Topic: Peter Guber

Howard Peter Guber (born. March 2, 1942 in Newton, Massachusetts) is an American film producer and executive. Chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment, Guber has been an important figure in the entertainment industry for over thirty years, becoming an influential executive in the entertainment and communications industries. Films he personally produced or executive produced, including Rain Man, Batman, The Color Purple, Midnight Express, Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey, The Witches of Eastwick, Missing and Flashdance, have earned over three billion dollars worldwide and garnering more than 50 Academy Award nominations. Guber is also co-owner of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Law and Juris Doctorate degrees and admission to the New York and California Bars, Guber was recruited by Columbia Pictures in 1968 while pursuing an MBA degree at New York University’s Graduate School of Business. Within three years, he became Studio Chief, and during his tenure at the creative helm, Columbia had record-breaking profits with box office hits including Shampoo, Taxi Driver, Tommy, The Way We Were and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Guber launched his career as an independent film producer with The Deep, which became one of Columbia’s top box office successes of all time. His next film, Midnight Express, earned seven Academy Award nominations for Columbia including “Best Picture,” a Golden Globe for “Best Picture”, and a place in film history with the National Association of Theater Owners naming Guber “Producer of the Year.”