tonight, he sold elvis to the masses, staged sinatra's comeback, and has the biggest stars on his speed dial. >> george clooney, brad pitt, julia roberts. read it. >> larry: when celebrities want something done, he's the man. hollywood producer, power

player. >> i'm a go-to guy. >> larry: and ultimate show business insider, jerry weintraub. >> i call my own shots. i do what i want to do. >> larry: next on "larry king live." >> larry: what a pleasure to welcome to "larry king live" for the full program tonight the legendary jerry weintraub. hollywood producer, talent promoter, and author of a terrific memoir. i read it and could not put it down. it's "when i stop talking you'll know i'm dead." it's a hell of a book about a hell of a life written with my old friend rich cohen who wrote "the great tough jews." why did you write this? >> i wrote it now because i'm 72 and because my life has been pretty extraordinary and i wanted to leave a legacy and my story behind for my children, my

grandchildren, my great grandchildren, and i wanted it in my words and i wanted it to be -- i didn't want anybody else writing it. i wanted to write it. >> larry: on your driver's license it says occupation. >> yeah. >> larry: what are you? >> concierge. well, i get up in the morning. the first 50 e-mails, can you get me, can do you it, can you get me a room in vegas, get my kid into sanford, get me into cedars, into mayo clinic, can you call so and so? my rolodex and my contacts around the world are unbelievable for all these years. >> larry: are you a guy that makes things happen? >> i'm a go-to guy. i make things happen. >> larry: how does one become a go-to guy? >> just happened in my life. i think it happened -- it was extraordinary. it started probably because my dad was in the jewelry business and he -- >> larry: in brooklyn? >> he was in new york in

manhattan and he started when he was 14 years old. and he went on the road. and he met people. and people liked him. and he wasn't afraid to be with people even though he was a jewish kid from brooklyn. he was not afraid to go out there and do what he had to do. and he did everything. and he came up with this idea for a stone -- he bought a star sapphire called the star of artieband. he named it the star of artiband and it was worth very little money. >> larry: but it had a name. he named it. >> larry: smart. >> he took it on the road. and he took it from town to town. he left grand central station or penn station, grand central i think, and went across the united states, and he had that star. and every time he arrived at a train station he had a brinks truck and he took that star, which was worth nothing, very little money, and took it to a hotel in the brinks truck and took it to a room and he invited all the jewelers in town.

the jewelers came up to look at the star of artiband and they bought everything else he had in the place. so he sold them like crazy. but it was an event. he made an event out of it. i think that's what taught me about events. i really do. as i go back in life and i think about where he was, sinatra, and presley, and ledd zeplin and the movies, it all came from that because i made an event out of everything in my life. everything i touched and everything i did. >> larry: you are the trigger right? you're the contacter of sinatra and presley. you make it happen. >> yes, i did. >> larry: now they come to you. >> they did then. after elvis. elvis was the first one. and he came to me and i made a deal with him. i went to him. it took me a year to get him. i called colonel tom parker. that was his manager. >> larry: i interviewed him once. >> did you? >> larry: tough guy. >> tough guy.

i called him every day for a year, larry. i had a dream one night. >> larry: who were you then? >> i was nobody. i was a little manager, a little manager, and i was married at the time to jane morgan the singer who i'm still married to. >> even though you live with another woman. >> i live with another woman. married for 48 years. >> larry: you'll never leave her. >> never leave her. we decided to stay married. she is very, very close to my girlfriend. they're great friends. i live with another woman for the past 20 years in beverly hills. they lunch together. they have dinner together. we vacation together. we go to family functions together. they're great, great buddies and they exchange gifts. >> larry: an amazing story. back to presley. >> yes. >> larry: all right. you have to go through the colonel right? >> yes. called him every day. i had this dream. i wrote down jerry weintraub represents elvis at madison square garden. woke her up. she said are you crazy? it's 3:00 in the morning.

you get up at 4:30 anyway. sleep for another hour and a half. i said i can't. >> larry: and you were not known at the time. you were just a hustler. >> i was not known, didn't know elvis, and didn't know the colonel. i called the colonel that morning and i called him every day for a year. >> larry: never returned the call? >> spoke to him every morning. >> larry: oh, you did speak to him. >> we became great friends on the telephone. and every day i said to him, i want to take elvis presley on tour. every day he said, no. and every day i said, no, you don't understand. i want to take him on tour. i said, i understand but i don't know who you are, i don't know where you came from, and if elvis does go on the road, it's not going to be with you. it's going to be with other people, people i owe dates to. he said, elvis doesn't work. elvis is retired. i said well he's going to come out of retirement and when he does i'm going to take him on the road. no you're not. this went on every day. >> larry: was he doing movies then? >> yeah. this went on every day. after 364 days i got a phone call from him.

and he said to me, you be in las vegas tomorrow. bring $1 million. i'll be at the international hotel. bring me the million dollars and we'll do a deal. you can have my boy and you can take him on a tour. and i said, okay. no problem. now, i didn't have a million dollars. and when i was that age, i was a kid. i was a baby. i thought that rockefeller had a million dollars. vanderbilt had a million dollars. i didn't know what a million dollars was. but i said okay. i'll meet you there tomorrow. >> larry: what did you do? >> well, there was a lot of people in new york who used to say to me, you know you're a smart kid. you're going to do very, very well. when you come up with a great deal, come to me and i'll help you. get you some money. help you. do whatever. i went to every one of those people. not one gave me a nickel. not one. >> larry: none of them. >> i called an attorney. i went to vegas. >> larry: with no money. >> no money.

i got to vegas and there was a message waiting for me that there was a guy in seattle, washington who i should call who loved elvis presley and owned radio stations. i said, fine. i'll give him a call. called the guy up. guy named lester smith. got on the phone. i told him what i wanted to do and he said to me, okay. he said that sounds like a -- what are you going to do with the million dollars? i said i'm going to take elvis on tour. and he said to me, well a million dollars is a lot of money. what do i get for the million dollars? i said, you get 50% of my concert company. he said, 50%? i said, yeah. 50%. he said, for how long? i said forever. you got 50%. now i made a very good deal because i didn't have a concert company so i wasn't really giving him -- >> larry: he made a good deal too. >> yes he did. >> larry: the elvis presley performance that rocked the concert world, next.

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>> he has a cowboy hat on and a cigar and takes me up to his room and we sit down and make a deal. i didn't know how to make a concert deal. i didn't know anything about concerts. >> larry: how were you making a living? >> i did some shows at the brooklyn paramount and i did some shows here, little shows here and there. i did some stuff at that time with the four seasons who were just starting and jane and joey bishop and johnny carson. >> larry: small town guy though. >> yeah. i was small -- yeah. i had great acts. anyway, i had this -- i knew this was all going to happen. and i, when i sat down with him to make the deal, i didn't know how to make a deal. but neither did he because elvis hadn't done any concerts and nobody had done concerts in arenas. >> larry: elvis just worked hotels and movies? >> there was nobody in arenas. he had done concerts as a kid on

the back of a truck but nobody had done basketball arenas or hockey arenas. that was me. i started it. i said to him, i'll make any kind of deal you want, colonel. what do you want to do? he said i don't know. what do you want to do? this went back and forth. he finally said to me, how about 50/50? i said 50/50 is always good. that's good. he said 50% for elvis and me and 50% for you. is that okay? i said, yeah. sounds good to me. well, three weeks later, larry, i was a multi-millionaire. and i was the biggest thing in show business. >> larry: advanced tickets. >> yeah. >> larry: how long did it take to book a tour? >> i booked the tour. it took me about four weeks to get it started and i didn't know what the hell i was doing. i started the tour in miami beach, florida. i ended it in san diego. that's how dumb i was. >> larry: why is that dumb? because i could have gone to places that were closer. i didn't have to go across the whole united states in three weeks. but i took it, the first date

was in miami at the miami beach convention center. >> larry: know it well. i remember that night. i remember that day. he flew in and then helicoptered over to the beach. >> exactly. and we stayed at the fountain booth in those days. >> larry: right. >> i had 10,000 seats at the miami beach convention center and elvis told me when i first met him -- >> larry: which was in vegas? >> vegas. he said to me, i have two requests. only two requests. i don't care about the money. i don't care about anything. i care about every seat in the building being full. if every seat in the building is full, don't put the big shots in the front rows. first 20 rows, i want my fans. i need them. that's what makes me work. it makes me feel good. it makes me sing better. do those two things for me and the rest of it's up to you. you can do whatever you want. >> larry: you remember the ticket prices? >> yeah, $10 tops, $7.50 in the middle, $5 in the balcony.

