Long-time publicist David Horowitz died in his Los Angeles home on Sunday at the age of 86. Horowitz’s wife, Lynn Horowitz, confirmed the news on Monday.
In addition to the entertainment industry, Horowitz also occasionally worked in politics, where he made his reputation as the publicist who twice revitalized Bill Clinton’s public image during his presidential campaign.
Some of Horowitz’s posts included president of corporate entertainment, president of the film division and president of the TV division at Rogers & Cowan; advertising and publicity VP with Kirk Douglas‘ Bryna Productions; unit publicist for several Billy Wilder pictures including “Irma La Douce” and “The Fortune Cookie”; and VP of publicity at TriStar to handle “The Natural,” at Robert Redford‘s request.
Horowitz joined Warner Bros. in the 1970s for a decade-long stint with the studio, beginning as head of publicity for the film division, reporting to Ted Ashley and Frank Wells. Then he was vice president of advertising, publicity and promotion for Warner Bros. Television under Alan Shayne.
Beginning in the 1990s, Horowitz specialized in Oscar campaigns, including those for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” which took home 11 awards in 2003; back-to-back Best Picture winners “Dances With Wolves” and “The Silence of the Lambs”; and many other wins amid some 140 nominations for Orion, Warner, Miramax, Paramount and New Line.
Services for Horowitz will be held at Mount Sinai Memorial Park on Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles on Monday, July 25, at 10 a.m.