About
"All of the good contacts are gone because of the fax machine. You don't get to know anybody. They say 'send me a fax' and you do. In the old days, you'd show up at the city desk of a newspaper or Daily Variety or Hollywood Reporter and they'd know it was an important thing for you, because you were there."
In his two-hour interview, Frank Liberman (1917-2009) chronicles his early career at the New York Daily News and then at Warner Bros. in New York and Chicago, where he began in the publicity department. He talks about moving to Hollywood, where he left Warner Bros. and began his own publicity firm. He recalls representing Bob Hope, whom he handled for 41 years, and Phyllis Diller, whom he handled for 32 years, among many other clients. Liberman speaks of dealing with the press, including powerful columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, and of how the process of publicizing talent has changed over the years. He discusses the craft of publicity and defines some of the components that go into successful publicity campaigns. Karen Herman and Reba Merrill conducted the interview in a joint venture with the Publicists Guild of America on February 21, 2001 at the Publicists Guild's offices in Sherman Oaks, CA.
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his early interest in movies; on the first time he saw television and on going to work for the New York Daily News
On going to work for Warner Bros. and on the kinds of features Warner Bros. was putting out in the '30s and '40s; on going to work at Warner Bros. in Chicago; on some of the stars he worked with at Warner Bros. and on working with the Chicago press
On his experience with World War II; on going back to work at the Warner Bros. publicity department following World War II
Chapter 2
On a publicity stunt involving Ann Sheridan and on working with John Garfield and Olivia de Havilland; on working with Ronald Reagan; on leaving Warner Bros.
On what the publicity department does and on working with Bob Hope; on handling celebrities and working with dificult clients like Judy Garland
On handling celebrities and working with difficult clients like Judy Garland; on the press release, his media contacts, and on the tricks of the trade; on dealing with the media as a publicist and on Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons
On columnist Earl Wilson and on Ed Sullivan; on Rona Barett; on dealing with celebrity interviews for his clients
On dealing with the death of a client and on the changes in the publicity business over the years; on representing Jack Paar and Bob Hope
Chapter 3
On going overseas with Bob Hope; on representing Phyllis Diller; on his years representing Bob Hope and other comedians
On representing Joan Rivers; on representing comedians; on representing Patty Duke, June Allyson, and Stella Adler
On representing various clients including Lauren Bacall, George Burns, and Diahann Carroll; on representing various clients including Robert Conrad, Henry Fonda, and Eva Gabor; on representing various clients including Larry Hagman, Florence Henderson, and David Janssen
Chapter 4
On various people he's worked with in his career including Leonard Nimoy, Jim Nabors, and Betty White
On his favorite and least favorite clients; on the clients he accepted and the different kinds of publicity; on career highlights and regrets, and on how he'd like to be remembered
Topics
Historic Events and Social Change
Frank Liberman on his experience with World War II
Hollywood Blacklist
Frank Liberman on the Hollywood Blacklist
Industry Crossroads
Frank Liberman on the Hollywood Blacklist
Ronald Reagan
Frank Liberman on working with Ronald Reagan
Television and the Presidency
Frank Liberman on working with Ronald Reagan
Television Industry
Frank Liberman on the Hollywood Blacklist
Frank Liberman on how the field of publicity has changed since he started
War
Frank Liberman on his experience with World War II
World War II
Frank Liberman on his experience with World War II
Professions
Publicist
Frank Liberman on the press release, his media contacts, and on the tricks of the trade
Frank Liberman on dealing with the media as a publicist and on Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons
Frank Liberman on dealing with celebrity interviews for his clients
Frank Liberman on dealing with the death of a client and on the changes in the publicity business over the years
