“Forgotten Hollywood”- Goodbye To the Dame of Dish…
Manny P. here…
“`Liz Smith was a syndicated gossip columnist for over a quarter-century. It was one of the most widely read in the world. Her own celebrity status gave her an insider’s access, rather than relying largely on tips, press releases, or publicists. Whether reporting on entertainers, politicians, or power brokers, the Dame of Dish never bothered with rumors.
“`Born Mary Elizabeth Smith in Fort Worth, Texas, she was the daughter of devout Baptist mother and an eccentric father. As a young girl, Liz fell in love with the silver screen, since movies were one of the few things her mother did not consider a sin.
“`Smith earned her journalism degree from Hardin-Simmons University, and headed off for New York. For nearly 30 years, she bounced from job to job: Publicist for singer Kaye Ballard; assistant to Mike Wallace, and Candid Camera’s creator Allen Funt; and ghostwriter for Igor Cassini’s gossip column.
“`Smith wrote for nine New York newspapers, and dozens of magazines, including Sports Illustrated. But, it was a stint writing for Cosmopolitan that proved felicitous. Establishing herself as the authority on Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Liz Smith attracted the attention of the New York Daily News, which led to penning a daily column in 1976. LIZ SMITH ->
“`The Texas native endeared herself to many celebrities, and she scored major scoops: Donald and Ivana Trump’s divorce; the first child of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow; the pregnancy of Madonna; and the death of Nora Ephron. Her scoops were always upbeat and on-point.
“`Smith helped usher in the era of celebrity journalism on television by joining WNBC-TV for three nights a week commentary. A decade later, she jumped to Fox; and she then appeared for the cable channel, E! Entertainment Television. During that time, Smith migrated from the Daily News to the rival New York Post, and finally, to Newsday; and ultimately earning a salary well into six figures. Meanwhile, her column was syndicated, nationwide, and it drew millions of readers.
“`Smith also hosted endless charity fund-raisers. She raised millions of dollars for Literacy Volunteers; and for Women’s Action Alliance, promoting full equality for women.
“`The vivacious Liz Smith was 94.
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Monday, November 13th, 2017 at 12:35 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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