Benjamin Melniker obit

Benjamin Melniker, Prolific ‘Batman’ Producer and MGM Exec, Dies at 104

Melniker was credited on every big-screen version of the DC superhero since Tim Burton's 1989 film. 

He was not on the list.

Benjamin Melniker, best known as a producer on Warner Bros.’ many Batman projects, has died. He was 104.

Melniker died Monday in Roslyn Harbor, New York. His fellow Batman producer Michael E. Uslan shared the news on his Facebook page.

Born on May 25, 1913, Melniker started at MGM in 1939 and worked his way upward at the company, eventually becoming an executive vp and chairman of the film selection committee at the studio. The so-called “MGM Lion,” as Melniker became known, was involved in a number of important deals at the studio, including those for Ben Hur, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr. Zhivago.

Upon leaving MGM, Melniker became an executive producer on movies including 1975’s Mitchell and 1976’s Shoot, but it was a decision in 1979 that changed his career. That was the year he teamed with Uslan to buy the movie rights to DC Comics’ Batman, a decision that would lead to his placement in the credits for everything from 1989’s Batman to 2017’s Justice League all the way through this year’s animated Batman: Gotham by Gaslight and Batman: Ninja movies.

Again with Uslan, Melniker’s name appeared on a number of different comic book properties, including 1982’s Swamp Thing, 2005’s Constantine and 2008’s The Spirit, directed by Frank Miller. In television, he also was an executive producer of Fish Police — another comic book adaptation — and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

“Ben was a humble man, never wishing attention,” Uslan wrote on Facebook. “He turned down endless requests to write his book or do interviews about the Golden Age of Hollywood, especially in his latter years as he became the last mogul standing from that era. He told me that he knew all the stories of what transpired behind the curtain at MGM in those decades but would never reveal things that could negatively impact those people, their children or their grandchildren. Ben was a mensch.”

Melniker is survived by his son, Harvey, and daughters-in-law Heather Melniker and Deanie Melniker, as well as five grandchildren — Douglas, Carly, Avital, Sophie and Lara — and a growing number of great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Shirley, and son, Charles, former head of theatrical business affairs at CAA.

 

Filmography

 

Films

Year     Title            Notes

1975    Mitchell           

1976    Shoot  

1982    Swamp Thing   

1989    The Return of Swamp Thing  

Batman

1992    Batman Returns

1993    Harmful Intent            Television film

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm           

1995    Batman Forever           

1997    Batman & Robin          

1998    Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero            Direct-to-video

2000    Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman

2004            Catwoman     

National Treasure          

2005            Constantine    

Batman Begins 

The Batman vs. Dracula            Direct-to-video

2008            Batman: Gotham Knight

The Dark Knight 

The Spirit        

2009            Superman/Batman: Public Enemies            Direct-to-video

2010            Batman: Under the Red Hood

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

2011            Batman: Year One

2012            Superman vs. The Elite

The Dark Knight Rises    

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1            Direct-to-video

2013            Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2

Lego Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes Unite

2014    The Lego Movie     

Son of Batman            Direct-to-video

Batman: Assault on Arkham

2015    Batman vs. Robin

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts

Justice League: Gods and Monsters

Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom

2016            Batman: Bad Blood

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Cosmic Clash

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice           

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Breakout            Direct-to-video

Batman: The Killing Joke

Batman Unlimited: Mech vs. Mutants

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

2017    The Lego Batman Movie 

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract[2]            Direct-to-video

Batman and Harley Quinn

Batman vs. Two-Face

Justice League 

2018            Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold     Direct-to-video

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash    Direct-to-video; posthumous release

Batman Ninja

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies            Posthumous release

2019    Justice League vs. the Fatal Five            Direct-to-video; posthumous release

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Batman: Hush

Television

Year     Title            Notes

1985            American Playhouse            1 episode

1987    TV's Greatest Bits            Television special

1987            Dinosaucers    5 episodes

1990-1993            Swamp Thing: The Series   48 episodes

1991    Swamp Thing    5 episodes

1992    Fish Police   6 episodes

1994-1995            Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?            13 episodes

 

Shorts

Year     Title

2003    Chase Me