Frank Liberman on his company Frank Liberman and Associates
Frank Liberman on his early clients
Frank Liberman on representing comedians
Frank Liberman on the clients he accepted and the different kinds of publicity
Frank Liberman on being a member of the Publicists Guild
Frank Liberman on advice to aspiring publicists
Representatives
Frank Liberman on the press release, his media contacts, and on the tricks of the trade
Frank Liberman on dealing with the media as a publicist and on Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons
Frank Liberman on dealing with celebrity interviews for his clients
Frank Liberman on dealing with the death of a client and on the changes in the publicity business over the years
Frank Liberman on his company Frank Liberman and Associates
Frank Liberman on his early clients
Frank Liberman on representing comedians
Frank Liberman on the clients he accepted and the different kinds of publicity
Frank Liberman on being a member of the Publicists Guild
Frank Liberman on advice to aspiring publicists
People
Harry Ackerman
Frank Liberman on Elinor Donahue, Harry Ackerman, and Troy Donohue
Stella Adler
Frank Liberman on Stella Adler
June Allyson
Frank Liberman on representing June Allyson
Lauren Bacall
Frank Liberman on Lauren Bacall
Rona Barrett
Frank Liberman on Rona Barett
Harry Belafonte
Frank Liberman on Harry Belafonte
Polly Bergen
Frank Liberman on Polly Bergen
Geraldine Brooks
Frank Liberman on Geraldine Brooks
George Burns
Frank Liberman on George Burns and Nat King Cole
Diahann Carroll
Frank Liberman on Diahann Carroll
Nat King Cole
Frank Liberman on George Burns and Nat King Cole
Robert Conrad
Frank Liberman on Robert Conrad and George Cukor
George Cukor
Frank Liberman on Robert Conrad and George Cukor
Phyllis Diller
Frank Liberman on representing Phyllis Diller
Elinor Donahue
Frank Liberman on Elinor Donahue, Harry Ackerman, and Troy Donohue
Patty Duke
Frank Liberman on representing Patty Duke
Jose Ferrer
Frank Liberman on Henry Fonda and Jose Ferrer
Henry Fonda
Frank Liberman on Henry Fonda and Jose Ferrer
Eva Gabor
Frank Liberman on Eva Gabor and Larry Hagman
Judy Garland
Frank Liberman on handling celebrities and working with difficult clients like Judy Garland
Larry Hagman
Frank Liberman on Eva Gabor and Larry Hagman
Florence Henderson
Frank Liberman on Florence Henderson, Hildegarde, and Burl Ives
Bob Hope
Frank Liberman on what the publicity department does and on working with Bob Hope
Frank Liberman on how he came to represent Bob Hope
Frank Liberman on going overseas with Bob Hope
Frank Liberman on his years representing Bob Hope and other comedians
Hedda Hopper
Frank Liberman on dealing with the media as a publicist and on Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons
David Janssen
Frank Liberman on David Janssen and Louis Jourdan
Jay Livingston
Frank Liberman on Dorothy Lamour, and Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
Sal Mineo
Frank Liberman on Marcel Marceau, Sal Mineo, and Leonard Nimoy
Jim Nabors
Frank Liberman on Jim Nabors, Hugh O'Brien, and Margaret O'Brien
Leonard Nimoy
Frank Liberman on Marcel Marceau, Sal Mineo, and Leonard Nimoy
Hugh O'Brian
Frank Liberman on Jim Nabors, Hugh O'Brien, and Margaret O'Brien
Margaret O'Brien
Frank Liberman on Jim Nabors, Hugh O'Brien, and Margaret O'Brien
Jack Paar
Frank Liberman on representing Jack Paar
Louella Parsons
Frank Liberman on dealing with the media as a publicist and on Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons
Ronald Reagan
Frank Liberman on working with Ronald Reagan
Robert Reed
Frank Liberman on Robert Reed, William Shatner, and Natalie Schafer
Joan Rivers
Frank Liberman on representing Joan Rivers
Mort Sahl
Frank Liberman on representing Mort Sahl and Nancy Walker
Natalie Schafer
Frank Liberman on Robert Reed, William Shatner, and Natalie Schafer
Budd Schulberg
Frank Liberman on Richard Simmons, Budd Schulberg, and King Vidor
William Shatner
Frank Liberman on Robert Reed, William Shatner, and Natalie Schafer
Richard Simmons
Frank Liberman on Richard Simmons, Budd Schulberg, and King Vidor
Ed Sullivan
Frank Liberman on columnist Earl Wilson and on Ed Sullivan
Nancy Walker
Frank Liberman on representing Mort Sahl and Nancy Walker
Mae West
Frank Liberman on Betty White, Mae West, and Gig Young
Betty White
Frank Liberman on Betty White, Mae West, and Gig Young
Gig Young
Frank Liberman on Betty White, Mae West, and Gig Young