Warren Cowan. Photo courtesy of Warren Cowan & Associates.

BEVERLY HILLS—Warren Cowan, a legendary Hollywood publicist who co-founded the famed Rogers & Cowan public relations firm and was known as an innovative pioneer of independent entertainment publicity for many of the biggest names in show business, has died. He was 87.

Cowan died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of cancer, which was diagnosed three weeks earlier, said Daniel Bernstein of Warren Cowan & Associates.

A native of New York who began moonlighting as a Hollywood publicist while attending UCLA in the early 1940s, Cowan joined Henry Rogers's publicity firm in 1945 after serving in the Army Air Forces.

In 1950, the two publicists became partners in Rogers & Cowan, which became the largest entertainment public relations firm in the world. Cowan launched his own firm in 1994. In a more than 60-year career that continued until his death, Cowan represented an array of stars, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, Steve McQueen, Natalie Wood, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Kirk Douglas and Joan Crawford.

Ruta Lee a longtime friend of Cowan’s said, “The man was a giant. He was an incredible and positive force in the business and many of us learned a lot from this man.”

Charles Champlin, former “Times” film critic and arts editor, said in a statement that Cowan "stood at the peak of his profession, and he gave it dignity and weight. His word was his bond, and in a world of make-believe he stood for honesty, credibility and trust."
Unlike some high-profile entertainment publicists who make journalistic demands and seek control over interviews with their celebrity clients, Cowan was considered an "old-school" Hollywood publicist.

Famed publicist Warren Cowan passed away this month. Photo of Cowan, Jay Bernstein and singer Frank Sinatra. Photo courtesy of jaybernstein.com

As a publicist, Cowan once said, "I like to create news." He was handling publicity for director Frank Borzage in 1950 when he came up with the idea of a celebrity sports tournament for charity to get the two-time Oscar winner's name in the news. Cowan was a pioneer and maverick for many of the things we take for granted today in the business.

During his early days working for Rogers, Cowan provided an unexpected boost to client Joan Crawford that resulted in Rogers & Cowan creating the first independent Oscar campaign. Now it’s something that is done almost every day. Cowan said in a previous interview, “She had just been named 'Box Office Poison' by the theater exhibitors," Cowan recalled in a 2003 interview with Television Week. “After years at MGM, she went to Warner Bros. to do a movie called 'Mildred Pierce.' Three or four weeks into production, I sat at my typewriter and wrote an item, which I sent to [columnist] Hedda Hopper.”

"To my amazement, she printed it word for word. It said everyone in the front office at Warners is jumping with glee over the rushes of Joan Crawford in 'Mildred Pierce.' They are all saying she's a cinch to be nominated for the Academy Award."

Hopper, Cowan said, "didn't call anyone, didn't check with anyone. I remember studying that article and saying to Henry, 'We should repeat this for the next year.' All we should do is try to reach the 3 - 4,000 members that constituted the Academy at that time. As a result, we took the first Academy [Award] ad in a trade paper for Joan Crawford, quoting Hedda Hopper and a few others." Crawford won the Oscar, the two publicists had similarly successful campaigns over the next two years and in time, Cowan recalled, "everybody started to copy what we were doing."

Entertainer Constance Towers said of Cowan, “He was not only a great publicist, but a wonderful man as well. Like so many giants of his time, he was very caring of his clients and treated them like friends. Warren was warm and shared his respect for everyone he met in his career and his personal life.”

The hard working publicist was putting in 40-hour weeks, friends and coworkers said, up until two or three weeks of his death. Cowan had the old fashion work ethic that is rare today. He also knew that a publicist’s job is to be behind the scenes of his clients, even though for Cowan, he often outshined many stars.

Cowan, who was born in New York City on March 13, 1921, was married five times, twice to actress Barbara Rush.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Gilbert Cowan; his daughters, Fox News reporter Claudia Cowan and Bonnie Fleming; his stepchildren, actresses Melissa and Sara Gilbert and actor Jonathan Gilbert; and eight grandchildren.

A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles.

The family suggests donations be made in Cowan's name to the Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, 555 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven, CT 06511.