Frank Agrama

    Known For

    Directing

    Birthday

    January 1, 1930

    Day of Death

    April 25, 2023 (93 years old)

    Place of Birth

    Egypt

    Frank Agrama

    Biography

    Farouk "Frank" Agrama (January 1, 1930 – April 25, 2023) was an Egyptian-born American film director and producer, writer and businessman. He was the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Harmony Gold USA, Inc. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Agrama made a number of low-budget films which included The Godfather's Friend, Queen Kong and Dawn of the Mummy. He also began selling broadcast rights from Paramount Pictures, which he then sold to his friend, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, to the latter's Mediaset broadcasting and multimedia company. In 1983, he secured a deal with the South African Broadcasting Corporation ("SABC") to distribute the controversial miniseries Shaka Zulu.[3] In the same year, he founded "Harmony Gold USA, Inc.". Despite Shaka Zulu's massive success worldwide, Agrama's skillful negotiations left SABC to actually lose money, while Harmony Gold kept most of the profit. Harmony Gold would eventually be known for producing films such as Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, other Robotech animated works and the 1993 miniseries Heidi. According to the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors of Milan, on November 21, 2006, charged Agrama, along with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and ten others, in a trial over tax fraud, embezzlement and false accounting to Mediaset. In fact, on October 26, 2012, Agrama was convicted after this lengthy trial, where Berlusconi, or his group, had allegedly bought USA film rights by him to the Mediaset media company at inflated prices. As his age was over 70 years, he was exempted from direct imprisonment and served no actual jail time. In 2013, Agrama and several others, including Mediaset Vice President Pier Silvio Berlusconi, son of Silvio, and the Hong Kong–based Wiltshire Group of Companies were under trial for tax evasion and embezzlement with the broadcasting rights firm, Mediatrade. In 2014, all parties were acquitted in the first instance due to expiring statute of limitations. A new appeals hearing took place on January 20, 2016. All charges against Agrama and five others were dropped, while Mediaset CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi and President Fedele Confalonieri were sentenced to 14 months imprisonment. Agrama died on April 25, 2023, at the age of 93.

    Known For

    • Shaka Zulu

      Shaka Zulu

      1986

    • Dawn of the Mummy

      Dawn of the Mummy

      1981

    • Heidi

      Heidi

      1993

    • Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles

      Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles

      2006

    • Queen Kong

      Queen Kong

      1976

    • The Lost World

      The Lost World

      1992

    • American Strays

      American Strays

      1996

    • Robotech: Love Live Alive

      Robotech: Love Live Alive

      2013

    • The Man Who Lived at the Ritz

      The Man Who Lived at the Ritz

      1988

    • The Godfather's Friend

      The Godfather's Friend

      1972

    • The Adventures of Filfila

      The Adventures of Filfila

      1966

    • Wada'an ya Faqr

      Wada'an ya Faqr

      1969

    • Gang of Women

      Gang of Women

      1969

    • Brave Frog's Greatest Adventure

      Brave Frog's Greatest Adventure

      1989

    • Women's Gang

      Women's Gang

      1970