Martin Jurow Dies

MARTIN JUROW DIES

Release Date:

February 21, 2004

Press Release:

The Associated Press

Martin Jurow, a longtime studio executive and agent who produced classics including Breakfast at Tiffany's, died Thursday, February 12, 2004 after suffering from Parkinson's disease for more than a decade, according to the medical examiner's office.

He was 92.

He graduated from the College of William and Mary, where he studied under drama coach Althea Hunt. In 1935, he graduated from Harvard Law School and passed the New York bar exam. As a matter of fact, Jurow became an assistant prosecutor in 1976.

His first job after graduating Harvard Law School was with the New York law firm of Nathan Burkan, a top entertainment lawyer whose clients included George M. Cohan, Mae West, Eddie Cantor and Al Jolson. He related his uniquely colorful experiences in his memoir, ``Marty Jurow Seein' Stars: A Show Biz Odyssey,'' published by SMU Press in 2001.

As an independent producer, Jurow was responsible for giving Audrey Hepburn and Peter Sellers roles in Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Pink Panther.

Jurow also produced The Great Race with Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood; Soldier in the Rain with Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason; The Hanging Tree with Gary Cooper; and The Fugitive Kind starring Marlon Brando and Joanne Woodward.

In his Hollywood studio days, Jurow was executive assistant to movie titans Jack L. Warner and Hal B. Wallis.

Once a top-level agent for MCA and the William Morris Agency, Jurow was instrumental in the Broadway productions of My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I, Guys and Dolls and The Music Man. In movies as an agent, Jurow got Frank Sinatra the role of Maggio in "From Here to Eternity" to prove that Sinatra had more talent as an actor than just a talented singer.

Jurow continued to work in the entertainment industry after moving to Dallas. He made several films in Texas, including Terms of Endearment, which earned seven Oscars.