And from our Showbiz Family Ties files: Brad Grey’s son gets a job ... in Hollywood

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It’s hardly a surprise to learn, via this blog post, that Brad Grey’s son, Sam, has landed an entry level mailroom job at the top-flight Management 360 firm. There is no older tradition in Hollywood than the practice of studios, agencies and management firms giving out jobs to the sons and daughters (though still mostly the sons) of the powerful insiders who run the business. It’s a tradition that was already well established even before the arrival of color film. According to Management 360, Sam got the job all on his own, without any calls on his behalf from his father, who is the studio czar of Paramount. Apparently Sam’s academic credentials were impressive, as was the fact that he had ‘a great chat’ with his new bosses about Preston Sturges, the brilliant 1940s-era filmmaker who is obscure enough today that I bet I could call up half a dozen young managers right now and not find anyone who could name two of his films. (The great ones, by the way, were made at Paramount.)

But what wasn’t mentioned in the original story was the part of the story that everyone’s talking about. If there was any kismet in the whole affair (to use one of Sturges’ favorite words), Sam would’ve taken a job not at Management 360 but at Brillstein Entertainment Partners, the management and production company that had many of its banner years under the leadership of .... Brad Grey. In fact, the firm was long known as Brillstein-Grey until Grey sold his interest in the company in 2005 when he left to run Paramount. It would have been a nice completion of the circle of life to see Grey’s son working his way up at his father’s old company.

Only one problem. When Grey left the firm, there was so much bad blood between Grey and his old partners that they couldn’t wait to rename the company. By calling it Brillstein Entertainment, they are honoring the name of Bernie Brillstein, who founded the company decades ago and was one of the most beloved, larger-than-life characters in the business until his death in 2008,

I guess it might have taken even more than just some nice family connections to get someone named Grey a job at Brillstein. But who knows? If Sam has some real moxie, maybe he can talk someone into remaking ‘The Lady Eve,’ my favorite Preston Sturges film. It would be a nice start for another smart young fellow making his own way in the wonderful world of showbiz.

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