1. Lewis Robert Wasserman was an American businessman and talent agent, described as "the last of the legendary movie moguls" and "arguably the most powerful and influential Hollywood titan in the four decades after World War II".
17 Facts About Lew Wasserman
1. 2.
Lew Wasserman's career spanned nearly eight decades from the 1920s to the 2000s; he started working as a cinema usher before dropping out of high school, rose to become the president of MCA Inc and led its takeover of Universal Pictures, during which time Wasserman "brought about changes in virtually every aspect of show business".
3.
Lew Wasserman began his show business career as an usher in a Cleveland theater in 1933.
4.
Lew Wasserman later became a booking agent for the Music Corporation of America, founded by Jules Stein.
5.
Under Lew Wasserman, MCA branched out into representing actors and actresses in addition to musicians and in the process created the star system, which drove up prices for studios.
6.
Lew Wasserman was an influential player and fundraiser in the Democratic Party, but was a lifelong and instrumental advocate, mentor, and close friend of Reagan's.
7.
At MCA, Lew Wasserman expanded upon a business practice known as film packaging, a process established by earlier agents like Feldman and Selznick.
8.
Lew Wasserman used this tax avoidance scheme with actor James Stewart, beginning with the Anthony Mann western Winchester '73.
9.
Lew Wasserman ran the combined company for nearly 30 years before selling it to Japanese consumer electronics conglomerate Matsushita Electric in 1990.
10.
In 1993, Lew Wasserman created Universal CityWalk and made numerous, substantial changes to the Universal City area.
11.
Lew Wasserman pocketed an estimated $350 million from the sale of MCA and remained as manager, but with vastly diminished power and influence, until Seagram bought controlling interest in 1995, which then resulted in his role becoming even more marginalized.
12.
On September 29,1995, Lew Wasserman was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.
13.
Lew Wasserman died of complications from a stroke in Beverly Hills in 2002 and was interred in Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City.
14.
Lew Wasserman was honored posthumously with the 2,349th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 5,2007.
15.
Lew Wasserman was married to Edith "Edie" Beckerman, who was Jewish.
16.
Lew Wasserman is acting president and chief executive officer of the Wasserman Foundation, a charitable organization founded by the Wassermans in 1952 in Beverly Hills.
17.
Lew Wasserman was the subject of the biography film The Last Mogul.