Jerry Weintraub: A look at the effect he had on Hollywood
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Film and music producer Jerry Weintraub died Monday in Santa Barbara, California, according to his publicist, The Associated Press reported.
Weintraub was behind everything from Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra concerts, when he worked as a concert promoter, to the 鈥淜arate Kid鈥� and 鈥淥cean鈥檚 Eleven鈥� films. His early credits frequently involve singer John Denver, with Weintraub having produced 鈥淎n Evening with John Denver,鈥� 鈥淩ocky Mountain Christmas,鈥� and 鈥淛ohn Denver: The Higher We Fly,鈥� among other credits.
Some of the best-known movies Weintraub produced include 1982鈥檚 鈥淒iner,鈥� the 鈥淜arate Kid鈥� films, and the recent HBO TV movie 鈥淏ehind the Candelabra.鈥� He is also a producer on the current HBO series 鈥淭he Brink,鈥� a comedy which stars Jack Black and Tim Robbins, as well as the upcoming HBO series 鈥淲estworld,鈥� which stars Ed Harris, and an upcoming version of the 鈥淭arzan鈥� story which stars 鈥淭rue Blood鈥� actor Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie of 鈥淔ocus,鈥� 鈥淏ig Eyes鈥� actor Christoph Waltz, and Samuel L. Jackson of 鈥淎vengers: Age of Ultron.鈥� The film is due to be released next summer.
鈥淚 can get anything done, anywhere, at any time,鈥� Weintraub told the in a 2012 interview. He wrote in an essay for published earlier this year that 鈥渕y perfect day in L.A. is every day鈥� I am lucky enough to speak with some of the most interesting and creative people in the world. These conversations are what keep me going through the day; they engage and excite me鈥� One thing stays the same: I am continually stimulated and excited by talking with extraordinary people about extraordinary projects.鈥澛�
Weintraub was a super-producer who was involved in almost all genres of entertainment and his tributes have included 鈥渙ne of the last of Hollywood鈥檚 great old-school impresarios鈥� touching nearly every corner of the entertainment world,鈥� 鈥渁 lion,鈥� and 鈥渁 force in showbiz for nearly half a century.鈥澛�
