Producer / Writer / Financier
“It is too easy not to be in production.” This infamous quote from Golden Globe Nominee Edward Bass is proven by his uncanny ability to have independently financed five pictures in the span of two short years.

Bass’ challenging life has provided him with the insights, drive and creativity to enjoy and excel in the challenges of the film industry. His films, documentaries and plays have all been as complex and diversified as his real life. He has been called an opinionated and determined producer, descriptions evident in his incredible knack for choosing the right actors for the right roles and projects, over and over again.

Bass’ indoctrination to the entertainment world began early in life when his family, between ski trips and weekends in New York and Vacations in Las Vegas, arranged backstage visits with notables such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Milton Berle (an artist he would later go on to manage) and Harry Belafonte, who taught him how to water ski at Lake Mead. In his years at Beverly Hills High School, his home was always a place for impromptu get-togethers and concerts.

Edward Bass, Producer, Manager, Humanitarian

Bass went on to manage a range of talents, from ballerinas to boxers. One boxer included Julio Caesar Chavez, whom under Bass’ wings was made the highest priced super middleweight boxer in the history of the sport. Bass also produced such musicals and events as Bob Hope Day, “Great Moments on Stage,” with the Nicholas Brothers and the musical “Stardust,” with Toni Tenille and Tony Award winner Hinton Battle. He also arranged for President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty to present his partner Stanley Kramer with a special accommodation to a roomful of Democrats at the unusual venue of the Roxbury Nightclub. All the more amazing was that Bass was the first liberal among them.

Bass also pioneered the breaking of the AIDS stigma in the US in a huge way by orchestrating a public appearance between Ronald Reagan and Ryan White, a young man expelled from school after becoming infected with the HIV virus from a contaminated blood treatment. This maneuver by Bass brought Reagan out of seclusion to publicly support AIDS research, which pushed even the Iran-Contra news event to the back pages.

While overseas, Edward developed “Toyskis for Totskis” with the mayor of St. Petersburg. This program distributes toys and funds to various orphanages throughout Russia. His diplomacy continues as he also Bill Clinton to change his schedule while in Moscow for a reception on War and Peace and was surprised to find the invitation ended up in his national security bag

After founding a modeling agency in Paris, Bass went on to publish Metropolitan Magazine and had over a hundred columns and political commentary items published worldwide. He also served as a director of a racetrack in Europe with 350 plus employees. He also organized a tribute to John Gary (who was dying of cancer), which brought out celebrities like Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, Henry Mancini, Ann Margaret, Liza Minneli, and Mel Torme, which grossed enough money to extend Gary’s life many years.

He was the past President of the American Foundation for the Performing Arts, and with Dick Clark, managed to arrange his famous “Night at the Improve”, said to be the biggest night the club ever had. The comedic all star audience included eclectic talents such as the late Same Kinnison, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Paula Abdul, Red Buttons and Rosanne Barr.

Edward is proud of each film he’s done, as they have all been accepted into major film festivals, gaining him countless accolades for his projects. He flipped his past experiences and childhood pains into bottomless well of creativity and has managed to make his mark in the profession he always dreamed of.

Edward Bass currently lives in between his Beverly Hills estate and Tribeca loft and spends a great deal of time in Paris and London.

Edward Bass Interview: Industry Revue In the Mix