Marvin Levy, the person behind a few of Hollywood’s most iconic movie rollouts—and the longtime publicist and adviser to Steven Spielberg—has handed away.
He died on April 7 on the age of 96, forsaking a legacy that not solely formed how motion pictures have been marketed but additionally how they have been remembered.
Levy wasn’t only a PR man; he was a legend in his personal proper—the one publicist ever to obtain an Honorary Academy Award.
That’s proper, whereas most of us are attempting to determine the distinction between a press launch and a crimson carpet rundown, Levy was out right here actually rewriting the foundations of movie publicity.
Spielberg, who labored aspect by aspect with Levy for over 5 many years, shared a heartfelt tribute that completely captured the essence of his buddy and colleague.
“Marvin’s passing is a big loss for me and our trade writ massive. There are numerous gifted PR executives, however Marvin was certainly one of a sort,” Spielberg stated.
“For over 50 years, he was a deeply loyal and distinctive collaborator who was revered and appreciated by all those that have been fortunate sufficient to be taught from his counsel. When it got here to dealing with the press, he had no peer. To the media and the world of exhibition, Marvin was the face of Amblin.”
And Spielberg didn’t cease there—he painted a vivid image of a person who thrived within the organized chaos of publicity. “
We have been reverse ends of the movie-making course of. Each time I reached the tip of manufacturing on a movie, Marvin’s work had solely begun. Via numerous movies, TV collection, Amblin occasions, awards campaigns and our public relations technique—that is the place Marvin got here alive. He liked his work and was endlessly captivated with our enterprise.
He was artistic, revolutionary and revered for his data and honesty. He was excited to determine new and higher methods to current movies to audiences. Consequently, he was the primary and solely publicist to obtain an Academy Award.”
Levy’s résumé is, frankly, the stuff of film advertising goals. Aside from Spielberg’s classics like E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s Checklist, and Lincoln, Levy additionally helped form campaigns for Again to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Gigi, Ben-Hur, Taxi Driver, Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Alternative, Males in Black, Deep Affect, Shrek, and Gladiator.
Marvin Levy didn’t simply assist movies discover their viewers—he helped the world fall in love with motion pictures, one unforgettable marketing campaign at a time. And for that, Hollywood suggestions its hat to a real behind-the-scenes star.
