Smokey and the Bandit Producer Clinton Advance Man – The Hollywood Reporter

Mort Engelberg, who was a producer of films including Smokey and the Bandit And Big easy Before moving into politics as the “advance man” for Bill Clinton and other presidential candidates, he died Saturday in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 86 years old.

“He was a wonderful person, a wonderful husband. He loved the film industry, and he loved working with President Clinton,” said his wife, Helen Platt. Hollywood Reporter. “He told the best stories of anyone I’ve ever met, and the best jokes.”

Born and raised in Memphis, Engelberg graduated from the University of Illinois and then spent a year working toward a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri. He left school before completing that degree and worked as a journalist for a few years before moving to Washington in 1961 to work for Sargent Shriver, the director of the then newly formed Peace Corps, and later followed Shriver to the Office of Economic Opportunity. Headquarters for President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.

But when the Vietnam War began to pull funding away from Johnson’s programs, Engelberg left politics, moved to New York and took a job at MGM in 1967. He moved to United Artists, where he assisted on several James Bond films. The studio later moved him to its Los Angeles office, where he worked as assistant to the head of production.

Engelberg eventually moved into a producing role, working on a film Smoker Film starring Burt Reynolds, 1986 big easy, Starring Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin, alongside Steve McQueen the hunter (1980).

His other credits include 1985 Heavenly child; the 1979 Dom DeLuise comedy “Hot Stuff”; 1987 Maid to order And Three for the road; And 1988 Night of Terror, Part Two. He was an executive producer in the 1980s remote control And They were neighborsWhich was his last film.

In 1984, he turned to politics in a big way, volunteering as a front man — someone who campaigns for political candidates, scouts campaign stops, generates large crowds and makes sure events go unhindered — for Walter Mondale’s presidential bid. in 1984 and again in Michael Dukakis’ presidential bid in 1988.

Although neither won their campaigns, in 1991, Engelberg again volunteered as a front man, this time in the presidential campaign of then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, which he would go on to win. He continued to work with Clinton in his second presidential campaign as well as in the post-presidency.

He traveled extensively with Clinton. “He loved this guy,” Platt said, noting that he never got paid for his campaign work. “He was always a volunteer. He always said, ‘They can’t fire me.’

In 1992, he was asked why he switched from making films to devoting himself to the grueling schedule of a political campaign. Tell Los Angeles Times He found the work “therapeutic” and a “wonderful break” from the entertainment industry.

“For one thing, it’s not entirely altruistic,” he said. “Los Angeles is a one-industry city, and everything here is ‘How did your picture do’ or ‘How did your friend’s picture do’ or ‘Are you going to make this deal or that deal?’ You have one member of the film industry and that’s you. Whereas in “Politics – and I know this sounds pretentious – but politics is about something. Choosing the next president, that’s very important.”

Years later, he was asked again about his role in politics, noting how much he enjoyed his work.

“It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s a lot of fun,” Engelberg said. New York times in 2016. “It’s something I’ve really loved over the years.”

Until his death, Engelberg would tell anyone who asked about retirement that he was not retired: “He would say he was a producer,” Platt said, noting his love of Hollywood.

In 2016, he married Platt, his old love, after 26 years of dating, when he was 79 years old. He said: Well, we will get married, but not a wedding. It was a little party with all my girlfriends,” she recalled fondly.

The couple had no children. In addition to Platt, Engelberg is survived by his brother and “best friend” Steve Engelberg; Niece Lisa Pahlberg. and nephew Danny Engelberg.

Boris Kett contributed to this report.