How a Hollywood Producer Learned All About
Packaging and Hype from His Dad the Jeweler

'When he was a boy, his father, Samuel, a jeweler in the Bronx, bought the largest star sapphire in the world. 'A piece of junk,' says Jerry (his son). Then Samuel named it: the Star of Ardavan. He packed the Star in a special case and carried it by train around the country, touring it as his son would later tour Sinatra. The diamond men came out to see the star, a treasure from the East. And, while they were busy seeing, he was busy selling them everything else in his bag. 'When the tour was over, he donated the star to the Smithsonian,' Jerry told me. 'It's still there.' So here is Jerry Weintraub's foundational myth--where the producer learned the art of packaging.'
--from a profile of movie producer Jerry Weintraub in the current issue of Vanity Fair, the annual Hollywood issue. The author also obtained a memorable quote about his subject from actor George Clooney: "He's a hurricane. the barometer changes when he enters the region."