Jennings Lang on AllMovie

Jennings Lang was involved in many aspects of production on television and feature film projects. Among the former VP of Universal Studio's achievements was the development of Sensurround, the direct ancestor of the popular Surround sound systems employed in modern theaters and home entertainment systems. Lang came to Hollywood in 1938. Originally a lawyer, he wanted to become an agent and so set up his own office. In 1940, he joined the Jaffe agency within a few years rose to become the company president. In that capacity, Lang came to be recognized as one of Hollywood's leading agents. In 1950, he joined the MCA talent agency and by 1950 was elevated to becoming vice president of MCA TV Ltd. With the promotion came a place on the company's board of directors. During the late '50s and early '60s, Lang worked with Universal studios and was eventually involved with developing, creating and selling new series like Wagon Train, The Robert Cummings Show and McHales Navy. Lang played a key role in making made-for- television movies a staple of network programming. This experience led Lang to produce and/or executive produce such films as Winning, starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Under his Jennings Lang Presentations, he oversaw Clint Eastwood's Play Misty for Me and Tell them Willie Boy Is Here starring Robert Redford, as well as the Walter Matthau/Carol Burnett-starrer Pete and Tillie (1972). In the mid '70s, Lang executive produced a series of major epics, Airport 1975, Earthquake and The Front Page. Earthquake (1977) utilized Sensurround to augment the action onscreen with sound waves that created tremors in the theater. A stroke in 1983 forced Lang's retirement.