September 21 - Jerome Leon Bruckheimer

On this day, in 1943, Jerome Leon Bruckheimer was born in Detroit, Michigan.

The son of German Jewish immigrants, Jerry attended the University of Arizona as a psychology major. Naturally, after graduation he went to work in the advertising field. In the early 1970s, when he tired of the ad world, he began producing movies.

A short pause here. Jerry is the kind of movie producer that people generally love or hate. Sure he's one of the most successful producers ever. His films have grossed over 13 Billion dollars. They also seem to be heavy on explosions and car chases and light on character development and plot. But he has also garnered 41 Oscar nominations, 77 Emmy nominations, 8 Grammy nominations and 23 Golden Globe nominations, winning a total of 32 of those times. Does he make great, high quality films? Sometimes. And sometimes, not so much. In other words, basically like anyone else in Hollywood. So, take him or leave him, you can't deny that Jerry is good at what he does.

Jerry's first bona fide hit came in 1983 with a little film starring Jennifer Beals called Flashdance. Since then he hasn't really looked back. He followed that up with Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II and Days of Thunder, working with the likes of Tom Cruise and Eddie Murphy. Shortly after this string of hits, Jerry began a long relationship with the Walt Disney Company.

Films Jerry has done for Disney, under the Hollywood, Touchstone and Walt Disney Pictures umbrellas: The Ref, Dangerous Minds, Crimson Tide, The Rock, Enemy of the State, Armageddon, Remember the Titans, Coyote Ugly, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Pearl Harbor, Bad Company, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Veronica Guerin, National Treasure (1 and 2), King Arthur, Deja Vu, Glory Road, G-Force, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Prince of Persia, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and The Lone Ranger. He's dabbled in everything from comedy to action to fantasy to period pieces. And for the most part, been pretty successful at whatever he puts his mind to.

Jerry has done as much for television as he has for film. Whether putting his stamp on reality shows with The Amazing Race or on dramas with the CSI series, he has helped shaped what we watch both at home and at the theater. Who knows what Jerry will bring to a screen near us next. Will it be loud and fast paced? You bet. Will it be the greatest movie ever made? There is no doubt that to someone somewhere, it sure will be.