Gary Weis facts for kids

Gary Weis is an American filmmaker. He is famous for making many short films for the TV show Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s.

Weis also helped create the documentary Jimi Hendrix (1973). He co-directed All You Need Is Cash (1978), a funny movie about a band like The Beatles. He also directed Diary of a Young Comic (1979) and 80 Blocks from Tiffany's (1979), a documentary about gangs. In the 1980s, he directed popular music videos for Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" and George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set on You."

Weis's Early Career in Film

Gary Weis started his career working behind the scenes. He was a cameraman for the 1970 Rolling Stones concert film Gimme Shelter. Weis said this was a very scary day at work.

Making the Jimi Hendrix Documentary

In 1973, Weis helped make the documentary Jimi Hendrix. He was a co-producer and also in charge of the film's visuals. Weis said he wasn't a big fan of Jimi Hendrix at first. But working on the film made him appreciate the musician's talent.

Directing for Saturday Night Live

Gary Weis directed over 45 short films for Saturday Night Live (SNL). These films aired in 1975 and 1977. He started as an assistant director. Then, he became the main director for the show's short films. This happened after another director, Albert Brooks, left the show in 1976.

Full-Length Films for SNL

NBC asked Weis to direct some full-length films. These films would air when SNL was on summer break. The first film was All You Need Is Cash (1978). This movie was a funny, fake documentary about a band. Weis produced and co-directed it with Eric Idle, who also starred in the film.

Next, Weis directed Diary of a Young Comic (1979). This was a funny movie about Hollywood. It starred comedian Richard Lewis. Weis decided to cast Lewis after seeing him perform live. Weis also directed Steve Martin's comedy special A Wild and Crazy Guy in 1978.

Documenting the South Bronx

Later, Weis filmed the documentary 80 Blocks from Tiffany's. This film showed the lives of gang members in the South Bronx. At that time, the South Bronx had a lot of crime and rundown areas. The documentary was made for NBC, but it was not shown on TV. Weis explained that NBC was worried about legal issues.

80 Blocks from Tiffany's first showed at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 1980. It was later released on home video in 1985. The film became very popular over time. It was re-released on DVD in 2010.

Directing Music Videos

In the 1980s, Gary Weis directed many music videos. He directed videos for The Bangles' songs "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Walking Down Your Street." He also directed videos for Howard Jones' "Everlasting Love" and 38 Special's "Back Where You Belong."

Famous Music Videos

His most well-known music videos include Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al." In this video, Chevy Chase pretends to sing the song. Paul Simon sits next to him looking unimpressed. Weis also directed the video for George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set on You." In this video, Harrison sits in a chair while objects in the room come to life and dance to the music.

Gary Weis's Filmography