The Last Mogul (2005) (TV)

Director:

Barry Avrich

Writer:

Barry Avrich (writer)

Release Date:

24 July 2005 (Canada)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Tagline:

Scandal. Power. Corruption. Finally, a true Hollywood story.

Plot:

A biography of powerful Hollywood agent and executive Lew Wasserman. |

Plot Keywords:

TV Special

Cast

Irving Azoff	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lucille Ball	...	Herself (archive footage)
Peter Bart	...	Himself
Norman Brokaw	...	Himself
David Brown	...	Himself
Helen Gurley Brown	...	Herself
David Carr	...	Himself
Johnny Carson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jimmy Carter	...	Himself
Charles Champlin	...	Himself
George Christy	...	Himself
Kaye Coleman	...	Herself
Janet De Cordova	...	Herself
Al Dorskind	...	Himself
Garth H. Drabinsky	...	Himself
Dominick Dunne	...	Himself
Robert Evans	...	Himself
Zsa Zsa Gabor	...	Herself (archive footage)
Leonard Goldberg	...	Himself
Wendy Goldberg	...	Herself
John Grabowski	...	Himself
Merv Griffin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jay Kanter	...	Himself
Larry King	...	Himself
William Knoedelseder	...	Himself - author
Sid Korshak	...	Himself (archive footage)
Kay Kyser	...	Himself (archive footage)
Alan Ladd Jr.	...	Himself
William Link	...	Himself
Henry Mancini	...	Himself (archive footage)
Walter Matthau	...	Himself (archive footage)
Michael Ovitz	...	Himself
Sal Pisello	...	Himself (archive footage)
Suzanne Pleshette	...	Herself
Sydney Pollack	...	Himself
Frank Price	...	Himself
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Marvin Rudnick	...	Himself (archive footage)
Al Setnick	...	Himself
Kathleen Sharp	...	Herself
Neil Shee	...	Narrator
Violet Spevak	...	Herself
Steven Spielberg	...	Himself (archive footage)
Richard Stavin	...	Himself - US Justice Department
Jules C. Stein	...	Himself (archive footage)
James Stewart	...	Himself (archive footage)
John Sweeney	...	Himself
Jack Valenti	...	Himself
Edie Wasserman	...	Herself
Lew Wasserman	...	Himself
Richard D. Zanuck	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Lew Wasserman: The Last Mogul (Canada: English title) (working title)
The Last Mogul: Life and Times of Lew Wasserman (USA) (long title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual references.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Melbar Entertainment Group

If Wasserman was truly amazing, this documentary doesn't reflect that.

Had I been a personal friend of Lew, I am sure this biography would have meant a lot more. I viewed this documentary as part of a film festival, and I suppose that meant I was expecting a little bit more. But I did not get more in any sense of the word.

My knowledge of the man before I saw this film was limited to his name and existence as an influential person in Hollywood, and now I still know little else. What information I did gather felt similar to an hour long Biography special on A&E. If he truly was an amazing man with enough history and intrigue to warrant a 2 hour documentary, then the director did not do justice to this character.

The film consisted largely of the friends/ co-workers speaking out about Wasserman, but after one introductory title informing me who the friends were, the director assumed I would recognize the face and relationship through to the end... I think a lot of tension and importance was lost on me because I did not understand the value of the praise etc given.

I believe this would have been best viewed on TV on a rainy Sunday afternoon.