Who Is Michael Ovitz?
Page 38
CREDIT: THE PRINCE OF TIDES © 1991 COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES.
With Martin Scorsese on the set of The Age of Innocence.
Ron and me in Italy with Ray Stark’s lost dick.
With Bobby De Niro and Penny Marshall at Marty Scorsese’s surprise fiftieth birthday party.
Ray Stark, Judy, Chevy Chase, Ron Meyer, and Mark Canton at Judy’s surprise fortieth birthday party
Celebrating with Jerry Seinfeld and Shoshanna Lonstein after I renegotiated Jerry’s Seinfeld deal with NBC, getting him a record price per episode. When I left CAA shortly thereafter, Jerry said, “I got the last Ovitz.”
Sydney Pollack making dinner for my surprise fortieth birthday party. Yes, we had a lot of surprise birthday parties.
A rare shot in which Robin Williams appears to be playing my straight man.
Judy and me at the Allen Conference with Sydney Pollack and Herb Allen II.
Judy and me with Robert and Mary Ellen Zemeckis and Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg, celebrating nothing in particular.
Ron Meyer taking me out for ice cream during a working vacation in Cannes.
With my high school classmate Sally Field and her husband, producer Alan Greisman, at one of a thousand fund-raisers.
Judy and me with a wide-eyed Tom Hanks at the Academy’s Governors Ball after Rain Man won four Oscars.
CREDIT: MICHAEL JACOBS
CREDIT: USED WITH PERMISSION OF BLOOMBERG L.P.
COPYRIGHT © 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The New Yorker’s view
CREDIT: MARISA ACOCELLA MARCHETTO/THE NEW YORKER © CONDÉ NAST
I. M. Pei’s sketch of the CAA building, drawn while he continued to insist that he didn’t have time to take the project.
The CAA building, now an architectural landmark.
Dinner in the atrium of the new building to celebrate I. M. Pei.
Paul Newman beating me to the finish line at a slick track in Los Angeles.
The Ovitz family with President Bill Clinton at CAA’s fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee.
With martial arts legend Rickson Gracie and Marco Alburquerque, who would become practically a member of our family.
Tamara Mellon and me.
Eric and Kendall Ovitz’s wedding.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Minty Mellon, Kim Ovitz, me, Tamara Mellon, Kendal and Eric, Judy Ovitz, Ara Katz, Chris Ovitz.
Me at the groundbreaking for the one-million-square-foot UCLA hospital, designed by I. M. Pei.
CAA staff in front of the Roy Lichtenstein in the Atrium.
CREDIT: PHOTO BY HENRY GROSKINSKY/THE LIFE IMAGES COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
A portrait by Annie Leibovitz of me in CAA’s theater, in a rare moment of solitude.
CREDIT: © ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
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INDEX
The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. The link provided will take you to the beginning of that print page. You may need to scroll forward from that location to find the corresponding reference on your e-reader.
