Michael Gottlieb, who wrote and directed such big-screen comedies as Mannequin and Mr. Nanny, died Friday in a motorcycle accident on the Angeles Forest Highway north of La Canada Flintridge. He was 69.
Gottlieb also produced several A-list video game titles from 1995 through 2005, including Midway Arcade Treasures 3, Fire Blade, Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, Muppet Monster Adventure, Paperboy, NBA Hang Time, Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat 4.
In addition to his work on Mannequin (1987), which starred Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall, and the Hulk Hogan-starring Mr. Nanny (1993), Gottlieb helmed The Shrimp on the Barbie (1990), with Cheech Marin and Emma Samms, and Disney’s A Kid in King Arthur’s Court (1995), starring Thomas Ian Nicholas.
Raised in New York, Gottlieb began his career as an assistant on film and photo shoots and found success as a fashion photographer. That led to him becoming a CLIO Award-winning commercial director and cinematographer who did national spots for such clients as Xerox, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.
Gottlieb most recently taught screenwriting classes in the undergraduate and graduate film departments at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
“Michael Gottlieb was superbly talented in an unusual number of creative disciplines,” film chair Ross LaManna said. “His love for his students and generosity with his time and expertise were second to none. He mentored, guided, cheer-led and scolded hundreds of students through the challenging process of writing a feature-length screenplay and took enormous pride in their accomplishments.”
Gottlieb was a member of the WGA and the DGA.
Survivors include his daughters Sarah, Grace and Julia.
Twitter: @mikebarnes4
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