Michael Lynne, Film Studio Head, Winery Proprietor, Arts Supporter
An enthusiast with boundless energy, Michael Lynne can be said to have not ever lived his life on the sidelines. The former film studio head, winery proprietor, and dedicated supporter of arts organizations on the East End died on March 24 from cancer. He was 77.
Mr. Lynne, who had a house in Georgica for more than 20 years, told The Star in 2010 that despite the insistence of his father, Max Lynne, that he follow in his footsteps and pursue a law degree at Columbia University, he always found his way back to his first loves: theater and film.
He was born in Brooklyn on April 23, 1941, and grew up there. His mother, Sylvia Mark Lynne, was a homemaker. Before Columbia, he had graduated from Brooklyn College as an English major who spent a lot of time in the theater department. “As I went through law school, I wasn’t clear about my career choice, but I took a copyright course, and then learned there was a field called theatrical law, which kind of morphed into an entertainment practice,” he told The Star.
Between his second and third year in law school he went to work for Weisberger and Frosch as a summer clerk. The firm represented many major English actors who came to work in the United States, including Rex Harrison and Richard Burton. It also represented Elizabeth Taylor and the estate of Oscar Hammerstein. “It was an extraordinary place to be, and it was just five lawyers and me as a clerk.” After graduating, he joined a similar firm with every major Broadway producer as its clients. From there, he was in-house counsel to Embassy Pictures. “The first three films I worked on were ‘The Graduate,’ ‘The Lion in Winter,’ and ‘The Producers.’ If I didn’t have the bug before, I was going to get it from that.”
Eventually he partnered with Bob Shaye, a classmate at Columbia, at New Line Cinema, a successful independent studio he helped steer as co-chairman. There he oversaw production of the Academy Award-winning film franchise based on the three volumes of J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Both men left New Line in 2008 more than a decade after it became part of Time Warner. During those years, their studio made movies such as “About Schmidt,” the “Austin Powers” series, “Magnolia,” “Elf,” “Hairspray,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and many other eclectic titles. They then formed Unique Features, which produced films and television series.
In 2000, Mr. Lynne bought Bedell Cellars in Cutchogue and worked with the founding winemaker, Kip Bedell, to round out the staff and the focus of the vineyard. “I think the region has the potential to be a really important winemaking area,” he said in 2010. Great wines are usually considered the product of good soil, climate, terroir. “We have all of those factors.” As at his offices and homes, he filled the tasting room with contemporary art. He commissioned artists like Barbara Kruger to design labels for the bottles.
As a board member of Guild Hall, he was very involved in the museum’s exhibitions and acquisitions. He was head of the museum committee for over 25 years and a head of the major gifts committee. “He was always there for advice, willing to listen no matter how busy,” Christina Strassfield, the museum director and chief curator, said this week. “And he was straightforward. He would always tell you if he didn’t like something.”
His Rolodex of top collectors, dealers, and artists helped make Guild Hall’s summer art shows distinctive and popular. Ms. Strassfield said exhibitions of artists such as Ms. Kruger and Julian Schnabel would not have been possible without him. For the gala, he was “instrumental in getting so many objects donated from artists and galleries. We collected thousands of dollars because of his ask,” she said.
Toni Ross, a founder and chairwoman of the Hamptons International Film Festival from 1992 to 1997, said this week that she asked Mr. Lynne to join the board 23 years ago. “His excellent taste in film and art were essential to our organization. His relationships in the art world allowed HIFF’s yearly focus on local artistic talent for our poster to soar with icons including David Salle, Cindy Sherman, Bryan Hunt, and Erik Fischl, to name a few.”
He is survived by his wife, Ninah Plotkin, and their daughter, Elizabeth Planet. His also survived by his brother, Richard Lynne, his sister, Sherry Kramer, and three grandchildren. His son, Jonathan Lynne, died in February.
A funeral service was held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan last Thursday.