

Greenberg was the key investor in the early Lantos (rsl) film In Praise of Older Women. Although he turned Lantos down, a couple of times, he kept his door open.

‘When I finally talked him into it, he was amazingly fair,’ says Lantos. ‘He had a great deal of leverage because he was coming in with the last money and the film could not have been made without it. He did not attempt to use that leverage to extract advantages for his company, but he probably could have. To his everlasting credit, in all the dealings that I have ever had with Harold, he was always fair. He only took for himself that which he was entitled to and made no attempt to take more.’

Says Novek: ‘Harold was a larger-than-life personality in everything he did, in his business, his personal life, his philanthropic life, his family life. He was a presence that commanded attention wherever he went. In business, and Lantos has said ithe was really the godfather of the film production business,’ adding:

‘He believed Montreal could be an international production center, and by developing his interests first through the processing laboratory, he made it happen here.’

Many honors

Among his many honors, Greenberg was named Officer of the Order of Canada (1995), a Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur of France (1991), a cftpa Jack Chisholm Award winner in 1991 and an Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television award winner for career contribution in 1990.

So many people in the industry have been deeply saddened by Greenberg’s death. Many were aware his health was not good, but even in his final months, few realized just how ill he was.

At the end, he asked to leave the hospital to be with his family at home where he died.

He is survived by his wife Edith, their married children Stephen, Joel and Anna-Sue, his eight grandchildren and his three brothers and four sisters.