LAST MOGUL, THE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LEW WASSERMAN (TV)

Summary

This documentary film profiles the famous and influential Hollywood talent agent and studio executive Lew Wasserman.

Wasserman, who left behind no filmed interviews or writings, was born in 1913 to Russian immigrant parents and grew up in the "mean streets" of Cleveland, where corruption and crime was rife. He found early jobs at speakeasies and vaudeville theaters and went on to book musical acts for local mobsters; a viewing of "The Jazz Singer" (1927) "changed his life." After working as a promoter for the Mayfair Casino, young Wasserman was hired by businessman Jules Stein, who founded the Music Corporation of America, and moved to Chicago with new bride Edith Beckerman, who was fleeing an unpleasant family scandal. Stein, who had a fondness for gangsters, turned MCA into "the only game in town" and represented the vast majority of entertainers. Wasserman created the popular radio series "Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge" and eventually landed in California, where he befriended the likes of Ronald Reagan and bought up a series of smaller talent agencies using MCA funds, eventually becoming "the most powerful man in Hollywood" at the age of 33.

Wishing to elevate the stereotype of the sleazy talent agent, Wasserman employed a "dress British and think Yiddish" motto and became well-known for his dapper suits. Alan Ladd Jr., producer David Brown and actress Suzanne Pleshette all note that, while generally amiable, Wasserman was prone to fits of great temper when displeased by others' shoddy work. He strongly believed that agents should remain behind the scenes and not seek fame; MCA was soon known as an "octopus" with great reach and influence in all areas. Wasserman scored an unprecedented contract deal for Jimmy Stewart for "Winchester '73" (1950), and when television rose in popularity and a Screen Actors Guild rule prevented talent agents from receiving producer credit on programs, he arranged for "secret weapon" Reagan to become the new SAG president. In return, he helped Reagan to land a spot as the host of "General Electric Theater" and later supported his 1966 bid for California governor.

Television proved lucrative for MCA as it cranked out a series of "cookie-cutter" programs, and Wasserman soon purchased Paramount's library of films in order to syndicate them on TV. He broke new ground by establishing the idea of "made-for-TV" movies that did not screen in normal cinemas, starting with "The Hanged Man" (1964). Though many doubted that the idea would catch on, original films and series like "Roots" (1977) scored extremely high ratings. MCA next bought Universal's land and created "Universal City," which boasted a studio tour, a hotel and an amphitheater for music. Wasserman's "fixer," the "elegant and polished" lawyer Sidney Korshak, helped Wasserman arrange his deals and maintain positive relationships with assorted unions, though he was long rumored to be associated with organized crime. The character of Tom Hagen, the consigliere in "The Godfather" (1972) played by Robert Duvall, was allegedly based on Korshak. Stein took MCA public in 1959, giving Wasserman 20 percent of the stock. Edith ran an elite "Hollywood Wives' Club" from their Beverly Hills home, developing a rivalry with Doris Stein as she assisted Wasserman with business dealings.

Wasserman was "humiliated" when Senator Robert F. Kennedy hit MCA with a civil antitrust suit, and Larry King notes that Wasserman always felt that his monopoly "helped everyone" under its employ. Desperate to regain favor, Wasserman became actively involved in politics and strongly supported Kennedy's brother Jack in his bid for president; when Lyndon B. Johnson abruptly took over in 1963, special assistant Jack Valenti urged him to bring Wasserman into the administration. Wasserman declined, however, wishing to focus on Universal. Valenti, his "comrade-in-arms," soon went on to run the Motion Picture Association of America. MCA fell into debt as Universal produced a series of big-budget bombs, and though Stein came close to firing Wasserman, the success of "Airport" (1970) gave the studio a much-needed boost. Wasserman quickly reached out to Richard D. Zanuck after Zanuck was fired by his own father Darryl, and he scored more big hits with "The Sting" (1973), which won seven Oscars, and "American Graffiti" (1973). Stein stepped down in '73, making Wasserman CEO, and when he gambled on a young, unknown director named Steven Spielberg, he was rewarded with the enormous success of "Jaws" (1975). Universal enjoyed several more hits throughout the 1970s – though unwisely turned down "Star Wars" (1977) and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) – and Spielberg followed up his success with 1982's "E.T.: The Extraterrestrial." Wasserman chose not to involve the company in "paid TV" like HBO, however, which would later greatly hurt the company.

Stein passed away in 1981, and by 1983 Wasserman's mob-related troubles returned in the form of a Justice Department investigation. He tried and failed to kill a "60 Minutes" story exposing MCA's various shady ties; he eventually called in a favor with old pal Reagan, by now the president, leading the FBI to drop the case. The economic crash of 1987 further damaged MCA's stocks; Wasserman eventually sold the company to the Japanese conglomerate Matsushita for $6 billion, clashing with Creative Artists Agency founder Michael Ovitz, whom he believed to have leaked information about the sale to the Wall Street Journal. Matsushita seemed to treat Wasserman "abominably," disinterested in his involvement or advice with the company. When Matsushita sold 80 percent of MCA to Seagram in 1995, Wasserman was not alerted to the plan. Head honcho Edgar M. Bronfman Jr. quickly erased the MCA name, calling the company simply "Universal," and essentially forced Wasserman out, though he announced that the distinctive black MCA Tower on the Universal lot would be renamed in Wasserman's honor.

With his Hollywood career essentially over, Wasserman turned his attention to philanthropic causes and raised millions for Bill Clinton's campaign. Universal was later sold to French company Vivendi and then to NBC, where it remains today. Wasserman mended fences with his estranged daughter Lynne and bonded with grandson Casey. Though hundreds attended his June 2002 funeral, some of his friends question the attendees' true loyalty to the once-great man. Pleshette explains that she is still close with Edith, considering Wasserman's tale to be "a love story"; King emphasizes that Wasserman was an unmatched "presence" throughout his lifetime.

Details

• NETWORK: N/A
• DATE: April 13, 2005
• RUNNING TIME: 1:43:25
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:85792
• GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
• SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries; Biography; Motion picture producers and directors
• SERIES RUN: N/A
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Nat Brescia … Executive Producer
• Jeff Sackman … Executive Producer
• Barry Avrich … Executive Producer, Director, Writer
• Tori Hockin … Producer
• Brian Linehan … Co-Producer
• Natalie Mitrovich … Associate Producer
• Kathleen Sharp … Consulting Producer
• Jim McGrath … Music by
• Frank Kitching … Music by
• Neil Shee … Narrator
• Helen Gurley Brown … Interviewee
• Alan Ladd Jr. … Interviewee
• Suzanne Pleshette … Interviewee
• Jack Valenti … Interviewee
• Larry King … Interviewee
• Richard D. Zanuck … Interviewee
• Michael Ovitz … Interviewee
• Edgar M. Bronfman Jr.
• Bill Clinton
• Robert Duvall
• John F. Kennedy
• Robert F. Kennedy
• Lyndon B. Johnson
• Sidney Korshak
• Ronald Reagan
• Steven Spielberg
• Doris Stein
• Jules Stein
• Jimmy Stewart (see also: James Stewart)
• Edie Wasserman (see also: Edith Beckerman)
• Lew Wasserman (see also: Lewis Wasserman)
• Lynne Wasserman
• Casey Wasserman
• Darryl F. Zanuck