>> larry: true or false? elvis was a gem of a guy. >> true. and so was the colonel. a gem of a guy. and the colonel didn't steal from him. the colonel was a good guy. i know. i was there. he made some bad deals but he didn't steal from him. >> larry: yeah. >> and i walked into the box office. i had sold out the night show of 10,000 seats. and they convinced me to do a matinee. i went to elvis. i said -- elvis said sure i'll do a matinee. i'll do anything. do a morning show. i don't care. fill the seats. i said okay. so i put the matinee on sale. now you've been to miami july 4th. >> larry: i lived there 20 years. >> i know. even the alligators leave on july 4th. >> larry: right. >> nobody hangs around. it's humid. it's terrible. there's no joe stone crib. there's nothing to do july 4th in miami. >> larry: right. >> everybody leaves. but i had 10,000 seats sold and they told me i could sell a matinee. called them up, three days after i put the matinee on sale and i said how am i doing?

sold out. i said i'm sold out? you're sold out. i said, great. when i got to florida, i went directly to the convention center. i walked in the box office and i saw all of these tickets, racks and racks of tickets. and i said to this guy, what are those? what is -- what are those? he said to me, it's tickets for the matinee. i said, how many tickets? he said 5,000. i said, you told me we were sold out. this show is tomorrow. what the hell are you talking about? no. i grabbed this guy by the collar. i could have killed him. it was like i was back in the old neighborhood on the corner. could have killed this guy. i said you're going to ruin my career. it'll be over. he said, no, no, no. that's it. there's 5,000 seats. i walked back into the arena. elvis was doing a sound check. i grabbed the colonel. and you interviewed the colonel so you know that he was a tough guy. >> larry: don't grab him. >> i walked up to him and i

said, colonel, we have a problem. he said we do? i said yeah. he said what is it? i said i got 5,000 seats left for the matinee. he said, son, we don't have a problem. you have a problem. and i walked out of the convention center and right next door to the convention center is the miami beach police station. and i walked in there and i found a warden, the jail was there, the whole jail, and i found the warden and i said, i got a problem. i need some help. what's the matter? i said, i need to take 5,000 seats out of the miami beach convention center for the matinee show with elvis. >> larry: because he won't play to an empty seat. >> right. then i need to put them back for the night show. he said, well that's no problem. you got some money? i gave him some money. he gave me all the prisoners. the prisoners came into the convention center. >> larry: this is by the way just a sample of what's in this book.

the stories are endless. the way he puts movies together. sinatra. we'll have that story. but you will not put it down. sinatra, clooney, pitt, and roberts. jerry knows them all. that's ahead. because of one word, imagination and reality have merged.

because of one word, a new generation-- a fifth generation-- of fighter aircraft has been born. because of one word, america's air dominance for the next forty years is assured. that one word... is how.

it should be noted this isn't the first time somebody tried to put jerry weintraub's feet in cement. >> larry: your father took you out to l.a. when you were 9. you were at the chinese theater and now you've got a hand print. >> that trip was incredible. and the first thing i did because i loved the movies so much, i just loved movies, the first thing my dad, first place he took me was the chinese theater. i put my hands in the hand

prints and my feet in the foot prints of actors of the time, errol flinn, melvin douglas, blah, blah, and when my hands and foot prints were put in front of the chinese theater and i'm the only producer in front of that theater and i looked up at that hotel, i swear to you i could see my mother and father standing at the window. i could see them. i got tears in my eyes. and i looked down and i put my feet in there and i said, i looked and i said oh, god, thank you. it was beautiful. >> larry: before we get to sinatra, the oceans movies. >> yeah. >> larry: by the way, a couple weeks ago, jerry did "the new karate kid" you produced that and it's your biggest opening ever. >> yeah. crazy. i did the original "karate kid" 30 years ago. 30 years ago. and this one i didn't want to do because "karate kid" is part of my legacy.

