Enter the Dragon producer Fred Weintraub has died aged 88.
The industry veteran suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, with his daughter Sandra confirming to Deadline Hollywood that he sadly passed away at his house in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on 5 March (17) from complications of the condition.
Born in New York, Weintraub maintained a strong link to the city as he grew up, and opened The Bitter End coffee house an music venue there in the early 1960’s.
He and the venue were responsible for helping to launch the careers of stars including Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell, and Weintraub also hosted a weekly television show there, titled Live at the Bitter End.
Weintraub moved on from the venue in the late 1960’s, when he landed the job of Vice President of Creative Services at Warner Bros., and also served on the Board of Directors. Among his first projects was documentary Woodstock, over which, his daughter said, Weintraub threatened to quit the board unless he was allowed to film the movie.
Following his success at Warner Bros., Weintraub formed his own production company, through which he developed Bruce Lee‘s cult classic Enter The Dragon – the film that was responsible for making Lee a world-famous martial arts star.
During his career, Weintraub produced more than 40 movies and television films, including Tom Horn, which starred Steve McQueen, and Battle Creek Brawl, Jackie Chan‘s first American movie. His memoir, Bruce Lee, Woodstock and Me, was published in 2011.
Weintraub is survived by wife Jackie, children Sandra, Barbara, Max and Zachary, as well as four grandchildren.
