Larry Brezner

Lawrence Ira "Larry" Brezner (August 23, 1942 – October 5, 2015) was an American film producer, most notable for producing films such as Good Morning, Vietnam, Throw Momma from the Train, and Ride Along.

Life and career

Born in the Bronx in New York City in 1942,Steve Chawkins: [http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-larry-brezner-20151010-story.html Larry Brezner dies at 73; movie producer and manager of top comic actors.] In: Los Angeles Times, 10. October 2015 Brezner studied at the University of Bridgeport and St. John's University from which he graduated with a Masters in Psychology. He then was a teacher at an elementary school at PS 47 in the Bronx before he moved on to the entertainment industry. In 1974 he opened a night club in Manhattan, where he met the producer Jack Rollins.{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/containers/fix071/793044/000110465905034260/a05-13666_1ex99d1.htm |title=Leading Hollywood Management Firm Joins CKX |publisher=Securities and Exchange Commission |date=27 July 2005 }} In the same year he joined the company of Rollins & Charles H. Joffe with Buddy Morra and was their partner in the late 1970s. After Rollins and Joffe withdrew from the company, he, Buddy Morra, David Steinberg and Stephen Tenenbaum formed a new company, MBST Entertainment, Inc. (Morra Brezner Steinberg & Tenenbaum). His first wife was the singer Melissa Manchester; they met when she performed at his club, and Brezner managed her career during their seven-year marriage.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/larry-brezner-dead-manager-producer-830109|title = Larry Brezner, Veteran Manager and Producer, Dies at 73|website = The Hollywood Reporter|date = 6 October 2015}} His second marriage to Bett Zimmerman also ended in divorce.Margalit Fox: [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/12/movies/larry-brezner-hollywood-manager-of-star-comics-is-dead-at-73.html Larry Brezner, Hollywood Manager of Star Comics, Is Dead at 73.] In: The New York Times, 11 October 2015

From the mid-1980s, Brezner served as the executive producer for various comedy specials on US television. Brezner also managed the careers of artists such as Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Martin Short, Bette Midler and many other comedic talents.

In 1981 his first film project was the original Arthur, his first project as film producer in 1984 was Throw Momma from the Train. This was followed by Good Morning, Vietnam, The 'Burbs, and The Vanishing "Krippendorf's Tribe", "The Greatest Game". In 2014 he produced the comedy Ride Along. His final project, Ride Along 2, was released in January 2016.{{cite news|last=Kroll|first=Justin|title='Ride Along 2′ to Bow on Martin Luther King Weekend 2016|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/ride-along-2-to-bow-on-martin-luther-king-weekend-2016-1201132334/|accessdate=14 March 2014|newspaper=variety.com|date=13 March 2014}}

He died in Duarte, California in October 2015 from leukemia, which was diagnosed a few months earlier. Brezner is survived by his third wife, Dominique Cohen-Brezner, and two daughters, Lauren Azbill and China Brezner.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/larry-brezner-dead-robin-williams-billy-crystal-1201612119/|title = Larry Brezner, Longtime Manager and Producer, Dies at 73|date = 7 October 2015}}

Selected filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

=Film=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Credit ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Notes
1981	Arthur	Executive producer	{{center\|Uncredited}}
rowspan=2\| 1987	Throw Momma from the Train
Good Morning, Vietnam
1989	The 'Burbs
1990	Coupe de Ville
1992	Passed Away
1993	The Vanishing
rowspan=2\| 1994	Angie
Clifford
1998	Krippendorf's Tribe
2000	The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave		Direct-to-video
2001	Freddy Got Fingered
2002	Sorority Boys
2004	The Last Shot
2005	The Greatest Game Ever Played
2011	Arthur
2014	Ride Along		Final film as a producer
2016	Ride Along 2		Posthumous credit

;Thanks

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

1992

Crossing the Bridge

Thanks

=Television=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Credit ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Notes
1980	Good Time Harry	Executive producer
1981	The Acorn People	Executive producer	Television film
1982	The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour	Executive producer
1984	Billy Crystal: A Comic's Line	Executive producer	Television special
1985	Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas	Executive producer	Television special
rowspan=3\| 1986	Robin Williams: Live at the Met	Executive producer	Television special
The Young Comedians All-Star Reunion	Executive producer	Television special
But Seriously, Folks	Executive producer	Television short
rowspan=2\| 1987	On Location: Women of the Night	Executive producer	Television special
The 11th Annual Young Comedians	Executive producer	Television special
1988	The 12th Annual Young Comedians Special	Executive producer	Television special
1990	Good Grief	Executive producer
2008	Little Britain USA	Executive producer