when you go through all the films i've made and all the things i've done that's one of the most important films i ever made so i didn't want to mess around with it. will smith came to me and he said to me, i want to do "karate kid" with my son, jaden. he's a karate kid. he loves karate. and i know he'll be great. he's a terrific actor, terrific kid. i said, will, i don't want to do it. i don't want to mess with it. it's a piece of my history. i don't want to mess around with it. it's iconic. pat morita did a fantastic job. he was great. he was up for an academy award. i said ralph macchio was iconic. i don't want to mess with it. he said i do. i really do. he talked to me every week, every week with his partners. >> larry: so he promoted you. >> big time. he and his partners came to me over at sony pictures and they

convinced me we should do this. >> larry: and did a good thing for you. >> the picture is unbelievable. >> flow with my movement. connect to the energy around you. >> i kind of just want to learn the cobra thing. >> cobra takes a lifetime. it requires -- >> but i'm hungry. oh, my god. >> your focus needs more focus. >> $56 million. my biggest opening before that for a weekend was $39 million with oceans. >> larry: i want to ask you about oceans. >> yeah. >> larry: years ago frank sinatra and his gang made "ocean's 11" a great movie, angie dickinson, dean martin. >> i was there. >> larry: how did you do "ocean's 11" with clooney and brad pitt? >> i was hanging around vegas in those days and i knew those

guys. i wasn't working with them but i knew i'd end up working with them, i saw "ocean's 11" and i didn't think it was great. i knew it could be better. i knew i could -- >> larry: working at the sands at night and shooting during the day. >> that's why. there was a lot of laughter on the set. a lot of parties. a lot of booze. and a lot of fun. you know, guys hanging out. a lot of camaraderie. i knew i could create that again and create it better and do a better story. >> larry: how many years later? >> the story was great. i did it in 2001, the first one. i did three of them. 11, 12, and 13. the first one i shot in 2000. so that's ten years ago. it was -- we just put together a great cast. >> larry: who did you get first, clooney? >> clooney was first. >> larry: he played the sinatra part. >> and then brad pitt came in to play dean. not to play dean but to -- and

then don cheadle and then matt damen and just went from there. julia roberts did the angie thing. we just mixed it up. we sent julia roberts a letter to be in the movie with a $20 bill and in the letter we said, we understand you get 20. so we sent her a $20 bill. the point was that they all did this movie for half price, less than half, actually, and a very big back end. they all made an absolute fortune on the movie, as i did. yes i did. and it was great. and it was great for all of us. great for them. great for me. and we had a wonderful time together and great camaraderie and lots of fun and it was just as much fun as the guys had on the first one. >> larry: which actually led to 13. >> yeah, 11, 12, 13. yeah. made all three of them. no 14. no 14. >> larry: pacino was a villain.

garcia, andy. >> that's right. >> larry: they said in the last one it looked like they were having more fun than making a movie. >> we had a lot of fun. i created it, an atmosphere for them, and for myself, to go to work every day. i built a restaurant and a bar and we ate there together every day. we hung out there. i had limousines come so we could drink at night after work and take them home. >> larry: how about dealing, though, and you have an affinity for this, with egos and superstars? >> well, on oceans, on the oceans movies, i can only speak for my movies, first of all, i've never had that problem with any star, and i've worked with the biggest, most important stars in the world. >> larry: ocean's 11, 12, and 13 with george clooney and brad pitt. that's next. . gecko: quite impressive, yeah. boss: come a long way, that's for sure.

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>> i'll take it from here. >> may i ask who you are, sir? >> you better swear me in. you'll never believe it. >> do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? >> so help me, me. >> soap you, you? >> if it pleases the court, and even if it doesn't please the court, i'm god, your honor. >> larry: who came up with the genius? >> you know, it's a great story. carl rhyner and i are very dear friends. carl rhyner directed "o god" for me in 1974. >> larry: one of the great lines in the history of movies. george burns says to the guy who is playing i guess the number one minister. >> yeah. >> larry: why don't you sell shoes? >> in fact he suggested that you sell shoes.

