Original Hollywood Power Flack Warren Cowan Dead at 87
It's almost impossible to conceive of a publicist earning a legend these days for much beyond sexuality crisis management or the degree to which s/he lies to Page Six. All the more reason to miss Warren Cowan, one of Hollywood's original Power Flacks who passed away Wednesday at the age of 87. After founding his seminal firm Rogers & Cowan with his mentor Henry C. Rogers in 1950, Cowan went on to make his name as the press agent for everyone from Frank Sinatra to Elizabeth Taylor to Paul Newman to Audrey Hepburn to Ronald Reagan. He never fully retired, either, selling R&C in 1988 and later launching another influential firm, Warren Cowan and Associates, which further capitalized on his earlier revolutions in Oscar campaigning.
Cowan was born and raised in New York, where he was a classmate and — according to a blog remembrance today — the "best friend" of eventual Hollywood columnist Army Archerd:
The friendship in the biz was unmatched by anyone else on either side of the press publicity fence. His honesty and perseverance helped make the profession an honored one. He gave birth to the multitude of publicity firms, which sprung from his offices. He leaves a legacy for his profession and for the business, and I will miss his cheery voice and his good stories.
He's not the only one. RIP, good sir.
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
