Jason Rabinovitz, a high-ranking financial executive at MGM for nearly two decades, died Jan. 1 of natural causes at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 90.
Under studio owner Kirk Kerkorian, Rabinovitz helped established MGM as a separate film company from MGM Grand Hotels in 1980, then played a key role a year later when the studio acquired United Artists from Transamerica Corp. for $350 million.
Rabinovitz also pioneered the licensing of feature films like Gone With the Wind to CBS for broadcast on primetime television and later for airing on cable.
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The Boston native began at MGM in 1957 as assistant treasurer and retired in 1984 as senior vp finance and corporate administration, with a six-year hiatus from the company in the ’70s. In addition to MGM, Rabinovitz held executive positions with Encyclopedia Britannica, the American Film Theatre and ABC.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Frieda; his daughters Abby (and her husband Richard) and Judy; his sons Jonathan and Dan (and his wife Effie); and grandchildren Conor, Tia, Callie and Joshua.
The family asks that contributions in his memory be made to the Boston Latin School Association or the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Email: Mike.Barnes@THR.com
