David Weitzner Dead: Marketing Exec on ‘Star Wars,’ ‘E.T.’ Was 86

David Weitzner, a top Hollywood marketing executive who oversaw campaigns for such acclaimed films as They Shoot Horses Don’t They , Star Wars , E.T.: The Extraterrestrial and This Is Spinal Tap , has died. He was 86.

Weitzner died Sept. 1 at his home in Calabasas, it was announced by the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he spent decades teaching a Business of Entertainment class as an adjunct professor.

Raised in New York City, Weitzner began his entertainment career at Grey Advertising in Manhattan, where he rose to vice president and G.M. of its entertainment division and handled the Warner Bros. and ABC Pictures accounts.

David Weitzner, a top Hollywood marketing executive who oversaw campaigns for such acclaimed films as They Shoot Horses