Larry Auerbach, a top agent at William Morris Agency for nearly 50 years who also served 25 years at USC School of Cinematic Arts, died Nov. 23 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 95.
Auerbach represented a wide range of talent during his 47 years with William Morris, including Alan Alda, Bea Arthur, Marlo Thomas, Robert Wagner, Aaron Spelling, Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Harry Belafonte and such prestige-movie directors as Norman Jewison and Bernardo Bertolucci. Auerbach worked his way up to a leadership role at the agency after starting there in New York at age 15, working part-time while in high school sweeping floors and doing other less-than-glamorous duties during World War II.
After ending his WMA career in 1992, Auerbach segued to USC film school, where he used his matchmaking skills to create the Office of Industry Relations. He retired from USC as associate dean and head of student-industry relations in 2018. At the time of his retirement, Auerbach expressed gratitude for his long career in entertainment and how it enabled his second act in education.
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“We did some marvelous things in Industry Relations. We helped every student that came to us who wanted to work and wanted to make something of themselves. Some of them made it big. It was fun,” Auerbach said. “When I first came here, I thought I had bigger plans. I was wrong. It turned out to be paradise. I’ve had two jobs in my life and 72 consecutive years of work.”
Auerbach’s impact on USC’s program was immeasurable, said Elizabeth M. Daley, dean of USC School of Cinematic Arts.
“He had an indescribably profound impact on helping generations of students and alumni develop meaningful careers and understand the industry they wanted to join,” said Daley. “He was a friend and valued mentor, loved by us all, and his spirit will infuse the school long into the future. He cared about each and every one who walked through his door, be they an aspiring young person or a faculty or staff colleague who was seeking his advice and wisdom. For all those years, we so often said to one another when trying to make a decision, ‘Well, just ask Larry.’ I will miss him and know that my life and the lives of so many here at USC are richer because he was with us.”
A native of Brooklyn, Auerbach worked his way up the agency ladder and became a full-fledged tenpercenter by the age of 19. He broke in as a personal appearances rep, setting up nightclub gigs for comedians and musical acts. But given the times, in the immediate aftermath of World War II, Auerbach left the agency in his early 20s for a two-year stint in the U.S. Army.
When he returned, Auerbach lauched WMA’s rock music department. Auerbach managed to book the first and last national TV appearances for Elvis Presley — his world-shaking 1956 debut on CBS’ “The Ed Sullivan Show” and his career-redefining 1968 comeback special “Elvis” for NBC. Both events endure as legendary moments in the history of music and TV.
Auerbach then turned his attention to film, steering the motion picture division for William Morris in New York. He helped assemble such notable pics as the Oscar-winning “The French Connection” (1971), “In the Heat of the Night” (1967), “Fiddler on The Roof” (1971), “Moonstruck” (1987) and “Last Tango in Paris” (1972). He eventually moved to Los Angeles and became head of the television department. He worked closely with stars and producers of such mega hit 1960s and ’70s series as “Sing Along with Mitch,” “The Patty Duke Show,” “That Girl,” “The Mod Squad,” “Chico and the Man,” “Welcome Back, Kotter” and daytime soaps “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” In the mid-1980s, he helped WMA score a massive payday by packaging “The Cosby Show,” a smash hit for NBC that featured a star WMA client at the time, decades before Bill Cosby was destined to face criminal prosecution and civil ligitation over allegations of sexual assault stretching back to the 1960s.
Auerbach’s influence at WMA was strong into the 1980s and ’90s. Aaron Kaplan, a WMA alumnus turned producer, was among those who learned the ropes of cutting deals and keeping clients on top in TV from Auerbach.
“We have lost a true Hollywood legend. Larry Auerbach was one of the architects of the television business and of the agency business. He was a fierce advocate for his clients and his colleagues and later his students,” Kaplan said. “He started teaching me how to sell television in 1991 and was my mentor for over 30 years. Larry’s legacy lives on in those of us whose lives he changed.”
Bryan Lourd, co-head of CAA, called himself “one of those lucky people” who is able to call Auerbach a mentor.
“Larry Auerbach was one of the greats. He touched so many people’s lives — great artists like Norman Jewison, Alan Alda, Bernardo Bertolucci, Robert Wagner and Bea Arthur to name a few,” Lourd said. “He mentored hundreds of young people who were drawn to film and television. He changed so many people’s lives for the better.”
Auerbach’s wife of 56 years, Carole Auerbach, died in 2010. He is survived by three sons, David, a former Warner Bros. and Telepictures programming executive; Bruce and Stephen; six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
(Pictured: Larry Auerbach with George Lucas and USC’s Elizabeth M. Daley in 2011.)
