Max J. Rosenberg (September 13, 1914 – June 14, 2004) was an influential American film producer, whose film career stretched across six decades. He was particularly noted for his horror or supernatural films, and found much of his success while working in England.
Rosenberg was born in the Bronx, New York. In 1945 he entered the film business by becoming a foreign film distributor. Although he primarily produced horror or supernatural films, his first film Rock, Rock, Rock (1956) was a musical. His partner in this film was Milton Subotsky, and the two would start the British company Amicus Productions in 1964.
During his career he produced more than 50 films, on some of which he was not credited. Among the horror and supernatural films he produced were such titles as Tales from the Crypt (1972), The Land That Time Forgot (1975), and its sequel, The People That Time Forgot (1977). In 1957 he produced the first horror film in color, The Curse of Frankenstein.
Rosenberg also produced a children's film, Lad, a Dog (1962), a pair of films based on the Doctor Who series, and director Richard Lester's first film, It's Trad, Dad! (1962). He was particularly proud to have produced the 1968 film of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party, starring Robert Shaw and directed by William Friedkin. He worked well into his 80s; his final film credit was 1997's Perdita Durango aka Dance With the Devil.
Rosenberg died in 2004 in Los Angeles, California.
Cousin of writer/director Doris Wishman
The son of a furrier, he was a lawyer when he entered the film business in 1939 as a distributor of foreign films.
Became a producer in 1954, mostly of horror or supernatural films. Curse of Frankenstein, The (1957) made in 1957 with England's Hammer Films for $500,000, brought in $7 million.
Formed Amicus Productions with his partner, Milton Subotsky, in 1962. They made popular horror anthologies (Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and Tales from the Crypt (1972)).
