He liked the movies and Hollywood, but McElwaine seemingly couldn’t decide which he liked best: being an agent, or a studio honcho. Either way, “He had a great eye for talent,” said Jeff Berg, chairman of the International Creative Management agency, where McElwaine was a founding partner.
“No matter how involved you are with your clients, you lose track of the film,” McElwaine said of his indecision to be on the talent side or the studio side of the business. “I want to be on it from conception until the last penny is in the till.” As an agent, McElwaine signed such names as Frank Sinatra, Warren Beatty, Judy Garland, and Steven Spielberg. As a studio head, he oversaw production of films like All the President’s Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, and Gandhi. He died April 3 from pancreatic cancer at 71.