Howard Strickling (September 25, 1896 – July 16, 1982) served as head of publicity for

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

pictures from the late 1920s into the late 1960s.

Biography

He was born in

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

; Strickling was in charge of the publicity surrounding MGM's films, and the studio's stars for what most film buffs consider the heyday of the company. He was also the voice-over announcer on several trailers for famous MGM films including ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

'', and all three theatrical releases of '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939, 1949, and 1955). Strickling was also well known in Hollywood as one of MGM's " fixers", along with studio vice-president,

Eddie Mannix Joseph Edgar Allen John Mannix (February 25, 1891 – August 30, 1963) was an American film studio executive and producer. He is remembered for his work as a "fixer (crime), fixer", who was paid to cover up Hollywood stars' often colorful priva ...

. Strickling and Mannix are the subject of E. J. Fleming's book ''The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling and the MGM Publicity Machine'' (2004). According to the book, Strickling and Mannix were responsible for covering up or working to tone down several scandals, including pregnancies and abortions, surrounding high-profile MGM talent. Strickling retired in the 1960s. He was married from 1930 until his wife died, in 1980. He died in Chino, California; on July 16, 1982, aged 85. He was portrayed by actor Joe Spano in the 2006 film '' Hollywoodland'', a semi-fictional account of the death of ''

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

'' star George Reeves. Strickling's friend, and fellow "fixer", Eddie Mannix was portrayed by the British actor Bob Hoskins.

References

1896 births 1982 deaths People from West Virginia Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executives {{US-film-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References