AbbVie, 345
ABC, 15, 18, 21–23, 55, 63, 80, 81, 108, 129, 169–70, 214, 319, 321, 324, 326, 328–30
Aboodi, Ed, 298
Above the Law, 225–26
Abramson, Michael, 342
Absence of Malice, 138–40, 147
Academy Awards, 7–9, 84, 90, 94, 117, 125, 147, 148, 160, 195, 290
Accel, 342
Adams, Ray & Rosenberg, 76
Adler, Dan, 199
Advertising Age, 292–94
Adweek, 285
Agoglia, John, 25–29
AI: Artificial Intelligence, 159
Airbnb, 340, 346
Aladdin, 270
Albuquerque, Marco, 228–29
Alexander, Sherri, 220, 221
Allen, Herb, 134, 135, 236–38, 240–42, 256, 259, 260, 262–64, 280, 281, 286, 297, 298, 303, 304, 307, 313, 318, 334, 340–341, 344
Allen, Herb, III, 340–41
Allen, Tim, 329
Allen, Woody, 78
Allen & Company, 134, 236, 237, 256, 279, 280, 298, 305, 338
All in the Family, 61, 117
Altman, Robert, 137–39
Amazon, 339
Amblin Entertainment, 161, 217, 219, 337
American Graffiti, 150
Americast, 272, 324
Amos, John, 61
Andreessen, Marc, 338–41, 348
Andreessen Horowitz, 339–41, 344
Andrews, Julie, 79, 186
Andromeda Strain, The (Crichton), 214
Angelo, John, 271, 319
Angel of the City, The (Marini), 187
Animal House, 112, 126
Anki, 344–45
Apollo, Fred, 52
Apple, 284, 339, 342
Archer, Anne, 74
Armstrong, Art, 86
Armstrong, Hendler & Hirsch, 93
Arnoldi, Chuck, 163
Arrillaga-Andreessen, Laura, 340, 341
Arthur, 84
Artists Management Group (AMG), 327, 335–37, 343
Art of War, The (Sun Tzu), 105
Aryan Nation, 151
Aryan Papers, The, 158–59
Ashby, Hal, 121, 208
Ashley, Ted, 85, 98–99, 265, 278
Aspen, Colo., 196, 347
Astaire, Fred, 62
A-Team, The, 196
Atlantic City, 127
Attenborough, Richard, 80
Avildsen, John, 127
Avnet, Jon, 152
Awakenings, 154
Ayasdi, 345
Aykroyd, Dan, 112, 113, 126–28, 131, 134–35
Babe, 290
Backdraft, 154
Back to the Future, 150, 178–79
Ballmer, Steve, 338
Banner, Steve, 305
Bara, Theda, 180
Barkley, Deanne, 81
Barry, Jack, 54–55
Barton, Peter, 318
Basic Instinct, 214
Basinger, Kim, 119
Bass, Ron, 5, 8
Bass, Sid, 172, 321
Batman, 243
Baum, Marty, 79–80, 85, 137, 186, 224, 333
Bay, Michael, 292
BBDO, 280
Beatles, 290
Beatty, Warren, 49–50, 85, 98, 177, 187, 238, 285
Begelman, David, 47
Being There, 121
Bell Atlantic, 271
Bellisario, Giuseppe, 86
Belushi, John, 112, 113, 126–29, 131
Ben Casey, 125
Benny, Jack, 126
Benton, Bob, 132
Benton, Thomas Hart, 287, 291
Berg, Jeff, 275–77
Berger, Thomas, 126
Bergin, John, 284–88, 290
Berkus, Jim, 175
Berle, Milton, 126
Bernstein, Armyan, 176
Bertelsmann, 306
Betrayal, 330
Bettman, Gary, 202
Beverly Hills Cop, 5, 132
Bezos, Jeff, 339
Bierstadt, Albert, 165
Biondi, Frank, 316
Bisset, Jacqueline, 63, 75–77
Blackstone Group, 232, 239–40
Blend, 344
Bloom, Jake, 14, 86, 93
Blue Man Group, 291
Blues Brothers, The, 126
Bobby De
erfield, 95
Bogdanovich, Peter, 273
Bollenbach, Stephen, 322–23
Bologna, Joe, 74–75
Bolt, Robert, 80
Bookman, Bob, 214–15
Borgnine, Ernest, 75
Bowen, Gordon, 285–87
Bradley, Bill, 252, 299
Brand, Joshua, 290
Brandeis, Louis, 251–52
Brando, Marlon, 8
Break the Bank, 55
Bresler, Sandy, 96
Brest, Marty, 5
Brian’s Song, 49
