Veteran Hollywood publicist Gene Schwam, who represented top talent including Elvis Presley, Blake Edwards, Julie Andrews, Barbara Eden and Lenny Bruce, died Friday in Los Angeles after a brief illness. He was 96.
\n\nSchwam co-founded Hanson & Schwam Public Relations with Adeline Hanson in 1955, establishing an independent publicity agency that would endure for decades.
\n\nSchwam was earning $35 a week working for publicist Stanley Cowan when he decided to strike out on his own. He joined forces with Hanson, a part-time disc jockey and publicist, to launch their firm. When it came time to decide whose name would come first, Schwam wanted his own name at the front. Hanson’s response settled the matter: “Ladies first.”
\n\nStarting with Smith Bros. Fish Shanty restaurant as their first client, Hanson & Schwam grew into an enduring presence in entertainment publicity, with Schwam continuing as president and co-founder decades later.
\n\nClients included Nancy Wilson and Lou Rawls as well as representing the famous Coconut Grove nightclub, which helped the agency foster relationships with numerous entertainers.
\n\nHis colorful representation (and intentional misreputation) of Presley in 1957 was covered in Variety at the time of the release of Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” in 2022.Schwam’s longtime relationship…
Original source: https://variety.com/v/tv/