Bernard Weinraub

Bernard Weinraub
Born 1939
New York City
Residence Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
Occupation Journalist, playwright
Spouse(s) Amy Pascal
Children 3

Bernard Weinraub (born 1939) is an American journalist and playwright.

Early life

Bernard Weinraub was born in 1939 in New York City.[1][2] His parents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.[2] He graduated from the City University of New York (CUNY) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.[2] He worked as a journalist in Korea during the Vietnam War.[2]

Journalism

He worked as a reporter for The New York Times.[3] He started as a courier in his twenties, eventually working as a correspondent in Saigon, Belfast, New Delhi and London.[2][3] From 1991 to 2004, he wrote articles about the film industry.[2] In 2003, he admitted to committing plagiarism.[4] He apologized, explaining, "It was stupidity."[4]

He resigned in 2005, publishing a scathing article about Hollywood, including personal attacks against film executives Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Ovitz.[5][6] The article also highlighted the huge wealth gap between journalists and actors in Hollywood.[5] It went on to suggest that actors and producers were out of touch with reality, and that they were hypocritical about climate change.[5] Meanwhile, he was replaced by David Halbfinger.[7]

Theatre

As a playwright, he published his first play, The Accomplices, in 2007.[2][6] It talked about the refusal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration to admit more Jews during World War II despite their persecution and genocide in Nazi Germany.[2] The play was performed both in New York and Los Angeles.[2] It was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.[2] However, it received a bad review from The New York Times.[6]

His second play, out in 2014, was Above the Fold.[2][6] Based on the Duke lacrosse case, it shows the struggles of an African American journalist who realizes the scandal is phony while covering it.[2][6] It premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California.[2][6] It was directed by Steven Robman and the lead actress was Taraji P. Henson.[1] The play received a bad review from The Los Angeles Times.[8]

Personal life

He has been married twice.[3] He has two children from his first marriage.[3] He met Amy Pascal, a movie executive, at The Peninsula Beverly Hills in 1996; they got married in 1997.[1][3][6] They have a son.[3] They reside in Brentwood, a Western suburb of Los Angeles, California.[5]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Robert W. Welkos, Bernard Weinraub explores media frenzy in 'Above the Fold', The Los Angeles Times, January 29, 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 Naomi Pfefferman, Bernard Weinraub: When the news is not fit to print, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, January 31, 2014
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Nikki Finke, Bernard Weinraub calling it quits at The New York Times, LA Weekly, July 22, 2004
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jack Shafer, The Case of the Pinched Copy, Slate, November 13, 2003
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Bernard Weinraub, 14 Years Later, My Hollywood Ending, The New York Times, January 30, 2005
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Jordan Riefe, Journalist-Turned-Playwright Bernard Weinraub Previews His Play 'Above the Fold', The Hollywood Reporter, January 29, 2014
  7. ↑ Sheelah Kohlatkar, Times Hollywood Guy Replacing Weinraub Is David Halbfinger, The New York Observer, February 28, 2005
  8. ↑ Charles McNulty, Review: 'Above the Fold' lacks credibility, subtlety, The Los Angeles Times, February 6, 2014