Rensin and Brillstein

LA Observed author David Rensin was on a book tour-vacation when Hollywood manager and producer Bernie Brillstein died, but I for one have been anticipating David's reaction. He helped Brillstein write the 1999 memoir, �Where Did I Go Right: You�re No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead.� They followed up a few years ago with �The Little Stuff Matters Most: 50 Rules from 50 Years of Trying to Make a Living." Well, David is back and remembers his friend in an exclusive piece at Native Intelligence. Excerpt:

Doing the first book was a Hollywood education for me, a master class taught by the master. And for Bernie it was a way to confront the depression and find his place after a divorce that included him selling his half of the company to Brad Grey and �no longer being king.�

And then it was a rebirth. Great reviews. Much love. A new wife that was, finally, the right match. ("One out of four. I'm batting .250" he'd say. "Very respectable.") And the book was acknowledged as a mile wide and more than the standard inch-deep package of Hollywood glad-handing and self-aggrandizement. Bernie let it all hang out, including starting the book with a story about going to the proctologist in 1955. That he began there let readers know they were in for a ride. And even better, instead of being humiliated at opening his eyes from a cold sweat and discovering his mother, father, aunt, and uncle unexpectedly appearing in the doctor�s office while he was lying sideways on the exam table, pants off, knees to his chest , tube up his ass � he went back to the office and told everyone. That was Bernie. If you have a great story, tell it.

Good day at Native Intelligence: Adrienne Crew spots an entrepreneurial tribute to Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac in the Crenshaw area.