Stars honour producer Weintraub

2009-12-11 19:06

Beverly Hills - The A-list dinner party drew top performers and singing legends.

George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bruce Willis, Larry David, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie gathered around Jerry Weintraub's table at the posh Unicef Ball in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel ballroom Thursday night to honour the legendary producer's philanthropic work.

Clooney presented Weintraub with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award, named after the late singer-actor.

"When it comes to charities, nobody guilts better," Clooney joked about Weintraub to the crowd.

Weintraub's wife, singer Jane Morgan, serenaded her husband with the tunes Ten Cents a Dance and Big Spender as hundreds of attendees noshed dessert: chocolate lava cakes and waffle cone sundaes.

Humanitarian organisation

Other performers at the benefit included Tony Bennett, Frankie Valli and Paul Anka, who rewrote the lyrics to Frank Sinatra's My Way in Weintraub's honour.

Born in the Bronx in 1937, Weintraub began working in show business in the 1950s and '60s, managing musical acts such as John Denver, The Four Seasons and The Moody Blues.

He went on to produce Hollywood films like The Karate Kid and Oh, God! Weintraub produced all three of the Ocean's Eleven movies starring Clooney, Pitt and Damon.

"When Unicef came to me, and my friends came to me and asked me to do this, I said I will do it because of the crazy things going on in the world, and the help that we can give," said Weintraub, who co-founded the non-profit humanitarian organisation Not On Our Watch Foundation with Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Don Cheadle and human rights lawyer David Pressman.

During the event, Pitt and Jolie held their position at Weintraub's table while Damon, Willis and David mingled with other guests, including Dustin Hoffman and Jeremy Piven.

Other celebrities in attendance at the Unicef Ball included Selena Gomez, Suzanne Somers, Alyssa Milano, Dolph Lundgren, Ellen Barkin, Mario Lopez and Benji and Joel Madden.

- AP