Dick Guttman, Legendary Hollywood Publicist for Streisand, Eastwood, and Newman, Dies at 93

A Titan of Hollywood Public Relations and Cinematic Legacy

Dick Guttman, the longtime Hollywood publicist whose impressive client roster over the decades included such luminaries as Barbra Streisand, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Tony Curtis, Milton Berle, Greer Garson, Simone Signoret, Carroll Baker, Candice Bergen, Peter Ustinov, Tony Randall, Dick Powell, Natalie Wood, William Holden, William Shatner, James Mason, and Rex Harrison, died Saturday, September 19, in Los Altos, California at the age of 93. His death was officially announced by Guttman Associates Public Relations, the elite firm he founded, though a specific cause of death was not disclosed by the agency.

Throughout his illustrious years at Rogers & Cowan and subsequently at his own independent banner, Guttman Associates, he represented not only an elite A-list clientele of cinematic stars but also some of Hollywood's most celebrated, critically acclaimed films. His studio campaign portfolio included monumental motion pictures such as Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven and Dirty Harry, Bonnie and Clyde, Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, Kramer Vs. Kramer, All That Jazz, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Man Who Would Be King, The King's Speech, The Artist, Shakespeare in Love, and The English Patient. The creative direction and box office strategies he deployed for these titles cemented their cultural longevity and critical reception.

Early Beginnings and the Journey to Continental Cinema

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Guttman was raised in Los Angeles after his father moved the family west following World War II. During his formative years, he demonstrated a strong drive for storytelling and media, running track at Fairfax High School, covering high school sports for the Los Angeles Examiner, and later attending UCLA where he studied film and psychology. While pursuing his higher education, he secured a part-time position at the powerhouse PR agency Rogers & Cowan, laying the groundwork for a legendary career in entertainment communications.

After graduating, Guttman launched his professional trajectory as a unit publicist in Europe, working hands-on on such international productions as Paris Holiday and The Key. While stationed in Paris as the unit publicist on Billy Wilder's classic Love in the Afternoon, he met the woman who would become his wife of 70 years, Gisela, who proudly survives him. This international exposure sharpened his unique understanding of global entertainment markets and celebrity management before returning to the epicenter of the American film industry.

Building Preeminent Agencies and Expanding Cultural Footprints

Moving back to Los Angeles, Guttman returned to Rogers & Cowan for more than a decade, further cementing his reputation by representing major actors including Paul Newman, Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Tony Curtis, Milton Berle, Greer Garson, Simone Signoret, Carroll Baker, Candice Bergen, Peter Ustinov, Tony Randall, Dick Powell, Natalie Wood, William Holden, James Mason, and Rex Harrison. In 1971, he partnered with fellow publicist Jerry Pam, establishing Guttman & Pam, which reigned for more than two decades as one of the preeminent and most influential Hollywood publicity agencies during a transformative era in American cinema.

In the early 1990s, Guttman formed his own independent agency, Guttman Associates, continuing to represent numerous films, television shows, and individual talents from his Beverly Hills office for more than 35 years. As a longtime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, his celebrated client list boasted numerous repeat winners and nominees of Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, Tonys, Cable Ace Awards, and Grammys. This roster featured titans such as Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, Elizabeth Taylor, Jay Leno, Janet Jackson, Christopher Reeve, Rip Torn, Cindy Williams, Martin Landau, Maximilian Schell, Tom Skerritt, Jane Seymour, Kathy Ireland, Marilu Henner, Stacy Keach, Steve Guttenberg, David Janssen, Jacqueline Bisset, James Woods, Robert Urich, Bo Derek, Ernest Borgnine, Donny Osmond, and Mickey Rooney.

Diversifying Beyond Cinema into Publishing, Tech, and Screenwriting

Beyond traditional Hollywood talent, Guttman's corporate and personal footprint expanded into publishing, astronautics, and foundational entertainment technology. His client base famously included personalities such as astronaut Buzz Aldrin, author Sidney Sheldon, and major industry entities like Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic. He spearheaded Sanrio's historic introduction of Hello Kitty to wider American audiences, alongside marketing campaigns for Kathy Ireland Worldwide, Jane Seymour's Open Hearts line with Kay Jewelers, Elizabeth Taylor's House of Taylor fragrance and jewelry fields, and premier jewelry leaders like Harry Winston. Furthermore, he developed high-profile media campaigns for books by Dyan Cannon (her bestselling memoir of her life with Cary Grant, Dear Cary), Patricia Hearst, and Wayne Rogers.

In the media and technology space, his firm oversaw the landmark launch of Movietime, the cable network that later evolved into E! Entertainment, as well as Baseline, recognized as the industry's first encyclopedic website offering comprehensive data about entertainment figures and productions. In addition to his towering publicity career, Guttman was an accomplished screenwriter with seven feature films to his credit, including the 1963 action-drama Back Door to Hell starring a young Jack Nicholson, as well as multiple television movies produced in creative collaboration with acclaimed director Joseph Sargent. Today, Guttman Associates continues its storied legacy of representing top-tier Hollywood talent under the leadership of the founder's long-time colleagues Susan Madore and Rona Menashe.