>> larry: i love that. >> you know, there was no -- when carl did "o god" for me, he was 50. >> larry: and john denver. >> yeah, with john. it was a great movie and it was a big surprise to everybody just like this new "karate kid" is a big surprise to everybody. and it was a big smash hit. i'm going to remake it now. it's a big, smash hit. and rhyner wasn't signed to do "ocean's." alan arkin was supposed to be god in "o god" not george burns. when i got the property, i wanted george burns. and i paid alan arkin his full salary, i think, i can't remember, but i'm pretty sure i did. he's a great actor. i just wanted burns. burns to me was god. i loved burns. and burns was 80. i couldn't get him insured. i had to self-insure him.

the studio was going crazy. but i self-insured him. i said, burns is god. he is god. the only problem i had with him being god was he had to wear a toupee. i said you cannot wear a toupee, george, and be god. god would not run around in a toupee. can't imagine that. so if you notice in "o, god" george always had a hat on. >> larry: correct. >> a cowboy hat, a baseball cap. >> larry: every time you see him. >> always a hat. that's because of the toupee. >> larry: how do you get him for "ocean's?" >> well, arkin was signed to do "o, god" and i got rid of arkin at the time. didn't get rid of him. i asked him to step aside for george which he did gracefully. years go by and i always remembered i owed alan arkin one. we get to the "ocean's" thing and i said i got a great idea to play sol. he said who? i said alan arkin. he's great.

he said great. i love him. sign him. great actor. signed arkin. two neets before we're getting ready to shoot i get an emergency phone call. arkin is in the hospital. gallbladder or something. had something removed. in the hospital. and i don't know who should -- who should do the part. so i said, i got one great idea. i think it'll work. i said who? i said, carl rhyner. again, carl rhyner and alan arkin. they were great, close friends. i called rhyner. it was 11:00 at night. went over to his house. beverly hills. went in. he had guests in the house, mel brooks was there, a couple other people. he said -- he said, what is it, jerry? what's so important? i said i need to talk to you right away. i got a script i want you to read. he said well when does it start? i said, two days. he said who fell out?

i said alan arkin. he's in the hospital. he's sick. he said, come on, jerry. i said, read it. it's george clooney, brad pitt, matt damon, don cheadle, julia roberts. read it. you're going to like it. >> say we get into the cage and through the security doors there and down the elevator we can't move. and past the guards with the guns and into the vault we can't open. say we do all that. we're just supposed to walk out of there with $150 million in cash on us without getting stopped? >> yeah. >> oh. >> larry: frank sinatra made history with his main event concert. comeback and triumph, next. you should talk to the specialist. the specialist? he compares rates side by side. you could save hundreds. it's easy. great. okay, pickles! do your thing.

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you're a legend. you do know that. >> i don't know about legend. i mean, everybody's a legend. if everybody were really legends there would be no normal people in the world. everybody would be a legend. >> larry: you know you've gone beyond. you're in another ballpark. >> yeah, i agree with that. and there's a very good chance that i probably should have gotten out by now. but i enjoy it. >> larry: okay. sinatra.

>> yeah. >> larry: you booked ole blue eyes is back, madison square garden. how did you do it? you didn't know frank. >> i knew frank. i knew him but not knew him, knew him. i got a phone call from him one day, from him directly. and he said to me, i want to go back to work. >> larry: he was retired. >> retired. he said i want to go back to work. i want to have a meeting with you. when he called, i didn't believe it was him. you know? i idolized him. the greatest in the world. there was nobody better. i watched your show the other night. i've seen your show so many times. you interviewed him. i love it. i got this call from him. my secretary said frank sinatra is on the phone. i said, yeah. no. it's one of my friends. who is it? frank sinatra is not calling. yes, he's on the phone. pick up the phone. he said, jerry, frank sinatra. i said, how you doing, mr. sinatra? no, no, no.

call me frank. then when we get to know each other you call me francis but right now you call me frank. >> larry: that's the way he feels >> he said i want to have a meeting. he said. great. let's have it right now. i said terrific. come on over. he said no come over here. i said where are you? palm springs. i said i'm in los angeles. he said yeah. you go out to santa monica airport. my plane is waiting. it'll bring you down to palm springs. >> larry: that's the way he was. >> come over to the house and we'll talk. went down to palm springs, walked in the house, we sat down, we had a drink, he told me what he wanted to do. he said you think you can pull this off? i said absolutely. >> larry: what did he want to do? >> he wanted to do a concert to start someplace important. i started it at carnegie hall. that was the first place we played. then i took him on a tour in arenas. he wanted to do what elvis did. he was very smart, frank, as you remember. he knew. he said to me after we finished

