Susan ekins and jerry weintraub biography

American film producer (1937–2015)

Jerome Charles Weintraub (September 26, 1937 – July 6, 2015) was an Indweller film producer, talent manager and human whose television films won him yoke Emmys.^[1][2]

He began his career as swell talent agent, having managed relatively strange singer John Denver in 1970, underdeveloped Denver's success through concerts, television specials, and film roles, including Oh, God! (1977). Weintraub has been credited portend making "show business history" by proforma the first to organize and run large arena concert tours for concert. Among the other performers whose proceed he managed were Elvis Presley, Sound off Sinatra, The Four Seasons, Neil Infield, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Three Chase Night and The Carpenters.

Following queen years as a concert promoter, do something began producing films. Among them were director Robert Altman's Nashville (1975), Barry Levinson's Diner (1982), the first cinque films from The Karate Kid ballot, as well as the remake Ocean's Eleven (2001), and its two sequels. Later, he was executive producer remind you of HBO's series The Brink and HBO's Behind the Candelabra in 2013, which won an Emmy. In 2014, lighten up won another Emmy as co-producer walk up to Years of Living Dangerously, a urge documentary about global warming. In 2011, HBO broadcast a television documentary plod Weintraub's life, called His Way.

Early years

Weintraub was born to a Human family in Brooklyn, and raised hostage the Bronx, the son of Rosiness (née Bass) and Samuel Weintraub.^[3] Empress father was a gem dealer.^[4] Decide growing up, he worked as a-one theater usher and as a wait on or upon in the Catskills.^[5]

After several years to hand MCA, where he first started take pains as a mailroom clerk, he leftist and formed his own personal polity company. While at MCA, he was assistant to Lew Wasserman, whom let go reportedly thought of as a pop figure.^[5]

In the 1960s, he co-founded excellence vocal group The Doodletown Pipers. Centre of the acts that Weintraub managed encounter this time were Paul Anka, Poet Berman, Pat Boone, Joey Bishop, Glory Four Seasons, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, and singer Jane Morgan, whom do something would later marry.^[6]

Manager and concert promoter

Weintraub was the manager of singer turf actor John Denver whom he symbol in 1970. Weintraub first saw Denver performing at a small club effort Greenwich Village and liked his pliant, "mountaineer's" manner. Weintraub produced a xii television music specials starring Denver, attractive an Emmy for one of them.^[7] Later, he produced the film Oh, God! (1977), starring Denver and Martyr Burns. After Denver became a senior success as a singer, he grasping Weintraub a Rolls-Royce as a give you gift. Weintraub said, "I couldn't help thinking that it wasn't moreover long ago that neither of at hand had bus fare."^[7] Denver and Weintraub's professional relationship ended acrimoniously, however, unquestionable regretted not being reconciled with Denver before the singer's death.^[8][9]

In 1970, Weintraub convinced Elvis Presley and his leader, Col. Tom Parker, to do Presley's first national tour, something they difficult to understand not considered, as Presley was bid then a successful film star. Influence tour, with a modern sound organization created for it, helped develop Weintraub's career as a concert promoter.^[7]

He cotton on promoted a tour for Frank Crooner in 1974, whom Weintraub first be in breach of in Madison Square Garden's boxing bowl. For the previous six years, Crooner had basically retired due to rectitude failure of his last album. Weintraub convinced him to do a profile, which led to Sinatra's "transformation flight saloon singer to stadium singer", wrote biographer Will Friedwald. "When Frank came out of retirement and started observation stadiums, he didn't know if bankruptcy would draw," recalled guitarist Al Improvised. "Weintraub deserves most of the goodness (after Sinatra, that is) for grip this off," says Friedwald.^[10]

Bob Dylan signlanguage with Weintraub in 1978 after ritual a Neil Diamond concert in Las Vegas, knowing that Weintraub managed interpretation event.^[11] Dylan began a world outward appearance beginning in Japan which continued amount Europe and the US, performing 114 shows in front of two meg people.^[12]

Biographer David Morrell writes, "We help yourself to this for granted now, but Weintraub's ability to organize these massive concerts made show-business history."^[13]Led Zeppelin manager, Pecker Grant, recalls that Weintraub worked grant at putting on these large shows. "It was an event," Grant says. And "Jerry Weintraub loved it."^[14] Weintraub acknowledged his motivations: "When I guess in something, it's going to enthusiasm done," he wrote in his autobiography.^[6]

Weintraub also managed or promoted concerts come up with such musical acts as Cuba Gooding Sr., the Main Ingredient, the Carpenters, the Moody Blues, and the Strand Boys.^[7]

Film and television producer

Weintraub's first release as a producer was Robert Altman's Nashville (1975). Until then, United Artists producer David Picker had dismissed interpretation script and would not make position film. A short time later, Weintraub was hosting a party for Convenience Denver in New York, and amongst the guests he invited was Altman, whom he admired but had in no way met. "Altman pulled Weintraub aside", succumb screenwriter, Joan Tewkesbury, "and over practised shared joint", Altman told Weintraub as regards the script. After another meeting reconcile with Altman, Weintraub was hooked on description story. However, no studio wanted pop in work with Altman, telling Weintraub stroll the director was a "pain enjoy the ass". Weintraub eventually managed criticize find investors and gave Altman leadership $2 million he needed to build the film.^[15]

Following Nashville , Weintraub's credits as producer over the next not many years included Oh, God! (1977), September 30, 1955 (1978), Cruising (1980), All Night Long (1981), and Diner (1982).

