Lester Persky (July 6, 1925 – December 16, 2001) was an American film, television, and theatre producer.

Early life and career

Born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York, Persky attended

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls nearly 14,000 students on a campus in the Midwood and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn as of fall ...

before serving in the Merchant Navy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After the war, he worked at ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' and later as a copywriter at an advertising agency. Persky later opened his own successful ad agency. In 1964,

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

used some of Persky's collection of old TV ads as part of Warhol's film ''

Soap Opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

'' (1964).WarholStars entry
/ref> As a producer, Persky won a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

for his work on the miniseries '' A Woman Named Jackie''. Persky also attempted to produce a miniseries based on the life of

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

with Terry Moore serving as a consultant.

Death

On December 16, 2001, Persky died of complications following heart surgery in Los Angeles.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Persky, Lester Film producers from New York (state) Television producers from New York City American theatre managers and producers United States Merchant Mariners of World War II Brooklyn College alumni Primetime Emmy Award winners Mass media people from Brooklyn 1925 births 2001 deaths