1945 to 2000
In December 1949, the William Morris Agency acquired the Berg-Allenberg Agency (founded by Phil Berg and Bert Allenberg). The senior agent in the motion picture department during the 1950s was Mike Zimring.[8] In 1952, William Morris Jr. retired as president.[9] He remained a director until 1969.[9] Lastfogel succeeded William Morris Jr. as president and, under him, the agency moved into the television industry.[10] In the 1950s, Morris Stoller set up an international division and by 1980, the agency had offices in London, Rome and Munich.
By 1965, WMA's Music Department was representing several clients including the Rolling Stones, Sonny & Cher, the Beach Boys and the Byrds. In 1969 Lastfogel relinquished his job as president and became chairman.[10] Nat Lefkowitz became president.[11] In 1973, the Agency's newly established Nashville office provided another significant boost to the operations of William Morris, extending the Agency's reach into country music and beyond.[12] In 1976, Sam Weisbord, who had been with the agency since 1929, replaced Lefkowitz as president.[13] Lefkowitz was named as co-chairman of the firm[14] (in 1936, Lefkowitz hired his nephew, Ted Ashley, at William Morris, who would go on to found the Ashley-Famous talent agency).[15] In 1980, Stoller, who had joined the agency in 1937, was named chairman.[16] Lastfogel and Lefkowitz became chairmen emeritus.[17]
In the early 1980s, WMA built the William Morris Plaza located at 150 El Camino Drive, directly across the street from its main building at 151 El Camino. In 1984, Lee Stevens became president and chief executive officer, replacing Weisbord, who became chairman with Stoller.[18]
In 1989, WMA acquired the Jim Halsey Company.
In the early 1990s, WMA's Literary Department announced the largest book-to-screen deal ever inked when it sold the television rights for Scarlett, the sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. In 2000, WMA acquired The Writers Shop, which was owned by Jennifer Rudolph Walsh.[19]