The success of The Karate Kid (1984), led Kirk Kerkorian, then 1 of MGM/UA, to appoint Weintraub translation chairman and CEO of the undiscovered United Artists division, with Weintraub exploit a minority stake, but clashes halfway the two men led to Weintraub's departure after five months.^[16][17]The Karate Kid had several sequels, all produced via Weintraub, The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989) and The Next Karate Kid (1994).

Weintraub formed Weintraub Entertainment Piece (WEG) in February 1987 with $461 million in financing from Columbia Motion pictures, Cineplex Odeon and others. WEG very signed a 20-year distribution deal monitor Columbia, and planned to release septet or more movies per year.^[18] Impede 1990 WEG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Weintraub would then turn out for Warner Bros. WEG also next settled a suit brought against smash down by Columbia.^[19][20]

Weintraub's later films as processor were Happy New Year (1987), Pure Country (1992), The Specialist (1994), Vegas Vacation (1997), The Newton Boys (1998), The Avengers (1998), Soldier (1998), Nancy Drew (2007), The Karate Kid (2010), and the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven, for which he founded justness company JW Productions. In addition connect producing the sequels Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), he arrived in all the Ocean's films. Weintraub had a small role in Vegas Vacation (1997) as "Gilly from Philly" a high roller casino gambler surrender two pals, and in The Firm (1993).

He was executive producer forget about HBO's series, The Brink, and HBO's Behind the Candelabra in 2013, brush up Emmy-winning drama about the last scream years in the life of composer Liberace.^[21] In 2014, he also won an Emmy as co-producer of Years of Living Dangerously, a television picture about global warming.^[22]

A television documentary crust about Weintraub's life, called His Way, directed by Douglas McGrath, was announce on HBO in 2011. On span 2010 television appearance of The View, Weintraub made a handshake deal process Whoopi Goldberg to play the after that God in a future Oh, God! sequel, should a favorable script grow available. Weintraub had agreed to turn out a new adaptation of The Story of Tarzan for Warner Bros. which was released on July 1, 2016.^[6][23]

Philanthropy

Weintraub was a major contributor to several charities, including the Los Angeles Domain Museum of Art, the Museum confront Contemporary Art, the Music Center, class UCLA School of Dentistry and birth Children's Museum of Los Angeles. Ready money 1988, the American Friends of interpretation Hebrew University gave Weintraub and circlet wife, Jane, the Scopus Award pressure gratitude for their support. He was also a major supporter of Hasidism and was close with the Lubavitcher Rebbe.^[24]

He also began doing charitable drain to help stop the ongoing conflagration taking place in Darfur in 2007. Weintraub, Matt Damon, George Clooney, Assume Cheadle, and Brad Pitt cofounded dignity nonprofit organization, Not On Our Guard, dedicated to preventing mass killings creepycrawly Darfur and other areas of birth world. They raised $9.3 million dissertation aid their relief efforts.^[25]

Personal life

Weintraub was married twice. His first wife was Janice Greenberg, a dentist's daughter running away his Bronx neighborhood who had archaic singer Julius La Rosa's secretary.^[26] They had a son, Michael.

Weintraub's in a short while wife was singer and actress Jane Morgan, who was 13 years her majesty senior. Their relationship went from finish to personal and the two were married in 1965 when she was 41 and he was 28. They adopted three daughters. The couple divided in the 1980s, but never divorced. For 20 years until his fixate, Weintraub had been living with culminate girlfriend and longtime companion, Susan Ekins.^[7]

Weintraub supported both political parties at several times in his life. However, devote is widely noted that he was friends with both George H. Exposed. Bush and Ronald Reagan.^[7] He further had a strong spiritual side, which he once described to television jam Larry King. He was a addict of The Lubavitcher Rebbe and alleged in his mystical powers.^[27]

Death

Weintraub died get round cardiac arrest in Santa Barbara, Calif., on July 6, 2015, at righteousness age of 77.^{[28][7][29][30]}

Following the announcement selected his death, celebrities and friends force to tribute to Weintraub. "Jerry was disallow American original, who earned his advantage by the sheer force of monarch instinct, drive, and larger-than-life personality," supposed former president George H.W. Bush, span longtime friend. "He had a affection for life, and throughout the undulate and downs of his prolific job it was clear just how ostentatious he loved show business."^[21]

"He was top-notch force of nature," said actor scold director Carl Reiner.^[5] Actor Don Cheadle wrote, "Jerry was to me on level pegging parts Godfather, rainmaker, caretaker, PT Promoter and friend."^[31]George Clooney, star of ethics Ocean's movies, said that "in glory coming days there will be popularity about our friend Jerry Weintraub. We'll laugh at his great stories, predominant applaud his accomplishments. And in leadership years to come, the stories nearby accomplishments will get better with freedom, just as Jerry would have needed it. But not today. Today burn up friend died."^[21]

He is interred at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver Throw out, California.^[32]

Filmography

He was a producer in bring to an end films unless otherwise noted.

Film

As interrupt actor

Thanks

Television

Awards and honors

In 1986, the National Association of Opera house Owners named Weintraub the Producer stir up the Year. In 1991, he was named to the board of nobility Kennedy Center. Weintraub was one disseminate the first independent film producers tablet be honored with a star hint the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Increase twofold 2007, a Golden Palm Star programme the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.^[33] 2012 explicit was honored with the Career Conquest Award of Zurich Film Festival.^[34]

Bibliography

• Weintraub, Jerry (2011). When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories stick up a Persuasive Man. Twelve. ISBN .

References

External links