Leonard Shannon, Veteran Film Publicist for Disney, MGM, Fox and RKO, Dead at Age 88
27 Octubre 2003 - 4:08PM
PR Newswire (US)
Leonard Shannon, Veteran Film Publicist for Disney, MGM, Fox and
RKO, Dead at Age 88 BURBANK, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ --
Leonard Shannon, one of Hollywood's top motion picture publicists
for over 35 years and a 14-year veteran of Disney's publicity
department, passed away due to heart failure at his home in Goleta,
California on Thursday October 16th. He was 88 years old. Shannon
worked with such top stars as Cary Grant, Fess Parker, Burt
Lancaster, Helen Hayes, Bette Davis, Sidney Poitier, Jodie Foster,
and Steve McQueen during his illustrious career and served as the
unit publicist on such major films as "The Birdman of Alcatraz,"
"In the Heat of the Night," "The Thomas Crown Affair," "The
Scalphunters," "This Property is Condemned," and such popular
Disney fare as "Old Yeller," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "Herbie
Rides Again" and "Candleshoe," among others. During his early days
with Disney, Shannon also helped to publicize the enormously
popular "Davy Crockett" films for the landmark "Disneyland"
television series. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota and a
graduate of Los Angeles City College, Shannon launched his industry
career in 1941 when he began a one-year stint working for Hollywood
columnist Harrison Carroll at the Los Angeles bureau of the
Hearst-owned International News Service. One year later, he joined
the publicity department at MGM Studios and served under legendary
publicity chief Howard Strickling. In 1947, Shannon moved over to
RKO and worked on several Cary Grant films under the guidance of
public relations head Perry Leiber. Shannon began his first tour of
duty with Disney in 1954, just as Walt Disney was branching out
into the areas of live-action filmmaking and TV production. He
helped to publicize many of Disney's innovative television
offerings and was instrumental in the campaigns for the five hugely
successful "Davy Crockett" one-hour films created for the
"Disneyland" program. In the area of feature films, Shannon served
as the unit publicist on such Disney favorites from the 1950s as
"Old Yeller," "Ten Who Dared," and "The Third Man on the Mountain."
Fess Parker, who played the title role in the "Crockett" shows
observes, "For me, Leonard was one of four lifetime friendships
forged in Cherokee, North Carolina on location for 'Davy Crockett'
in 1954. The location was hard work, it was very hot and it was the
kind of place where people with a sense of humor were naturally
drawn together by the circumstance. He was always feisty and direct
to the point, so much so, that it contained its own inherent humor;
you just had to laugh. Leonard was a straight shooter. He became a
go to person for my whole film career and a very dear friend. I
will miss him." In January 1961, Shannon left Disney for a
nine-year stint as an independent publicist. He returned to the
Studio in 1970 and spent the next seven years as a unit publicist
on such films as "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "Escape to Witch
Mountain," "Return to Witch Mountain," "Scandalous John,"
"Candleshoe," etc. Although he officially retired from Disney in
1977, he continued to maintain a close association with the Studio
and served as a freelance writer, editor and consultant on The
Disney Channel Magazine, The Disney News, The Disneylander, and
other company publications. In 1993, he wrote a book chronicling
the history of Disneyland that was entitled Disneyland: Dreams,
Traditions and Transitions. Shannon is survived by his wife of 53
years, Netta; his daughter, Fay Shannon; and his sister, Marian
Davis. Funeral arrangements are private. The family suggests that,
in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Motion Picture and
Television Fund, 22212 Ventura Blvd, Suite 300, Woodland Hills,
91364 For further information please contact: Howard E. Green, Vice
President, Studio Communications, Buena Vista Pictures Marketing,
+1-818-560-1944 DATASOURCE: Buena Vista Pictures Marketing CONTACT:
Howard E. Green, Vice President, Studio Communications, Buena Vista
Pictures Marketing, +1-818-560-1944
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