Producer Jerry Weintraub Dies At 77

By Krishnadev Calamur / NPR

Published July 6, 2015 at 2:08 PM PDT

This story was published more than 9 years ago.

Jerry Weintraub, the legendary producer behind such hits as The Karate Kid and Ocean's Eleven, died Monday in Santa Barbara, Calif. He was 77.

The cause was cardiac arrest, according to Rogers & Cowan, the PR firm.

Weintraub began his career as a talent agent for MCA in the 1950s, representing clients such as Jack Paar. He then became a leading concert promoter, handling acts like Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. His first production venture was Robert Altman's Nashville, which garnered five Academy Award nominations.

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"I'm not afraid of anything," Weintraub told NPR in a 2010 interview. "I'm never afraid of failing. I failed many times. Failure only teaches you how to be successful next time."

Here's more from Hollywood Reporter:

"A promoter and impresario in the old sense, Weintraub was a larger-than-life, Damon Runyon-esque character. A steely, hard-charging personality, he was wildly successful in a ranging entertainment career that spanned over 50 years."