Chuck Wein
Encyclopedia
Chuck Wein was an American
promoter
and manager
of entertainment acts whose celebrity stemmed from his five-year (1964–1969) association with Andy Warhol
and from his discovery of Edie Sedgwick
who became Warhol Superstar
of 1965.
Wein graduated from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School
in 1957 and lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts
where he attended Harvard
, graduating in 1961. A thesis he had written, centering on Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author
, remained as a particular source of pride for him. Continuing to reside in Cambridge, he affected the appearance of an Edwardian dandy, similar to that of the British Teddy Boy
s, was a successful racetrack bettor and lived what was described as a Bohemian lifestyle. In 1963, while at his therapist's office, he met Radcliffe
student Edie Sedgwick and when, upon turning 21 in 1964, she moved to New York
, he went with her and began acting as her promoter. Gifted with a glib vocabulary and blonde good looks, he insinuated himself into Andy Warhol's circle of intimates and, by January 1965, had introduced Edie Sedgwick to Warhol and began regularly taking her to Warhol's studio, The Factory
.
The celebrity-obsessed Warhol and Sedgwick quickly became fascinated with each other and, by the time Warhol invited Wein and Sedgwick to accompany him to Paris in April 1965 for the opening of an exhibition of his paintings, he announced that Edie Sedgwick would be his new "superstar" and the "Queen of The Factory". Wein wrote and became Warhol's assistant director
on Beauty No. 2
, a 65-minute feature which presents a barely dressed Sedgwick in bed with Warhol regular Gino Piserchio
, reacting and responding to the off-screen voice of the never-shown Wein who harasses her with intimate and annoying questions and comments which Piserchio does not seem to hear or be aware of. The film premiered at the Paris Cinémathèque in July 1965, making Warhol and Sedgwick darlings of the international celebrity circuit, with Wein and Piserchio also basking in the spotlight.
The years 1965 and early 1966 represented the peak period for the Warhol-Sedgwick-Wein collaboration, resulting in nine films, but before the end of the year, a disillusioned Edie Sedgwick left Warhol, never to return. Little more than two years later, in the wake of Warhol's diminished activity following his near-fatal shooting by Valerie Solanas
on June 3, 1968, Wein also departed and began traveling the world, with particular emphasis on the Far East
, and managing fringe nightclub acts which usually had some unusual, strange or whimsical characteristics, as well as focusing on the occult
. He can be seen in the 1967 documentary short about Warhol, Superartist and, in 1972, was credited as director of the Jimi Hendrix
concert film Rainbow Bridge.
Although the day and month of his birth have remained elusive (although see the IMDb entry below), Wein would have marked his 68th birthday in 2008, the year he died in Del Mar, California
, fifteen months after the release of Factory Girl
, director George Hickenlooper's cinematic retelling of Edie Sedgwick's (Sienna Miller
) brief life, with particular emphasis on her time with Warhol (Guy Pearce
) and Wein, whose portrayal by Jimmy Fallon
was tepidly noted by critics as being "convincing" and "adequate".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
promoter
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
and manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
of entertainment acts whose celebrity stemmed from his five-year (1964–1969) association with Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
and from his discovery of Edie Sedgwick
Edie Sedgwick
Edith Minturn "Edie" Sedgwick was an American actress, socialite, model and heiress. She is best known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars. Sedgwick became known as "The Girl of the Year" in 1965 after starring in several of Warhol's short films in the 1960s...
who became Warhol Superstar
Warhol superstar
Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life...
of 1965.
Wein graduated from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School
Taylor Allderdice High School
Taylor Allderdice High School, also referred to by the Pittsburgh Public Schools as “Pittsburgh Allderdice” or informally by students as "Dice", is a public high school located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s East End. Allderdice is the "largest of the Pittsburgh Public Schools'...
in 1957 and lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
where he attended Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, graduating in 1961. A thesis he had written, centering on Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author
Six Characters in Search of an Author
Six Characters in Search of an Author is a play by the Italian writer Luigi Pirandello.The play is a satirical tragicomedy. It was first performed in 1921 at the Teatro Valle in Rome, to a very mixed reception, with shouts from the audience of "Manicomio!" .Subsequently the play enjoyed a much...
