Gene Schwam, the veteran Hollywood publicist who worked with the likes of Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Barbara Eden and Blake Edwards, has died. He was 96.
Schwam died Friday in Los Angeles following a brief illness.
In 1954, he was working with fellow publicist Stanley Cowan making $35 per week, when he decided to leave the company and found his own agency. Alongside Adeline Hanson, they opened Hanson & Schwam Public Relations in 1955.
The firm began by representing restaurants and musicians, though their roster quickly expanded into the wider entertainment industry. Nancy Wilson and Lou Rawls were among those represented by the agency, which additionally handled publicity for the Cocoanut Grove nightclub.
Schwam also worked with Lenny Bruce, Cyd Charisse and Gene Barry. His work with Andrews and Eden were central to his career as a publicist, and he formed a close friendship with Edwards; the publicist character in his 1981 film S.O.B. was inspired by Schwam.
He is also the creator of Humanity 101, an initiative of Arizona State University’s Project Humanities that promotes compassion, empathy, forgiveness, integrity, kindness, respect and self-reflection.
The veteran publicist reflected on his career in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Chris Gardner in April 2021, noting, “There’s a mistake people make when they think it’s about who you know in Hollywood, but it isn’t about that — it’s about who knows you.”
He also shared some secrets to success: “Begin with the end of the game and work your way backward,” Schwam said. “Figure out what it is that we want to do, such as win an Oscar, then we figure out how to get there.”
Schwam added, “I’ve always felt that success of the personal service business is referrals. It’s not getting on the phone or going online. It’s always been someone saying, ‘Hey, Gene, I have a friend who is writing a book, would you be interested in working with them?’”
He is survived by his wife, Myrna Schwam; his daughter, Stephanie Schwam Adams; his stepchildren, Adam London, Greg London and Linda London; and four grandchildren.