David Picker, studio chief who brought James Bond and the Beatles to the theater, dies at 87
(LA Times NHL)

He was the first to guide an X-rated film to the top of the Oscar heap, introduced the Beatles to Hollywood with `Hard Day´s Night` and `Help!` and convinced a reluctant Ian Fleming that, yes, James Bond might fare pretty well as a cinematic character. A third-generation movie man, David V. Picker...