Bridge on the River Kwai, The, 50
Bridges, Jim, 95, 96, 169
Brillstein, Bernie, 112, 125–26, 128, 129, 187–88, 337
Brimley, Wilford, 119
Brin, Sergei, 339
Bronfman, Charles, 297, 305, 313–15
Bronfman, Edgar, Jr., 196–99, 304–7, 312–16, 318
Bronfman, Edgar, Sr., 296–97, 306, 313–15
Bronfman, Samuel, 296
Brooks, Albert, 4, 84, 125
Brooks, James L., 173
Brokaw, Norman, 69
Bruck, Connie, 259
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, 137
Bujold, Geneviève, 60, 317
Burger King, 293
Burnett, Leo, 293
Burns, George, 126
Burton, Tim, 243
BusinessWeek, 290
Buss, Jerry, 202
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 95, 137, 139, 140, 147
Caesar, Sid, 126
Caine, Michael, 41, 91, 196
Calley, John, 85–86, 89, 184, 189, 244, 277–78
Campbell, Bill, 338
Campbell, Glen, 52, 56
Campus Crusade for Christ, 151
Cannell, Stephen, 196–97
Cape Fear, 157–58, 160
Capital Cities, 319
Capote, Truman, 78
Capra, Frank, 42
Capshaw, Kate, 161, 218
Carnegie, Andrew, 36
Carney, Art, 126
Carol Burnett Show, The, 52
Carsey, Marcy, 108, 221
Carson, Johnny, 13–15, 21, 24–25, 29–30, 183
Cash, Jim, 204
Cash McCall, 37–38, 50
Cassidy, Jack, 73
Castelli, Leo, 200
CBS, 15, 18, 21–30, 55, 63, 77, 81, 108, 271, 277, 303
CBS Records, 230–34, 244
Center, Tom, 44
Chamberlain, Richard, 78, 81
Chandler, William B., III, 332
Channing, Carol, 53
Charles, Ray, 280, 286
Charlie’s Angels, 129
Chase, Chevy, 112, 125, 126, 167, 187, 196
Chasen’s, 94, 176, 194
Cheech and Chong Join the Army, 115
Cher, 9, 185, 232
Chesky, Brian, 346
Chiat, Jay, 293
Chiat/Day, 283–84, 286
Chico and the Man, 68
Chiefs, 77
Child, Julia, 169
China, 325–26, 331, 343
Chinatown, 85
CHiPS, 190
Chris-Craft, 23
Christie, Julie, 49
Churchill, Winston, 36
Cieply, Michael, 194
Cineplex Odeon, 150
Circle in a Square (Mangold), 17
Cisneros, Gustavo, 206
Clancy, Tom, 324
Clapton, Eric, 189
Clavell, James, 4, 79–82, 249
Climan, Sandy, 106, 119, 239, 247, 249, 262, 323, 354
Clinton, Bill, 299–300
Close, Glenn, 119, 141–42, 276
Cobb, Lee J., 41
Coca-Cola, 134, 235, 237–38, 241–44, 321
CAA and, 279–94
Cocktail, 5
Coffey, Terry, 287
Cohen, Stephen, 343
Cohn, Gary, 348
Cohn, Harry, 42
Cohn, Sam, 61, 118, 276
Coleman, Dabney, 125
College Football Playoff, 301
Collins, Jackie, 77, 169
Color of Money, The, 5, 143–49, 175
Color Purple, The, 243
Colton, Dolly, 59–60
Columbo, 57
Columbia, 11, 22, 97, 114, 116, 117, 121, 125, 131, 134, 135, 139, 144, 145, 167, 178, 211, 212, 214, 279–80, 284
Sony’s acquisition of, 235–45, 247, 251, 252, 256, 264, 265, 280
Coma, 214
Coming Home, 121
Connery, Micheline, 88, 90, 181, 220
Connery, Sean, 80, 81, 86–91, 93, 94, 98, 176, 184, 196, 214, 220, 224, 272–73
Continental Divide, 126–27
Conversation, The, 273
Convy, Bert, 190
Conway, Ron, 338
Cook, Robin, 214
Cool Hand Luke, 137, 147
Cooper, Gary, 8, 187
Coppola, Francis Ford, 273
Cosby Show, The, 221
Costner, Kevin, 90, 174, 187, 199, 302–3
Council on Foreign Relations, 206
Craig, Scott, 223
