Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the most phenomenally successful - and influential - producers of all time, and one of the few Hollywood producers with a signature style to his films - a mixture of explosive action, heartfelt sentiment, dazzling techno-magic and an uncanny sense of anticipating the zeitgeist of American culture.

The Detroit native began in advertising, making the leap to feature films in 1972 with an associate producer gig on THE CULPEPPER CATTLE COMPANY. He scored his first major success in 1980 with AMERICAN GIGOLO, and three years later paired with Don Simpson - who would be his producing partner for the next 13 years - on FLASHDANCE. The Simpson-Bruckheimer team created one hit after another, including TOP GUN, DAYS OF THUNDER, BEVERLY HILLS COP and BAD BOYS.

After Simpson’s death in 1996, Bruckheimer’s winning streak continued unabated with acclaimed crowd-pleasers like ENEMY OF THE STATE and BLACK HAWK DOWN and such mega-hit franchises as the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and NATIONAL TREASURE films. The new millennium also saw Bruckheimer venture into television with “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and soon he had conquered that medium as well, with such top-rated programs as “Without a Trace” and “The Amazing Race” bearing the producer’s familiar lightning-bolt logo.

This year’s American Cinematheque Award honoree, Jerry Bruckheimer has an extraordinary ability to find stories that resonate with millions of viewers around the world. Forty years into an incomparable career, Hollywood’s most successful producer is still on the hunt for his next blockbuster.

Find out more about The Presentation of the 27th Annual American Cinematheque Award to Jerry Bruckheimer here.

Series compiled by Grant Moninger and Gwen Deglise. Program notes by John Hagelston.