In the entertainment industry, everyone knows Jerry Weintraub, and Jerry knows everyone who matters. He discovered John Denver. He produced Oceans 11 (and 12 and 13) and more than a few Karate Kids — as well as Robert Altman’s Nashville. Before that he staged tours for Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis. Kurt Andersen talks with Weintraub about his career and a new documentary, His Way, that airs on HBO this month.
Bonus Track: Four Degrees of Jerry WeintraubIn our full interview, Jerry Weintraub tells Kurt that director Robert Altman is the person who convinced him to become a producer. But just how he met Altman is quite a story in itself, with a cast of characters that includes a former president and a folk music superstar.
embed_audio(
‘http://audio.wnyc.org/studioblog/studioblog040111_weintraub_a.mp3’,
‘id11676342963474a25d28c-1a7d-45ff-8e48-d32f7537a555’,
400,
”,
”
, true);
Bonus Track: Jerry Weintraub on The Karate KidJerry Weintraub tells Kurt why he initially wanted anyone but Pat Morita for the role of Mr. Miyagi.
embed_audio(
‘http://audio.wnyc.org/studioblog/studioblog040111_weintraub_b.mp3’,
‘id1167634902064de155798-f421-42de-8990-95433595f89b’,
400,
”,
”
, true);
Our coverage reaches millions each week, but only a small fraction of listeners contribute to sustain our program. We still need 224 more people to donate $100 or $10/monthly to unlock our $67,000 match. Will you help us get there today?