Obituaries

Julian Myers, Hollywood publicist was 97

julian-myers-wrap.jpgJulian Myers worked in Hollywood over at least five decades and was the publicist for, among others, Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland and Cary Grant. He died Saturday, according to Todd Cunningham at The Wrap.

He was the back-up publicist for Monroe, and remembered helping her make it to the set for a morning shoot after the actress had been out late the night before, in an interview earlier this year with the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles.

‘I was the only guy trying to get her out of bed,” he joked, noting that he “was a happily married man.”

His wife of 43 years, Patsy Nanny Myers, died in October.

Myers was a dapper dresser, and frequently sported a bow tie. Even after he retired he kept active at his Marina del Rey PR firm, regularly sending handwritten notes of encouragement or about the industry’s happenings to his associates in the business.

He was an avid runner and ran a marathon in October. Myers participated for years in the Huntsman World Senior Games track meet in St. George, Utah, and last year competed in all 14 events in his age group and won 13 medals, including six gold medals at the age of 96.

Myers was old school. When he was honored by Entertainment Publicists Professional Society as one of the ”Legends in PR” a few years ago, he said, “Hollywood needs to bring back the gimmicks again.”

The Facebook reaction I'm seeing is effusive in its admiration for Myers. "A classier act never walked the earth than this man," said Hollywood journalist Ray Richmond. "Ageless, guileless, unfailingly kind and gracious, Julian Myers was the kind of guy you couldn't not adore." Longtime entertainment journo Todd Everett also posted: "'Legend' doesn't begin to tell the story -- hell of a good guy, too."


More by Kevin Roderick:
'In on merit' at USC
Read the memo: LA Times hires again
Read the memo: LA Times losing big on search traffic
Google taking over LA's deadest shopping mall
Gustavo Arellano, many others join LA Times staff
Recent Obituaries stories on LA Observed:
Doug Jeffe: a remembrance
Jonathan Gold, LA's preeminent food writer, has died at 57
Harlan Ellison, dangerous visionary
Murray Fromson, a fighter to the end
Cory Iverson, 32, California firefighter dies on Thomas Fire
Bruce Brown, surfing filmmaker of 'The Endless Summer,' dies at 80
A salute to Anacleto Rapping, photographer
LA Observed Notes: Photos of the homeless, photos that found homes