25 Years Inside Universal Studios: From Tour Guide to Entertainment Director

Jerry's Big Adventure

Jerry Green was a kid from the sticks of Panama City, Florida, who dreamed of going to Hollywood and becoming an actor. He made it to Hollywood, but instead of acting, his rural-to-riches story put him at the epicenter of a theme park revolution—the one without the mouse.

Like a lot of kids in southern California, Jerry was a regular at Disneyland. But it was the nascent Universal Studios Tour that captured his imagination, and soon after college he became one of the tour guides, Universal's tram-bound counterparts to Disney's Jungle Cruise skippers.

Jerry had a knack for connecting with his audience. Before long, he was hosting Universal's popular audience participation shows, and then he ascended to the upper echelon of Universal management, becoming the studio's entertainment director. From there, he was sent to Orlando to assist in the development of Universal Studios Florida, where he worked on rides and shows that wowed the crowds on opening day, and sent Mickey-down-the-road into an existential crisis.

Full of humor, celebrity encounters, stories of Universal's cast and culture you've never heard before, and healthy doses of "jerryosophy", Jerry Green's memoir of his 25 years with Universal Studios is that rarest of business books: a truly fun read, loaded with laughs and appropriate for theme park fans of all ages.