Marilyn Beck facts for kids

Marilyn Beck (December 17, 1928 – May 31, 2014) was a famous writer and TV personality. She was best known for her syndicated column about Hollywood stars. A syndicated column means her articles were published in many different newspapers at the same time.

Her Amazing Career

Marilyn Beck started her career as a writer for newspapers and magazines in the early 1960s. She quickly became known for her interesting stories about celebrities. Her first regular column appeared in 1967. Just three years later, she took over from another famous Hollywood writer, Sheilah Graham.

Writing for Newspapers and Online

In 1972, Marilyn's Hollywood column moved to the New York Times Special Features. She wrote about many huge stars of the time. These included Elvis Presley, Natalie Wood, Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, and Richard Burton.

Her column was very popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was read by over 25 million people! Even as the internet grew in the 1990s and 2000s, many people still loved reading her articles. Marilyn was also one of the first writers to have an online presence. She shared her stories on early online services like Prodigy and CompuServe. Later, she also wrote for E! Online and AOL. From 1989 to 1992, she wrote the "Grapevine" column for TV Guide magazine.

In 1990, Marilyn started working with Stacy Jenel Smith. Stacy was a writer who had learned from Marilyn. Their column became known as "Beck/Smith Hollywood Exclusive." They were very innovative! For example, they did live online reports from the Academy Awards. Viewers could even send in questions for the winners. They also started doing video reports online in 2000.

Marilyn Beck's career lasted for five decades. Her column, with Stacy Smith, appeared in hundreds of newspapers and magazines. These were published all over the world, from France and Mexico to cities across the U.S. The "Beck/Smith Hollywood Exclusive" column is still being published today.

On TV and Radio

Besides writing, Marilyn Beck was also a familiar voice and face. She was often heard on the radio in Los Angeles on station KFI. She also appeared regularly on local and national television shows.

She was a guest on popular programs like "Nightline" and talk shows hosted by Barbara Walters, Dinah Shore, Mike Douglas, and Merv Griffin. In 1977 and 1978, she even hosted her own NBC specials called "Marilyn Beck's Hollywood Outtakes." These shows featured funny bloopers from movies. Stars like Sylvester Stallone and William Holden would share their comments. The famous comedian George Burns co-hosted the second special.

From 1983 to 1988, Marilyn was the main Hollywood interviewer for the TV show "PM Magazine." She had on-air chats with many big names. These included Farrah Fawcett, Harrison Ford, Lucille Ball, Michael Landon, George Burns, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Christopher Reeve, and even opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

Marilyn and Stacy Smith also shared their celebrity stories on E! Entertainment's "The Gossip Show" from 1993 to 1999. They sometimes had fun debates about celebrity news.

Marilyn Beck also wrote several books. In 1972, she published "Marilyn Beck's Hollywood," which was about the entertainment industry. She also wrote a novel about Hollywood called "Only Make Believe" in 1988. In 1995, she was one of the authors of the book "Unfinished Lives...What if?"

Awards and Life Outside Work

Marilyn Beck received many honors for her work. She won awards from the Los Angeles City Council and the Southern California Motion Picture Council. She also received an honor from the ICG Publicists Guild of America. Her name is listed in important books like Who's Who in the World and Who's Who in America. These books list famous and important people.

Special Honors

Brigham Young University has a special collection of Marilyn Beck's work. This collection includes her published columns from 1963 to 1993. It also has videotapes, photos, research files, letters from celebrities, and drafts of her books. This shows how important her work was.

Her Personal Life

Marilyn Beck went to the University of Southern California. While there, she was part of the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority.

She was a grandmother to four children. For 30 years, she worked from her home in Beverly Hills. This is where she often interviewed stars for her column and TV appearances. Later in her life, she lived in Oceanside, California, with her husband, Arthur Levine. They had been married since 1980. Arthur was a former mediator from Beverly Hills. Marilyn Beck passed away on May 31, 2014, at the age of 85.