talking, okay. we're going to do this deal. i said great. he said do you have anything, any questions? i said, yeah, one question. he said, what is it? i said the question is, i understand sometimes that you don't show up for shows. and i'm a young kid and i'm making a lot of money and i'm really doing well and my career is just starting to really hit it on all cylinders and if you don't show up, it's going to hurt me. and i don't want to do that. and he said to me, are you crazy? you remember he used to stare at you. boy, he could stare at you. he stared at me and he looked at me. you must be crazy talking to me like that. nobody talks to me that way. he says, that's crazy. why would you ask me a question like that? i said, because that's what i heard. and you asked me if i had any questions. that's my question. he said, okay. here's what we're going to do. we're going to make a deal. the deal is as follows.

number one, you're going to call me francis from now on because we're friends. and number two, we're never going to disappoint each other. i'm never going to disappoint you. and you're never going to disappoint me. is that a deal? i said, yes. he said, great. we're in business. and he never disappointed me. >> larry: the first thing you did was? >> carnegie hall. >> larry: but you also did madison square garden, right? >> i did. that was later on. >> larry: and the strangest thing about that was he wouldn't rehearse? >> because i told him, no rehearsals. it was my fault. it wasn't his fault. it was my fault. i called him one day. >> larry: that was also a comeback. that was television, howard cossel, abc. >> to a man who bridged four generations and somehow never found a gap. hello everyone. i'm howard cosell. >> larry: ole blue eyes is back. >> the main event. and he was upset -- >> larry: in the ring.

>> in the ring. he was in vegas. and he was upset. he called me up very early in the morning like 9:00 in the morning, which for him is when he goes to sleep. he called me up. i knew he was drinking. and i knew he was smoking. and i knew he was unhappy. he said to me, jerry, i can't do this anymore. i can't go down. i can't sing these songs anymore. i've had it. i've done it. i've done it all. i got to quit again. i got to get out of this racket. i can't do it. i can't do it. i said, frank, stop it. you're the greatest perform inner the world. no, jerry. i said, frank, i'll be right there. i jumped on a plane. on my plane. went up to vegas. >> larry: now your plane. >> my plane. went up to his roof top at cesar's palace. i went up to the roof top and he had a swimming pool and sitting in the room in that sweater he used to wear. >> larry: the m & m candy. >> exactly and he's drinking

jack daniels and smoking a cigarette and he says to me i can't do this anymore. i said, frank, you've got to stop this. you're talking crazy. he said to me, i don't like it. i need something new. i need something to get my juices going. i said i got it. i got it. i got it. he said what is it? i had nothing. he said i got it. i said we're going to do madison square garden. he said we've done madison square garden. you sold it out for me ten times. that's nothing new. i said the way we're going to do it is new. i said we're going to do the main event. i was in boxing in those days. i said we're going to do the main event at madison square garden. what's the main event? i said you. you're the heavyweight champion of the world. i want to get cosell. he's going to announce it. he's going to say jerry weintraub presents sinatra live in the main event, madison square garden.

he said to me, sounds great. i said no rehearsal. no rehearsal. i said no. why? what else are you going to do? i said we're going to do this around the world, put it on television in every country in the world. ♪ that's this chick is a tramp >> you are? i said yeah we'll make a record that night too. now i'm on a roll. i keep going at him. we'll do a cd, a record, a dvd, whatever you can do. we'll film it. make a fortune that night. he says, i love it. great. let's do it. let's do it saturday. i said, no, saturday -- he was a little quick. i said, francis, i can't do it saturday. i need a few months to set this up. >> larry: one of the biggest nights of frank sinatra's career about to be broadcast to millions. and music is the last thing on frank's mind. that incredible story, next. a fantastic opportunity to get a great offer

