David lee gabler biography
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Gabler is survived by his daughters Annalise and Jennifer Gabler Rawlings and his wife Elizabeth, who is president of 3000 Pictures at Sony Pictures Entertainment. He was preceded in death by daughter Melissa Robin Roemer.
Funeral services will be private followed by a Celebration of Life later this summer. Letterman was also granted full ownership of his new show and the right to control what appeared in the 12:30 am time slot that followed his Late Show.
CBS also committed upwards of $100 million for Late Show’s budget, including a renovation of The Ed Sullivan Theater for use as its studio.
Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show, which debuted in 1995 with Tom Snyder as host, established CBS as a contender in the late-night hours.
He became head of the television division in 1989 and co-chair and managing partner in 1996. The program mentors students from under-resourced and underrepresented groups for a full year of personal, creative, academic, and civic writing development. Under Gabler’s leadership, CAA reached a record number of 52 television shows on air in one year.
Additional titles that Gabler helped shepherd to success during his time with ICM and CAA include perennial classics such as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, White Shadow, Tales from the Crypt, and Moonlighting.
Other titles that Gabler covered during his time at ICM and CAA included “Taxi,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Tales from the Crypt,” “Moonlighting,” “ALF,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “The West Wing,” “House,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Band of Brothers,” “Mad Men,” “24,” “Sex and the City” (with ICM) and “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
His 25-plus years with CAA ended in 2007 when he left to join David Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants, Inc.
as a consultant. He then transferred to the Los Angeles office and became head of the worldwide Television Department. In 1996 he was appointed co-chairman and managing partner of CAA. He closed out his 25+ year tenure there in 2007 to join David Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants, Inc. as a consultant.
Over the course of his career, Gabler negotiated some of the television industry’s most high-profile and historic deals, including orchestrating David Letterman’s surprise move from NBC to CBS to the Ed Sullivan Theater for Late Show with David Letterman.
Gabler was involved with Aaron Spelling — Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place — Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners, American Idol, Everybody Loves Raymond, The West Wing, Mad Men, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
His clients knew him to be a trusted advisor “boldly pursuing new heights for the television business, leaving a legacy of indelible contributions,” a statement from Sony Pictures described.
I will miss him terribly.”
Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group
“Lee Gabler was a giant of our industry; a pioneer, a leader, a wise and trustworthy representative. But more than that, he was a mensch.
The agency eventually evolved into ICM (International Creative Management) and by 1970 Gabler had risen through the ranks to executive vice president.
He was one of the most inspired, creative, and respected executives at CAA, while at the same time earning the deep trust from his clients as well as the respect of the individuals he was dealing with on the other side of the fence. His easy-going style, coupled with wonderful instincts allowed him to lead the CAA Television Department to new heights on a consistent basis. All this was accomplished while leading a cooperative, tightly knit group that were always a pleasure to work with in building the business. He will be missed by all that he touched.”
David Geffen, producer and executive
“In Lee we had a brilliant mind, an innovator and a fierce advocate.
Here are some tributes for Gabler:
Billy Crystal
“I am beyond sad that my cousin Lee has passed away. His impact on the industry was immense, and his ability to combine business acumen with genuine care for his clients was unparalleled. His motto always was, ‘A good deal is where everybody walks away happy.’”
It seems Letterman, for one, would agree with that sentiment.
The move changed the late-night landscape forever and kickstarted late-night programming at CBS. Gabler not only doubled Letterman’s salary but, in a groundbreaking move, also won his client complete ownership of the show. He believed, “A good deal is where everybody walks away happy,” and in collaboration: an individual might create the idea but “a company and the individuals in it will accomplish much more if they adopt the ‘we’ concept as a basic.”
With his wife, Elizabeth Gabler, Lee established the Gabler Promise Scholars Writing Program at UC Santa Barbara in 2019.
He was 84 years old.
His death was announced by a Sony Pictures rep.
Born May 3, 1940, in New Jersey, to parents Milt, a Grammy winning producer and composer, and Estelle Gabler.
As a trailblazer for the modern entertainment business, he understood the art of deal-making and the nuances of nurturing creative talent. He always lit up a room when we were kids, and that continued into his incredibly successful career in the industry. It was there that he helped set in motion a seismic shift in late-night TV, negotiating Letterman’s move from NBC to CBS.
The move occurred in 1993 after NBC chose Jay Leno to succeed the retiring Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show.