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Steven Spielberg honors the late Marvin Levy, his longtime Oscar-winning publicist and advisor

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Steven Spielberg is honoring Marvin Levy, a long-term publicist and counselor who was the unique marketing expert to win an Oscar for his contributions. Sadly, Levy passed away on Monday at the age of 96.

Steven Spielberg is remembering Marvin Levy, a close advisor and marketer who won an Oscar for his work, as he recently passed away at 96 years old.

In a statement shared with The Times, Spielberg expressed that Marvin’s demise is deeply felt not only by him personally, but also across our entire industry. There are numerous gifted public relations professionals, yet Marvin stood out as exceptional and unique.

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In his own words, the director of “Munich” described Levy as a devoted and outstanding partner in projects, who approached his work with great enthusiasm and was admired and valued by everyone he collaborated with. Their professional journey began on the 1977 film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” where Levy held the position of vice president for advertising, publicity, and promotions at Columbia Pictures. However, he eventually departed from Columbia to join Amblin Entertainment and later Dreamworks.

In dealing with the press, there was no one better than him. To the media and the world of entertainment, Marvin was the embodiment of Amblin, as Spielberg put it. While my work in filmmaking ended at the conclusion of production, for Marvin, his task only started then.

In the course of numerous movies, TV shows, Amblin events, award initiatives, and our PR endeavors, it was through these channels that Marvin truly found life within us.

Levy was born on the 6th of November, 1928, in New York City. He later enrolled at NYU. After completing the ROTC program, he served for two years in the Air Force, starting his career in communications. At Michigan’s Selfridge Air Force Base (renamed Selfridge Air National Guard Base in 1971), he was responsible for handling public relations and advertising.

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In his twenties, he wedded his beloved spouse, Carol, and remained married to her for an astounding 73 years. Together, they raised two sons, Don and Doug, and eventually welcomed two grandchildren, Daniel and Brian into their lives.

In the 1940s, Levy embarked on a career in entertainment in New York. He worked on game shows, helped create early talk shows, and spent time at MGM’s New York publicity office as well as the film PR agency Blowitz Thomas and Canton. His subsequent role was with Cinema Releasing, which led him to the West Coast. Over time, he found himself at Columbia Pictures, marking the beginning of a long and storied career that included collaborations with Spielberg and others. Levy announced his retirement in 2024.

Spielberg praised him as imaginative, forward-thinking, and admired for his wisdom and integrity. He had a passion for discovering novel methods to showcase movies to viewers. Notably, he was the sole publicist ever to win an Academy Award.”

This version maintains the original meaning but uses simpler language that is easier to understand.

That honor came in November 2018 at the film academy’s Governors Awards.

Movies

On Sunday night, numerous prominent figures in Hollywood will convene at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles for the Governors Awards ceremony of the Motion Picture Academy – an event that celebrates esteemed filmmakers for their lifelong impact on cinema. This gathering also serves as a crucial early stop for films and filmmakers aiming for Oscar recognition during the awards season.

In his acceptance speech, Levy expressed, “This Oscar is the most astonishing and thrilling award I could ever envision. We’ve had three presidents at our academy, even from our own public relations division, but it’s the first time any of us have been considered for this award. That makes it not just an honor, but a deeply humbling one as well.

In addition, he referred to Spielberg during his speech, stating, “He consistently views me as a tale-weaver, and in truth, we are all tale-weavers within the field of public relations. The cosmos surrounding our films and TV productions is not merely about narrating the story, but it’s about ensuring that the narrative endures.

Levy orchestrated promotional and award-winning campaigns for movies helmed by Spielberg, whose public recognition underscored the significant role of this publicist in these productions’ success. Among them were “E.T.,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and others like “Back to the Future,” “Ben-Hur,” “Taxi Driver,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Sophie’s Choice,” “Men in Black,” “Shrek,” “Gladiator,” and numerous other influential films.

For over two decades, Levy held a position on the Board of Governors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with a large portion of that tenure spent as chairperson of their public relations department. Throughout this period, he was an advocate for organizations like the USC Shoah Foundation, Righteous Persons Foundation, and Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Movies

During a conversation with the New York Times, filmmaker Steven Spielberg expressed his perspectives about streaming services and the current movie industry landscape.

Spielberg expressed his gratitude for the many years we shared, saying, ‘Marvin was always able to bring a smile to my face, and his laughter was constant.’ He will be deeply missed, yet forever etched in our hearts. His memory will continue to bring joy to us.

Levy is mourned by his spouse, sons, and grandchildren. The funeral service takes place at 10 a.m. this coming Friday at Mount Sinai Hollywood Hills.

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2025-04-10 02:01

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