Jim Byron was an American

publicist A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for a work such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists who ...

known for working with female models and actresses during the 1950s and 1960s, including

Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...

and

Yvette Mimieux Yvette Carmen Mimieux (January 8, 1942 – January 18, 2022) was an American film and television actress. Her breakout role was in '' The Time Machine'' (1960). She was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards during her acting career. Early li ...

. Prior to working with actresses, Jim Byron worked as a promoter for the

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

club

Ciro's Ciro's (later known as Ciro's Le Disc) was a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California owned by William Wilkerson. Opened in 1940, Ciro's became a popular nightspot for celebrities. The nightclub closed in 1957 and was reopened ...

Work with Jayne Mansfield

Byron was hired as

's publicist at her request on Christmas Eve 1954. She was an unknown in Hollywood at the time and he considered her a diamond in the rough—one who needed a little polish and promotion in order to become a sensation. To bring the newspapers on her side, he had her visit newspaper offices over Christmas in order to cheer up the writers there who had to work over the holiday period. The plan worked, and images of Mansfield began to appear in print. In response, Byron's contract was extended to five years and planned her big break, which took place at a press event for

Jane Russell Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s. She starred in more than 20 films. Russell moved from th ...

's 1955 film ''

Underwater! ''Underwater!'' is a 1955 adventure film directed by John Sturges and starring Jane Russell and Richard Egan. Plot synopsis Johnny and his wife Theresa, along with mercenary Dominic Quesada, priest Father Cannon and Gloria, the boat owner, sea ...

'' During the event in Florida at a pool, the press were milling around and Mansfield jumped into the pool as she removed her

bikini A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coverin ...

top. The press took immediate note, and Byron took the credit for the move. Although not her agent, he was responsible for her signing a seven-year deal with

Warner Brothers Studios Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

Work with Yvette Mimieux

Byron personally discovered

when the actress was 16 years old. She was riding a horse down a bridle path in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...

when Byron came across her and gave her his business card and an offer to get her into films. He began to publicize his new client by having her enter local beauty competitions, where she was successful winning several Los Angeles area titles. This generated interest from

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

in 1959, who signed her to a seven-year contract.

Personal life

Byron was not universally liked in Hollywood; Frank Sinatra referred to him as a "fucking parasite", and the pair came to blows in 1954 on the Sunset Strip in

. It was as a result of Byron asking Sinatra's guest, Bob Neal, who his date was. Both Sinatra and Byron landed blows before the fight was broken up. Subsequently, Byron declined to press charges.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Byron, Jim American publicists