Chuck Wein

Chuck Wein (March 24, 1939 – March 18, 2008) was an American promoter and filmmaker. He was closely associated with Pop artist Andy Warhol's Factory and the New York underground film scene of the 1960s. A Harvard graduate and friend of socialite Edie Sedgwick from Cambridge, Wein became an instrumental collaborator in several Warhol films in 1965, including Poor Little Rich Girl, Beauty No. 2, and My Hustler. He also co-wrote and co-directed the cult film Ciao! Manhattan in 1967, a semi-autobiographical film centered on Sedgwick's life and decline. He later directed the Jimi Hendrix concert film Rainbow Bridge.

Biography

Early life and education Wein was born in Rhode Island in 1939 and grew up, by his own account, "between Beverly Hills and Las Vegas." His father worked as a mafia lawyer in Las Vegas.

At Harvard University in Cambridge, Wein was nicknamed "Chuckles" by socialite Dorothy Dean because of his exuberant personality. Originally intending to study nuclear physics, he developed interests in Chinese history, Taoist philosophy, psychedelic drugs, and spiritual exploration. Known for his charismatic conversational style, Wein attracted a devoted circle of friends and acquaintances, some of whom later described him as a Svengali-like figure with a talent for identifying and influencing unconventional personalities. After graduating from Harvard in 1960, he traveled to Asia and North Africa. Wein and Sedgwick moved to New York in 1964, where he became her promoter and informal manager. Wein later described recognizing her raw appeal but also her lack of organization, which led him to assume a controlling role in shaping her early public image.

Andy Warhol and the Factory In March 1965, Wein and Sedgwick met Pop artist Andy Warhol at a party for Tennessee Williams hosted by producer Lester Persky. Wein later described his involvement with Warhol as accidental, recalling that Warhol asked him at the party if he would write a film for him. Although credited as the film's writer, the production was largely improvised in keeping with Warhol's filmmaking methods. Production was halted amid Sedgwick's struggles with substance use, before later being revived by filmmakers John Palmer and David Weisman and released in 1972.

In later years, Wein directed the Jimi Hendrix concert film Rainbow Bridge (1971).

Wein died in Del Mar, California died on March 18, 2008.

In pop culture Wein was portrayed by Jimmy Fallon in George Hickenlooper's Factory Girl (2006), a cinematic retelling of Edie Sedgwick's (Sienna Miller) life, with particular emphasis on her brief time with Andy Warhol (Guy Pearce).