Marvin Levy, the long-standing advisor to Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg, has passed away at the age of 96. The esteemed publicist, who masterminded the marketing campaigns for numerous iconic films, died on April 7th in Los Angeles. In a heartfelt statement, Spielberg expressed: "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.
"For over 50 years, he was a deeply loyal and exceptional collaborator who was respected and appreciated by all those who were lucky enough to learn from his counsel. "When it came to handling the press, he had no peer. To the media and the world of exhibition, Marvin was the face of Amblin.", reports Birmingham Live. "We were opposite ends of the movie-making process. Every time I reached the end of production on a film, Marvin's work had only begun.
"Through countless films, TV series, Amblin events, awards campaigns and our public relations strategy-this is where Marvin came alive.
"He loved his work and was endlessly enthusiastic about our business. He was creative, innovative and respected for his knowledge and honesty.
"He was excited to figure out new and better ways to present films to audiences. As a result, he was the first and only publicist to receive an Academy Award."
Such was the closeness of their professional relationship that when Spielberg established DreamWorks in 1994, Levy followed him to the new venture.
His impressive resume boasts involvement in cinematic masterpieces such as Back to the Future, Sophie's Choice, Taxi Driver, Men In Black, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Gigi, Ben-Hur, Kramer vs. Kramer, Deep Impact, Shrek, and Gladiator.
Marvin's foray into the entertainment industry began in the 1940s when he started out as a writer and assistant producer for the talk show hosts Tex and Jinx McCrary.
Over the decades, Marvin took on various roles within the industry, including working at MGM's New York publicity office, the PR firm Blowitz Thomas and Canton, and Cinema Releasing.
In a landmark moment at the age of 90 in 2018, Marvin was honoured with an Honorary Academy Award, becoming the first publicist ever to receive such an accolade, celebrated for "an exemplary career in publicity that has brought films to the minds, hearts and souls of audiences all over the world."
