Sidney Sheinberg facts for kids

Sidney Jay Sheinberg (born January 14, 1935 – died March 7, 2019) was an American lawyer and a very important leader in the entertainment world. He was the President and CEO of MCA Inc. and Universal Studios for more than 20 years.

Early Life and Learning

Sidney Sheinberg was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on January 14, 1935. His parents, Tillie and Harry Sheinberg, were immigrants from Ukraine and Poland.

In 1955, Sidney graduated from Columbia University. He then went to Columbia Law School and earned his law degree. He received high honors from the law school, including the Medal of Excellence.

A Career in Movies and TV

In 1958, Sheinberg moved to California. He started working in the entertainment business in 1959. He joined the legal team at Revue Productions, which later became Universal Television. In 1962, he helped with MCA's purchase of Universal.

Discovering Steven Spielberg

Sheinberg is famous for discovering director Steven Spielberg. In the late 1960s, Sheinberg saw Spielberg's first short film, Amblin. He was so impressed that he signed Spielberg, who was only 20, to a 7-year contract in 1968.

Sheinberg famously told Spielberg, "Many people will support you when you succeed. I will support you even if you fail." This showed how much he believed in Spielberg.

Leading Universal Studios

In 1971, Sheinberg became the president of Universal Television. By June 1973, he was elected President and Chief Operating Officer of MCA, Inc. and Universal Studios. He worked closely with Lew Wasserman, another powerful leader.

Together, they changed Universal from a smaller studio into a major force in Hollywood. They helped Universal become known for big movies, not just TV shows.

Blockbuster Movies

Under Sheinberg's leadership, Universal released some of the highest-earning films of their time. Many of these were Universal/Spielberg projects:

• Jaws (1975)
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Jurassic Park (1993)

When Jaws was being made, it went over budget. Sheinberg stood by Spielberg, and the movie became a huge success. It helped create the idea of a "summer blockbuster."

Other successful films he supported include Schindler's List (1993) and Back to the Future (1985). Sheinberg once wanted to change the name of Back to the Future to "Space Man From Pluto," even though the movie had nothing to do with space!

Sheinberg also played a key role in getting Schindler's List made. He sent Spielberg a book about the Holocaust and agreed to make the film. However, he asked Spielberg to direct Jurassic Park first. Spielberg later said Sheinberg knew he wouldn't be able to make Jurassic Park after directing the serious film Schindler's List.

Schindler's List was made with a small budget because movies about the Holocaust were not usually expected to make a lot of money. Spielberg did not take a salary for the film. However, it became a box office success and is now seen as a very important movie.

Music and Other Ventures

Sheinberg also saw opportunities in the music industry. He led MCA Music Entertainment (later Universal Music Group) to buy Motown in 1988 and Geffen Records in 1990.

In 1982, Universal sued Nintendo over their game Donkey Kong, claiming it was too similar to King Kong. However, the court found that Nintendo did not break any rules. It was also shown that Universal knew King Kong was available for anyone to use.

Sheinberg left Universal in July 1995. After that, he produced several movies through his own company, The Bubble Factory.

Awards and Honors

Sheinberg was involved with many important groups. He served on the board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees for Pitzer College and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. He was the Vice Chairman of Human Rights Watch.

He received many awards for his work and his support of civil rights. These include:

• The John Jay Award from Columbia College in 1981.
• The American Jewish Committee's Human Relations Award in 1982.
• The Humanitarian Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1983.
• The Pioneer Of The Year Award from the Motion Picture Pioneers in 1984.
• The rank of Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government in 1984.
• A Lifetime Honorary Member of the Directors Guild of America in 1989.
• The Medal of Honor from the American Academy of Achievement in 1994.
• The GLAAD Media Award in 1996.

In 1995, he and his wife received the Humanitarian Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

A street on the Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles was named Sheinberg Place in his honor on February 4, 2008.

Personal Life

Sidney Sheinberg married actress Lorraine Gary in 1956. They had two sons, William and Jonathan. He started The Bubble Factory with his sons in 1995.

Death

Sidney Sheinberg passed away in Beverly Hills, California, on March 7, 2019. He was 84 years old and had Parkinson's disease.

See also

In Spanish: Sidney Sheinberg para niños