George Glass | |
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George Glass c.1960
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Born |
Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
August 19, 1910
Died | April 1, 1984 Ventura, California, U.S. |
(aged 73)
Occupation | Film producer, publicist |
Years active | 1936–1971 |
Spouse(s) | Harriet Glass (née Galblum) |
George Glass (August 19, 1910 – April 1, 1984) was an American film producer and publicist, best known for his work with Stanley Kramer. In Kramer's 1997 autobiography, describing how he formed his first production company in the late 1940s, he called Glass "one of the best publicity men in town", and remarked "I was fortunate to get Glass, with whom I had worked in the Lewin-Loew partnership before the war. He was a bright man and a very smooth operator." In a 1973 biography of Marlon Brando, Bob Thomas wrote:
George Glass was a veteran of movie publicity, but he was more than a publicist for Kramer. He, Kramer and Carl Foreman were partners in the independent film company, and Glass's brilliant campaigns for Champion and Home of the Brave had been a major part of the company's success. A short, stubby, ebullient man, he performed his craft on the basis of telling the truth.
Glass began his career in the entertainment industry as a radio news commentator and sports broadcaster, but left radio for films in 1936 to work in advertising and publicity capacities for Samuel Goldwyn, United Artists, and others. With Kramer's company, in addition to being the head publicist, Glass often acted as associate producer, sometimes uncredited (as for High Noon), and sometimes with screen credit (as for Cyrano de Bergerac and The Men). Other productions from this period include Death of a Salesman and The Wild One, for which Glass suggested the title.
In January 1952, Glass testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. In his testimony, he described attending gatherings at the homes of Ring Lardner, Jr. and other members of the entertainment industry in the mid-1940s, at which he was urged to become a member of the Communist Political Association.