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as so many champions have walked before. ♪ i've lived a life that's full traveled each and every highway more more than this i did it my

way ♪ >> larry: we're back with jerry weintraub. in 1974, sinatra was about to come back at madison square garden. jerry put the main event together, and it wasn't easy. >> i called abc. and i made a deal with them to do this. we went into new york and i was rehearsing for a week. i had 300 people on the crew. rollin olidge had monday night football and he had monday night football cameras and the monday night football cameramen and i knew that they could capture this live electricity that was in the air. i needed that. and i said -- told them no rehearsals. the fact, i needed them to -- they had to go to commercial six times. i kept calling them at the

waldorf. staying at the waldorf towers. i called him up. he wouldn't take my call. a kid came into the garden brought me a list of songs. not one sinatra song. can you imagine frank sinatra going live around the world singing "crocodile rock"? when i got this list, i ran over to the waldorf, went past the security, went past the -- i walked in the room. he was reading the newspaper and i said to him, frank, what the hell are these songs? and he said to me, what do you mean? i said, this list of songs, there's no sinatra songs on it. he said, jerry, i just wanted to see you and i didn't want to come over to you. you told me no rehearsal. i said but frank? he said i knew if i sent that over, you would be here in a minute. just tell me what's wrong? i said i have to go to commercial six times, frank. he said i'll be over there. 20 to 8:00, rides into madison

garden, jane is in the backseat, barbara is in the backseat. gets out of the car. do me a favor. i said what? he said i want you to get me on -- when "my way" starts get barbara and jane and put them in the car because i got to go to patsy's and pick up some pizza so we have something to eat on the way to palm springs. that's what was on his mind. pizza from patsy's. on my mind was the x millions of people that was going to watch this show. >> larry: unbelievable. where was the band? >> right next to the stage, next to the ring. it was a boxing ring. it was electric, larry when he walked in. >> larry: 1974, right? >> yes, 1974. we came out of the dressing room. i did it like a heavyweight fight. i'm on one side. 25 people were pushing us through the curtain. we got to the curtain and he looked up at me -- he was shorter than me.

he looked up at is me and said kid, are you okay? i said no. he said what's the matter with you? i said i think my career is over. commercial six times. what are you going to do when i go to commercial? he said i'm going to be singing a song? i said what are you going to do when i come out of commercial? i'll be singing a song. i said what if it's not the same song? he said it's live. don't worry about it. it's going to be great. then he pinched my cheek, larry, right before he went out, pinched me like that. he said to me, listen, kid, you got me into this and i'm going to get you out of it. >> larry: and what a night. ♪ and did it my way >> larry: can you imagine michael douglas playing liberace and matt damon as his lover?

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jerry weintraub is -- >> he's a puncher. >> he is a rare bird. >> he's a lot of things to a lot of different people. >> he's ringling brothers, barnum & bailey. >> tough as nails but has a mushy marshmallow center. >> he doesn't have a filter. he'll say i woke up this morning and my balls ache. you're like, you know my grandmother? >> he's a force, a force of nature. >> one lucky [ bleep ] [ bleep ]. >> he puts on a really big show. cannot help himself. he can't help it. >> that's a clip from "his way" a documentary about jerry weintraub that's still in production. speaking of still in production, he never stops. jerry, what are you going to do now? going to keep making movies? >> no, this -- well, i have this

documentary out. i'm making liberace, the story of liberace next year. michael douglas is liberace, matt damon is his boyfriend. soderburg is the director. >> larry: who is the brother? >> i don't know. >> larry: george. >> george liberace. >> larry: great casting. who is going to sing? >> that's another story. i don't know. michael. >> larry: are you going to let him lip sync? >> we could do that. the piano playing was -- people don't realize that liberace was a great musician. not a good musician. he was a great pianist. that's what it's really about. >> larry: nothing slows you down, right? >> no, i don't ever want to slow down. >> larry: you never think not working? >> work to me is a vacation. i call my own shots. i do what i want to do.

i have a great time every day. i enjoy -- i had a tough year last year. 2009 was not a good year for me. i almost died. i had an infection. i was laying in bed and i thought i died. i saw that light and i floated out the window, the whole deal. >> larry: you did? >> yeah, i did. i really did. and i was always afraid of death until that happened. when it happened, my doctor said to me, say good-bye to your family. we can't -- it's over. and i came to peace with it. my rabbis were there, yelling, screaming out the window, don't take him. don't take him. i floated out the window. i saw that light that everybody talks about. i don't know if i really saw a light or it's something that's been suggested to me so many times over the years, but i did float out the window and i think i saw the light and i floated back and i woke up. so, this is a great year. >> larry: thank god. your lips to god. >> thanks for having me. >> larry: what a man. what a book.