Moguls At Play

There was more than just a p.r. battle between DreamWorks and Miramax over whether Miramax “bought” the Best-Picture Oscar for Shakespeare in Love by spending record sums on advertising. There was a big wager too. DreamWorks partner JEFFREY KATZENBERG bet WARREN BEATTY that Miramax would print more ads by a certain date than DreamWorks would run to hype rival Saving Private Ryan. The stakes: a $10,000 contribution to the charity of the winner’s choice. When the deadline rolled around, Beatty claimed victory. (Miramax’s final tally was 118 pages, vs. 165 for DreamWorks.) Katzenberg alleged a miscount. But in Hollywood a suit will often defer to a star, especially when so paltry a sum is concerned. Katzenberg paid up. When Beatty told Miramax’s HARVEY WEINSTEIN about Katzenberg’s concession, Weinstein proclaimed a dubious moral victory.

–By Kim Masters/Los Angeles