Phil Gersh
Phil Gersh | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, New York, U.S. | October 19, 1911
Died | May 10, 2004 | (aged 92)
Occupation(s) | Hollywood talent and literary agent |
Years active | 1949–2004 |
Spouse | Beatrice Aberle |
Children | 2 |
Family | Sam Jaffe (brother-in-law) |
Phil Gersh (October 19, 1911 – May 10, 2004)[1] was an American talent and literary agent, who established an agency known as The Gersh Agency (also known as TGA, or simply Gersh) in 1949, based in Beverly Hills, California, and New York City, representing stars including Humphrey Bogart, David Niven and Richard Burton. He was considered one of the last links between Hollywood's Golden Age and today's corporate-owned movie business.[2][3]
Life and career
Gersh was born in
Gersh moved to
During World War II, Gersh saw active service, joining an anti-tank unit of the 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa and Italy for four months,[1] before being transferred to Special Services,[2] where he met Beatrice Aberle, his future wife.[1]
In 1949, on his return to Hollywood, he bought Sam Jaffe's talent agency, which he renamed as the Phil Gersh Agency in the 1960s.
Gersh was known for his brash and assertive approach on behalf of his clients,
In 1965 Gersh won the role of director in The Sound of Music for his client Robert Wise, and the substantial returns to his agency from this deal allowed for the purchase of plush new headquarters in Beverly Hills.[1] Renamed The Gersh Agency in 1990,[3] today the company is run by Gersh's sons Bob and David Gersh, and by the time of Phil Gersh's death in 2004 had 60 agents working from offices in Beverly Hills, California, and New York City.[2] Phil Gersh continued to play a role in the company's management until 10 weeks before his death.[2]
Other activities
Gersh served on the board of the
Gersh and his wife were avid collectors of modern art, starting from the 1950s,[3] and maintained one of the largest private art collections in the United States.[2] In 1979 they played an active role in the campaign for the foundation of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles,[2] and have donated artwork from their collection for display in the museum by artists such as Jackson Pollock, David Smith and Edward Ruscha.[2] They also owned work by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Wassily Kandinsky, Roy Lichtenstein, Franz Kline and Andy Warhol.[1] In 1989 the museum staged an exhibition of work from their collection, featuring 45 pieces.[2] Gersh was known in the Los Angeles art scene for taking a particular interest in new and emerging artists, and remained an active patron of the arts until his death.[2]
Death
Gersh died at his home in Beverly Hills on May 10, 2004, at the age of 92.[3] He is buried in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, Culver City, California.[2]
He and his wife Beatrice had two sons, David and Robert, and five grandchildren.[2][3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Reed, Christopher (July 6, 2004). "Obituary: Phil Gersh". The Guardian. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w McLellan, Dennis (May 11, 2004). "Phil Gersh, 92; Agent With Old Hollywood Instincts, Art Patron". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Weinraub, Bernard (May 12, 2004). "Phil Gersh, a Leading Agent In Hollywood, Is Dead at 92". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2017.