Creative Artists Agency (CAA), 1–11, 43, 48, 56, 60, 65, 71, 73–86, 93–101, 103–36, 137–62, 163, 166–91, 193–209, 211–20, 300–302, 305, 309–19, 333, 339, 340, 345, 346, 352–56
AMG and, 335–37
Aspen and, 196
Coca-Cola and, 279–94
corporate plane of, 186
Democratic National Committee and, 299–300
founding of, 11, 64–71, 167, 340, 342, 347, 354
gifts office of, 175–76
headquarters building of, 16, 197–201, 300, 333, 355–56
Intel and, 338
Letterman and, 13–31, 114
and Matsushita’s acquisition of MCA/Universal, 247–66, 295
Meyer’s departure from, 316, 319
MGM and, 272–78
name of, 68, 69
Ovitz’s departure from, 312–20, 333–34
and Ovitz’s position at Disney, 321, 322, 324, 328, 331, 332
and Seagram’s purchase of MCA from Matsushita, 299, 303–7, 312
and Sony’s acquisition of Columbia, 235–45, 247, 251, 252, 256, 264, 265, 280
Tele-TV idea and, 271–72, 324
Young Turks at, 11, 184, 186, 293, 301, 315, 318
Creative Management Associates (CMA), 47, 49, 62, 69, 137
Crédit Lyonnais, 272–76, 278
Crichton, Michael, 214–22, 280, 324
Crosby, Stills & Nash, 167
Cruise, Tom, 5–8, 145–46, 154, 175, 180, 193, 195, 208, 258–70
Cuba, 87
Cue, Eddy, 342
Curtin, Valerie, 97
Daly, Bob, 132, 154–56, 171, 173, 225–27, 321
Dances with Wolves, 174
Dave, 135
Davis, Andy, 225
Davis, Martin, 108, 235, 257, 277
Deadpool, 131
DeMann, Freddy, 170, 171
Democratic National Committee (DNC), 260, 299–300
De Niro, Robert, 83, 134, 146, 151–54, 156–58, 160, 176, 182, 356
De Palma, Brian, 89–90
Departed, The, 158
Depp, Johnny, 190
Derek, Bo, 186
Desperately Seeking Susan, 171
DeVito, Danny, 135, 230
Diamonds Are Forever, 88
Diana, Princess, 221
Dianetics (Hubbard), 193
DiCaprio, Leo, 147
Diesel, Vin, 225
Dill, Laddie John, 163
Diller, Barry, 80, 85, 115, 172, 173, 312, 313, 321, 334
Diner, 5, 84
Directors Company, 273
Directors Guild, 274
Disney, 11, 23, 26, 145, 149, 161, 172–73, 230, 231, 235, 243, 255, 270, 272, 305, 342
Ovitz at, 312, 319–20, 321–32, 333–35
Disney, Walt, 172
Disney World, 199
Donahoe, John, 342–43
Donaldson, Roger, 146
Donner, Dick, 95–97, 131, 289, 291
Dooner, John, 286
Dorsey, Michael, 123
Dorskind, Al, 41, 45
Douglas, Michael, 9, 185, 196, 272
Drabinsky, Garth, 150
Dragoti, Stan, 130
DreamWorks SKG, 161, 320
Dreyfuss, Richard, 7
Dr. Kildare, 81
Dunne, Griffin, 238
DuPont, 296, 306
Durning, Charles, 125
Dusenberry, Phil, 280, 286, 292, 293
Duvall, Robert, 121
Dynasty, 190
Eastman, Andrea, 82–83
Eastwood, Clint, 85, 91, 225
eBay, 342–43
Ebersol, Dick, 25
Edwards, Blake, 79, 186
Erlicht, Lew, 169
Eisner, Jane, 55, 56, 271, 319–20, 328
Eisner, Michael, 11, 26, 55–56, 80, 81, 85, 112, 115, 127–29, 145, 161, 172–73, 196, 199, 218, 231, 232, 235, 243, 270–72, 302, 305, 313, 319–20, 337, 342
and Ovitz’s position at Disney, 312, 319–20, 321–32
resignation of, 331
Tele-TV idea and, 271–72, 324
Elaine’s, 78
Emanuel, Ari, 188, 293, 340
EMI, 290
Enright, Dan, 54–55
Epps, Jack, Jr., 204
ER, 219–20
Esquire, 168–69
Estrada, Erik, 190
Eszterhas, Joe, 211–14
E.T., 125, 256
Evans, Robert, 97
Everett, Chad, 73–75
Everybody Loves Raymond, 30
Facebook, 340, 342
Falk, Peter, 57