Jay Weston
| Jay Weston | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brooklyn, New York |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Weston Begelman (m. 19??–19??) |
Jay Weston is an American film producer and restaurant critic. He is known for producing Billy Wilder's final comedy, Buddy Buddy, and the Academy Award-nominated "Lady Sing The Blues," as well as for his popular restaurant newsletter that focuses on the Los Angeles dining scene. He is a regular contributor to the HuffingtonPost/Los Angeles blog.
Weston grew up in a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. Weston graduated from New York University in 1949. While serving in the army during the Korean War, he was editor of a military newspaper, The Hialean, that received numerous prestigious recognitions, including three Army Commendation Medals.
Before working in film, Weston worked as a newspaper columnist and as a public relations executive. His first entertainment job was as a Broadway press agent.
When he returned to New York from the war in 1953, he started his career in public relations, in which he founded one of the largest PR firms in the country at that time. He also played a prominent role in Cinerama Inc., the company that created the Cinerama widescreen film process. Weston worked at Cinerama for a decade.
His years at Cinerama gave Weston a deeper love and appreciation for film, which led him to write The War Horses, a screenplay that was subsequently purchased by film producer Joseph E. Levine, a story about how the Boer War of Afrinca was won by the British by remounting their cavalry on American cow ponies. It was to star Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and John Wayne. Although the script was never produced, Weston's passion for film continued and he went on to create his own independent production company.
Weston became head of ABC's feature film division, Palomar Pictures, in 1967, where his first project became They Shoot Horses, Don't They? The film went on to be nominated for eight Academy Awards and win one. Weston then co-produced For Love of Ivy, the first major studio production to star two black actors (Sidney Poitier and Abbey Lincoln).
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