Writers' rights: L.A. attorney Alan Schwartz has represented Truman Capote and Mel Brooks.(People)(Interview)

A character in the 1987 sci-fi film spoof "Spaceballs urges on his cohorts by shouting, "May the Schwartz be with you!" It may have been a perplexing line for moviegoers, but it had special meaning for the movie's producer, Mel Brooks. Brooks' lawyer was Alan U. Schwartz, and when Schwartz was with you, you had power. After getting his start as a human rights and literary lawyer, Schwartz changed Hollywood forever by pioneering a creative approach to financing film projects. The self-described tough kid from the slums of Brooklyn revolutionized deal making in the 1960s with the…