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Peter Bart
Editor-At-Large
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Peter moved to Deadline in 2016 from his longtime home at Variety, where he had been a fixture since 1989 as that trade's Editor-In Chief. He began his career as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times before his entry into the movie business, becoming Vice President for Production at Paramount. At that studio, he played a key role in such films as The Godfather, Rosemary’s Baby and Harold & Maude. He later served as Senior Vice President for Production at MGM and, later, as President of Lorimar films. Peter is also the author of nine books, and is a member of PMC's board of advisors.
More From Peter Bart
Peter Bart: Would Hollywood’s Old Guard Tinker With TikTok? Dismiss “Disclaimer’?
David O. Selznick was a demanding producer who often interrupted pitches and then bullied filmmakers once their movies started shooting. I wonder how impresarios of his era — Selznick, Sam Goldwyn or Darryl F. Zanuck — would have coped with the unruly…
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By Peter Bart
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1 Comments Comment on Peter Bart: Would Hollywood’s Old Guard Tinker With TikTok? Dismiss “Disclaimer’?
Peter Bart: Is ‘Saturday Night’ Movie Ready For Theatrical Primetime?
"What is the show?"
That's what a nervous NBC kept asking about its newly conceived Saturday Night Live 50 years ago. Its young producer, Lorne Michaels, never answered. Nor is he likely to now: Saturday Night, a movie about his show, opens wide this week and Michaels says he hasn't found time to see…
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By Peter Bart
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Peter Bart: CNN’S Edgy New Panel Show Seeking To Become Political Snark Tank
News junkies relished the break in pre-election noise this week in celebrating the 25th anniversary of The West Wing, a show that portrayed politicians as "competent and committed."
Aaron Sorkin, its mastermind, might be caught off-guard when discovering CNN's new show, Have I Got News for You, which…
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By Peter Bart
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Peter Bart: Rupert Murdoch’s Legacy At Center Of Family Succession Drama In Reno Courtroom
“The bankers are trying to crunch me. They'll fail.”
Rupert Murdoch looked frazzled but defiant. We were having what was supposed to be a friendly coffee, but this was 2006 and he was under siege from bankers who were trying to cope with his financial…
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By Peter Bart
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Peter Bart: ‘The Apprentice’ & ‘Reagan’ Spark New Political Debate In Hollywood
If the presidential campaign stirs your appetite for still more political noise, here's a quick solution: Catch the new biopics of Donald Trump or Ronald Reagan. Trump calls the movie about him “a hit job”; Reagan likely would find his biopic a sleeper…
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By Peter Bart
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Peter Bart: How The 1968 Democratic Convention Landed The Lead Role In (And Almost Sank) ‘Medium Cool’
"I directed the best political movie never released."
Filmmaker Haskell Wexler thus described Medium Cool, his violent feature set during Chicago's riotous 1968 Democratic National Convention. His movie opened (sort of) exactly 55 years ago this…
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By Peter Bart
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Peter Bart: Will Hollywood’s Cutbacks Inhibit The Comebacks? We’re Nearing The Moment Of Truth
The news of the moment keeps veering between cutbacks and comebacks. Keep your shrink on hold.
Paramount is laying off thousands and closing its TV studio, but Skydance's David Ellison, its new owner, promises that an important new slate is on its way…
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By Peter Bart
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Peter Bart: America’s Pet Obsession Is Turning Movies, TV & Even Photo Shoots Into Real Dog-And-Pony Shows
Not long ago I vowed never to write about dogs or cats. It seems everyone feels compelled to talk about their pets or show us photos. Even movies.
It's on overload: a cat named Frodo is a scene-stealer in A Quiet Place: Day One. She faithfully observes…
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By Peter Bart
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Peter Bart: George Clooney’s Joe Biden Reversal Stirs Both Respect And Angst Among Politics-Shy Stars
It's all about trust. "There is an unspoken trust between fans and the stars they admire, and politics undercuts that trust. That's why politics is off limits to celebrities who have a survival instinct."
That's what one star confided to me on issues…
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By Peter Bart
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Robert Towne Dies: Oscar-Winning ‘Chinatown’ Screenwriter Who Also Penned ‘Shampoo’, ‘The Last Detail’ & ‘Days Of Thunder’ Was 89
Robert Towne, who won an Oscar for his Chinatown original screenplay and was nominated for his Shampoo, The Last Detail and Greystoke scripts, died Monday at his home. He was 89.
PR firm McClure & Associates announced the news on behalf of Towne’s family.
Towne also earned BAFTA, Golden Globe…
Peter Bart: ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ Will Be Netflix’s Latest Triumph, And Contradiction
This week used to be nail-biting time in Hollywood as the studios nervously unfurled their summer blockbusters and prayed for lines at the box office. That time is bye-bye.
To be sure, a few movies are still opening. I decided to drop by one pre-opening…
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By Peter Bart
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Peter Bart: As Hollywood Contracts, The Sports Universe Is Rapidly Expanding In Unexpected Directions
Laurence Fishburne is a talented actor who has played a range of characters from Morpheus to Mr. Clean. The new FX series Clipped offers him yet another unexpected role as an NBA coach who employs force and gravitas in guiding players in combat with the…
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By Peter Bart
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