, remained as a particular source of pride for him. Continuing to reside in Cambridge, he affected the appearance of an Edwardian dandy, similar to that of the British Teddy Boy
Teddy Boy
The British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
s, was a successful racetrack bettor and lived what was described as a Bohemian lifestyle. In 1963, while at his therapist's office, he met Radcliffe
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
student Edie Sedgwick and when, upon turning 21 in 1964, she moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, he went with her and began acting as her promoter. Gifted with a glib vocabulary and blonde good looks, he insinuated himself into Andy Warhol's circle of intimates and, by January 1965, had introduced Edie Sedgwick to Warhol and began regularly taking her to Warhol's studio, The Factory
The Factory
The Factory was Andy Warhol's original New York City studio from 1962 to 1968, although his later studios were known as The Factory as well. The Factory was located on the fifth floor at 231 East 47th Street, in Midtown Manhattan. The rent was "only about one hundred dollars a year"...
.
The celebrity-obsessed Warhol and Sedgwick quickly became fascinated with each other and, by the time Warhol invited Wein and Sedgwick to accompany him to Paris in April 1965 for the opening of an exhibition of his paintings, he announced that Edie Sedgwick would be his new "superstar" and the "Queen of The Factory". Wein wrote and became Warhol's assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
on Beauty No. 2
Beauty No. 2
Beauty No. 2 is a 1965 film by Andy Warhol starring Edie Sedgwick, Gino Piserchio, and Chuck Wein.-Synopsis:The movie has a fixed point of view showing a bed with two characters on it, Sedgwick and Piserchio. Chuck Wein is heard speaking but is just out of view...
, a 65-minute feature which presents a barely dressed Sedgwick in bed with Warhol regular Gino Piserchio
Gino Piserchio
Eugene "Gino" Piserchio was an American actor, composer and musician. Piserchio appeared in two Andy Warhol films including Beauty No. 2, opposite Warhol Superstar Edie Sedgwick....
, reacting and responding to the off-screen voice of the never-shown Wein who harasses her with intimate and annoying questions and comments which Piserchio does not seem to hear or be aware of. The film premiered at the Paris Cinémathèque in July 1965, making Warhol and Sedgwick darlings of the international celebrity circuit, with Wein and Piserchio also basking in the spotlight.
The years 1965 and early 1966 represented the peak period for the Warhol-Sedgwick-Wein collaboration, resulting in nine films, but before the end of the year, a disillusioned Edie Sedgwick left Warhol, never to return. Little more than two years later, in the wake of Warhol's diminished activity following his near-fatal shooting by Valerie Solanas
Valerie Solanas
Valerie Jean Solanas was an American radical feminist writer, best known for her attempted murder of Andy Warhol in 1968. She wrote the SCUM Manifesto, which called for male gendercide and the creation of an all-female society.-Early life:Solanas was born in Ventnor City, New Jersey, to Louis...
on June 3, 1968, Wein also departed and began traveling the world, with particular emphasis on the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, and managing fringe nightclub acts which usually had some unusual, strange or whimsical characteristics, as well as focusing on the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
. He can be seen in the 1967 documentary short about Warhol, Superartist and, in 1972, was credited as director of the Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
concert film Rainbow Bridge.
Although the day and month of his birth have remained elusive (although see the IMDb entry below), Wein would have marked his 68th birthday in 2008, the year he died in Del Mar, California
Del Mar, California
Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...
, fifteen months after the release of Factory Girl
Factory Girl
Factory Girl is a 2006 American biographical film based on the life of 1960s underground film star, socialite, and Warhol Superstar Edie Sedgwick. The film premiered in Los Angeles on December 29, 2006.-Plot:...
, director George Hickenlooper's cinematic retelling of Edie Sedgwick's (Sienna Miller
Sienna Miller
Sienna Rose Diana Miller is a British-American actress, model, and fashion designer, best known for her roles in Layer Cake, Alfie, Factory Girl, The Edge of Love and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. In 2007, the London Film Criticsnamed her British Actress of the Year for Interview...
) brief life, with particular emphasis on her time with Warhol (Guy Pearce
Guy Pearce
Guy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor and musician, known for his roles as Leonard Shelby in Christopher Nolan's Memento, Lieutenant Ed Exley in L.A...
) and Wein, whose portrayal by Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
was tepidly noted by critics as being "convincing" and "adequate".