David Weitzner Courtesy of USC School of Cinematic Arts Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment David Weitzner, a top Hollywood marketing executive who oversaw campaigns for such acclaimed films as They Shoot Horses Don't They, Star Wars, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial and This Is Spinal Tap, has died. He was 86. Weitzner died Sept. 1 at his home in Calabasas, it was announced by the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he spent decades teaching a Business of Entertainment class as an adjunct professor. Raised in New York City, Weitzner began his entertainment career at Grey Advertising in Manhattan, where he rose to vice president and G.M. of its entertainment division and handled the Warner Bros. and ABC Pictures accounts. Related Stories News Political Figures and Hollywood Notables React to Charlie Kirk's Death: "He Was Loved and Admired" News Charlie Kirk, Conservative Leader of Turning Point USA, Killed by Assassin's Bullet at 31 Weitzner was hired away to head worldwide marketing at ABC and Edgar Scherick's Palomar Pictures International, and he steered the campaigns of such films as They Shoot Horses Don't They (1969), Sleuth (1972), The Heartbreak Kid (1972) and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). In 1976, he moved to Los Angeles and became vp worldwide marketing at 20th Century Fox, where he helped oversee the campaigns of blockbusters including Star Wars (1977), Alien (1979) and Breaking Away (1979). He was hired as president of worldwide marketing for Universal Pictures in 1979 and supervised campaigns for movies including The Blues Brothers (1980), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (1982) and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Heading marketing at Embassy Pictures, Weitzner led marketing efforts for Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) and This Is Spinal Tap (1984) and launched Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander (1982), which won the Golden Globe for best foreign film, in the U.S. When Embassy was put up for sale, he briefly returned to head marketing at Fox, where he supervised Romancing the Stone (1984) and Cocoon (1985). Weitzner was tapped as head of worldwide marketing at Jerry Weintraub's new public company Weintraub Entertainment Group, and they acquired Luc Besson's The Big Blue (1988). He returned to Universal as president of worldwide marketing for the MCA/Universal Studios Recreation Services Group, a post he held until 1998. There, he oversaw marketing for the theme parks in Hollywood and Orlando, Universal CityWalk and the Universal Studios Cinemas, then the top-grossing motion picture complex in the U.S. After Universal, he taught that Business of Entertainment class and went on to become a longtime director of the school's summer program and, in 2016, chairholder of the Mark Burnett Endowed Chair for the summer production program. Meanwhile, he was consulting on marketing and strategy for corporate and entertainment clients including Honda Motors, PepsiCo, Philips Electronics North America, the AFI and the Children's Television Workshop. Weitzner advocated on behalf of the Landmark School for the Learning Disabled and was recognized for that by then-Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan. He also was saluted by President Clinton for his efforts on behalf of the Red Cross. A longtime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he served as chairman of the MPAA's Advertising/Publicity Committee from 1979-81. Survivors include his wife, Joan; his children, Jonathan, Dana and Jason; and his grandchildren, Sam, Tyler, and Chloe. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Heat Vision Henry Cavill Injury Pushes 'Highlander' Shoot to 2026 This Is Spinal Tap 'Spinal Tap' Members Recall Reaction When Pitching Original Film: "You've Never Seen More Bewildered Faces in Your Life" Oldenburg Film Festival Guillaume Campanacci Gets Thrifty With Oldenburg's 'The Silent Sinner': "It Was Made for Literally Nothing" Oldenburg Film Festival John Connors' Oldenburg-Bound 'Crazy Love' Keeps Up a Fantastic Run of Form for Irish Cinema: "We Hit Above Our Weight" Oldenburg International Film Festival 'Keep Quiet' Review: A Stellar Lou Diamond Phillips Helps Police Procedural Transcend Genre Clichés Toronto International Film Festival Paul Shaffer to Get Feature Doc Treatment (Exclusive) Heat Vision Henry Cavill Injury Pushes 'Highlander' Shoot to 2026 This Is Spinal Tap 'Spinal Tap' Members Recall Reaction When Pitching Original Film: "You've Never Seen More Bewildered Faces in Your Life" Oldenburg Film Festival Guillaume Campanacci Gets Thrifty With Oldenburg's 'The Silent Sinner': "It Was Made for Literally Nothing" Oldenburg Film Festival John Connors' Oldenburg-Bound 'Crazy Love' Keeps Up a Fantastic Run of Form for Irish Cinema: "We Hit Above Our Weight"