Marvin Levy, Steven Spielberg’s publicist for over 4 many years and the one particular person in his subject to be acknowledged with an Oscar, has died. He was 96.
Levy died Monday in Los Angeles surrounded by family members, representatives for Amblin Leisure stated Wednesday. No trigger was given.
“Marvin’s passing is a huge loss for me and our industry writ large. There are many talented PR executives, but Marvin was one of a kind,” Spielberg stated in an announcement. “I am grateful for all our years together. Marvin never failed to make me laugh, he never stopped smiling. We will miss you Marvin. You will always be in our hearts and your memory will always make us smile.”
Levy’s long-standing partnership with Spielberg made him probably the most famend and revered publicists in Hollywood. Over his 70-year profession, he labored on campaigns for movie classics like “Taxi Driver,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Back to the Future,” “Schindler’s Checklist,” “Jurassic Park” and “Gladiator.”
In 2018, Levy, a long-standing member of the movie academy’s public relations department, turned the primary and solely publicist to obtain an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences. No publicist’s title had even been put forth for the award earlier than Levy’s.
“It was way out of left field for me. I couldn’t have imagined it,” Levy informed The Related Press in 2018. “It’s not like I could say ‘Gee, I’d love to get that one day.’ It was not on my to-do list.”
Born in Manhattan on Nov. 16, 1928, Levy was raised on the east facet and attended New York College. Although he by no means got down to be a publicist particularly, he knew he had a manner with phrases. Considered one of his first jobs was writing questions for a TV quiz present. However he was fired when his “big ticket” query was answered too early within the season.
His first publicity job was at MGM in New York, the place he was to date down on the ladder that he by no means received to journey to Los Angeles, however the place he labored on campaigns for movies like “Gigi” and “Ben-Hur.” By the point the corporate was remaking “Mutiny on the Bounty,” he knew it was time to maneuver on.
Levy quickly discovered his solution to legendary publicists Arthur Canton and Invoice Blowitz, after which Columbia Photos which took him to California. It was throughout that point that he first began working with Spielberg who was contemporary off “Jaws.” He was informed he was solely to focus on “Shut Encounters.” By 1982, he went full time with Spielberg and wouldn’t look again.
Whereas he had many highs within the trade, Levy additionally recalled an enormous heartbreak when “Saving Private Ryan” misplaced one of the best image trophy to “Shakespeare in Love” on the 71st Academy Awards.
“That was the toughest night of my life in terms of the business,” Levy stated. However he placed on a courageous face on the Governor’s Ball following the ceremony.
Tom Hanks offered the honorary Oscar to Levy in 2018, noting that it takes, “Something of a storyteller to get an audience hooked on the story without giving away the story.”
Levy remained dedicated to Spielberg, and Amblin Leisure, as much as his full retirement in 2024. For him, it by no means received outdated.
“How lucky can you be? I mean it,” he stated in 2018. “We work for the best filmmaker around.”
Levy is survived by his spouse of 73 years, Carol, their two sons, Don and Doug, and two grandsons, Brian and Daniel.
