Kay B. Barrett
Kay Brown Barrett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Katharine Brown December 7, 1902 Hastings on Hudson, New York, U.S.[1] |
| Died | January 18, 1995 (aged 92) Hightstown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Agent, Representative, Talent Scout |
| Spouse | James Barrett |
Katharine "Kay" Brown Barrett (December 7, 1902 – January 18, 1995) was a
Career
Brown was born into New York high society as the daughter of Kate Ross and Henry Collins Brown, a founder of the Museum of the City of New York. In later years, her Hollywood friends were amused by the fact that she was listed in the New York Social Register.[2]
In 1924, she graduated from
Later in 1931, David O. Selznick took over RKO. Selznick left RKO in 1933 to return to MGM, but in 1935 he found a financial backer, John Hay Whitney, who allowed him to set up his own studio, Selznick International Pictures. One of his first hires was Brown, still in the role of Eastern Story Editor, but later as "Eastern Representative" as Selznick expanded her role at the studio to that of his primary assistant.[2] In addition to Gone with the Wind, she brought Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca to the attention of Selznick. She also persuaded Ingrid Bergman to leave Stockholm for Hollywood for the Selznick production Intermezzo: A Love Story; signed Laurence Olivier to his first American contract for Rebecca, and convinced Alfred Hitchcock to sign a seven-year contract with Selznick International so that he could direct Rebecca.[3] She also acquired the rights to Rose Franken's Claudia: The Story of a Marriage in 1939 and was involved in the screen tests for that story that led to Phylis Walker (later renamed Jennifer Jones by Brown and Selznick) being signed by the studio.[2]
For tax reasons,
Personal life
Kay Brown married James Barrett (died 1967) and had two daughters, Laurinda and Kate. She died on January 18, 1995, of a stroke, aged 92, at her home in Hightstown, New Jersey.[3]
Filmography
- Gone with the Wind (1939) (story editor: Eastern) (uncredited)
- Rebecca (1940) (story editor) (uncredited)
- Hollywood: The Selznick Years (1969) (TV) .... Herself
- Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story aka The RKO Story: Tales from Hollywood (UK).... Herself (2 episodes, 1987)
- Let's Face the Music and Dance (1987) TV episode (as Kay Brown) .... Herself
- Birth of a Titan (1987) TV episode (as Kay Brown) .... Herself
- The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988) (TV) (as Kay Brown Barrett) .... Herself - Eastern Story Editor for David O. Selznick
Notes
- Kay Brown Barrett was portrayed by actress Sue Ann Gilfillan in the 1980 television film, The Scarlett O'Hara War.[5]
- According to IMDb, the character of "Betty Schaefer", the literary assistant who had total control over a producer's story acquisitions, in the film Sunset Boulevard (played by Nancy Olson) was based on Brown.
References
- ^ IMDb profile
- ^ a b c d e f g Derek Granger (1995-01-31). "Obituaries: Kay Brown". The Independent. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
- ^ a b c d e f Van Gelder, Lawrence. "Kay B. Barrett, Talent Scout And Entertainment Agent, 93", The New York Times, January 19, 1995. Accessed December 3, 2012. "Kay Brown Barrett, who bought Gone With the Wind for the movie producer David O. Selznick after discovering the novel as his New York representative, died yesterday at the Meadow Lakes retirement community in Hightstown, N.J., where she had lived for the last 14 years. She was 93."
- ^ a b Martin Gottfried, Arthur Miller: His Life and Work. 2004, Da Capo Press, p. 101
- ^ "The Scarlett O'Hara War". IMDb.
External links
- Kay B. Barrett at IMDb(as Katherine Brown)
- Kay Brown Barrett Papers, 1906-1991, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Kay Brown Barrett: The First Victim of "Scarlett Fever", New York Public Library blog posting.