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Movie mogul Lew Wasserman dead at 89

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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 3 (UPI) -- Lew Wasserman, one of the last of the powerful and politically connected Hollywood movie moguls, died Monday from complications of a stroke. He was 89.

Wasserman died at home, said Sue Fleishman, spokeswoman for Universal Pictures.

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Wasserman was a key player in the development of MCA Inc., into one of the most powerful entertainment companies in the world, largely through its movie and TV production arm, Universal Studios. He also was something of a father figure -- some said a "godfather" figure -- to generations of entertainment industry professionals including Steven Spielberg.

Born in Cleveland on March 15, 1913, Wasserman worked as a candy butcher in a burlesque theater before he was a teenager. He worked for a time as a movie theater usher, then managed a nightclub -- where he met Edith Beckerman, a clothing store clerk who became his wife in 1936.

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The same year, he was named national advertising manager of Music Corporation of America, a talent-booking agency at the time. He was named president of the company in 1946 and oversaw the acquisition of Universal Studios.

Long after the sale of MCA in 1990 to the Japanese electronics firm Matsushita for $6.6 billion -- a transaction that netted Wasserman an estimated $350 million -- he retained his aura as one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry.

He remained in place to oversee the operation until Seagram Co. bought the company in 1995. He retired, but retained the honorary title of chairman emeritus and held a seat on the company's board of directors until 1998.

During Hollywood's periodic bouts of labor trouble, Wasserman was frequently called upon to bring together labor and management to reconcile their differences to protect their mutual interests.

He was widely credited with coining the phrase -- still currently in use across the Hollywood negotiating table -- "There is a deal to be made here."

Wasserman rose from publicist to studio mogul, largely avoiding the spotlight along the way. He and the late founder of MCA, Jules Stein, built the company into an entertainment powerhouse -- producing and distributing movies, TV shows, home video and records.

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Universal hits included the "Back to the Future" trilogy starring Michael J. Fox, "Jaws" and "Backdraft." The studio lot in Hollywood has been used to film scenes for such classic movies as "The Sting," "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Phantom of the Opera."

The studio has turned out countless hours of TV programming -- including "Miami Vice," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Leave It to Beaver" and "The "Twilight Zone."

The Universal Studios back-lot tour grew into the Universal Studios theme park business -- with parks in Hollywood, Orlando and Osaka, and the Universal Mediterranean resort in Tarragona, Spain.

Wasserman received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award -- one of the top honors given by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences -- in 1974.

He was a major contributor to, and fundraiser for, the Democratic Party. In 1996, his name was on a list of 75 major donors who were invited to spend a night at the Clinton White House.

Wasserman was also a long-time friend of former U.S. President and Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan, and a member of the board of directors of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

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Former first lady Nancy Reagan issued a statement Monday recalling Wasserman as a trusted adviser to the former president for more than 60 years.

"Lew was Ronnie's first agent in Hollywood and they became fast friends," she said. "He gave Ronnie some of the best advice in the business."

Wasserman's friendship with Reagan was the main subject of a controversial 1986 book by investigative reporter Dan Moldea, "Dark Victory: Ronald Reagan, MCA and the Mob." The book is an examination of so-called sweetheart deals between MCA and SAG during Reagan's presidency of the actors' union.

It also documents a series of associations among Wasserman, reputed organized crime figure Sidney Korshak, various union leaders and political figures including Republicans William French Smith and Paul Laxalt, and Democrats Paul Ziffren and former California Gov. Jerry Brown, who is mayor of Oakland, Calif.

Screen Actors Guild Executive Director Robert A. Pisano issued a statement recalling Wasserman as a master negotiator who played a key role in the collective bargaining process in Hollywood for more than 50 years.

"He was tough but fair," said Pisano, "and above all, if he gave you his word, he kept it."

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Pisano extended SAG's "deepest condolences" to Wasserman's widow, Edith, and their family.

California Gov. Gray Davis recalled Wasserman as "a giant" in the entertainment industry.

"In an industry replete with creative forces and talented people, he was a visionary," said Davis. "For decades, he was the Democratic Party's most important business leader who cared deeply about the future of our state and our nation. For more than 25 years, I counted on his wisdom and counsel, and I will always be grateful for it."

Davis and his wife Sharon extended their "deepest sympathies" to Wasserman's family.

John McLean, executive director of the Writers Guild of America, west said Wasserman was a Hollywood executive who could be trusted.

"Lew Wasserman was more than a Hollywood icon," said McLean, "he was, quite simply, a man of his word. For decades, all artists have known his handshake could be trusted. He will always be respected and missed."

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