The world of the Hollywood producer is shrouded in mystery, glamour, and legend. Most laymen can tell you what the directors, actors, and even cameramen and most of the other crew actually do in the making of a film, and have an idea of what their lives look like. But the producer – other than the stereotype of the cigar-chomping, Cadillac-chauffeured shyster, how much do most people ever really understand about that role, about that life?
_His Way, a part biopic, part career retrospective of legendary producer Jerry Weintraub premiering tonight on HBO, won’t do a whole lot to help the viewer understand the producer’s role any better. But the big-time producer’s life? Ah, there’s the rub. From the beautiful houses, to the A-list celebrity endorsements and “my friend Jerry” stories, to the glamorous film and music projects, to the unorthodox family life, His Way is a fascinating look inside the world of Hollywood royalty.
Weintraub cut his teeth booking vaudeville acts into theaters, but got his first big break when he convinced Colonel Tom Parker (over the course of daily calls for one solid year) to let him book Elvis Presley for a year’s tour. When he finally got the go-ahead, all he needed to do was come up with one million dollars in two days and fly to Las Vegas. Somehow, he pulled it off.
Weintraub’s stories from the Elvis tour alone probably could have filled an entire documentary, but his career was just getting started. The next big step was Frank Sinatra calling him (you know you’re big when the Chairman calls you rather than vice versa) to ask if he’d do for him what he did for Elvis. The flagship event of that partnership was a legendary Madison Square Garden performance in the round that was one of the biggest musical events of the decade.
Film was next on Weintraub’s dream list, and his long and illustrious career eventually included such landmarks as Diner_, the Karate Kid franchise, and the Ocean’s Eleven franchise. Many of the biggest stars in the world – Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon – offer appreciations and tell sometimes hilarious stories (Clooney’s revolves around a practical joke and is the funniest one of all – not surprising on either count).
But when a new woman arrives on the scene after Weintraub has been married for decades and has adult children, that’s when the most wildly interesting subplot of all emerges. The details are best left to the documentary itself, but suffice to say it’s quite an unusual story.
His Way was made with the cooperation of Weintraub himself, and isn’t a hard hitter by any means. And it won’t change anyone’s life. But it’s immensely entertaining (Weintraub himself is funny and engaging), and for anyone with even a speck of interest in the life of a Hollywood mogul, it’s certainly a must-see.