Brown beats the odds: quintessential New York producer remains ultimate Hollywood player.(David Brown)(New York - Entertainment Town - special section)(Interview)(Cover Story)

Producer David Brown has just come from lunch at Cipriani's and is on his way to dinner at Le Bernardin. "It's autumn in New York, the weather is glorious and the city is bursting with energy!" he proclaims.

Brown is now 82 and much younger than he used to be. "I am too old now to be aged," he says with a sigh of relief. "When you get to this age, young people start to relate to you again. You're no longer `over the hill' as you were in your 50s and 60s. You've survived, you've beat the odds, and I equate that with youth, independence and free spirit."

This is not idle chatter. Brown is not one to ruminate about his past, however illustrious ("Jaws," "The Sting," "Cocoon," "The Verdict," "A Few Good Men" and "The Player"). "I did that in my memoirs," he snaps. (Several actually: Brown has …