Esme Chandlee, Publicist to Top Stars for More Than 60 Years
Chandlee began her career at MGM in its golden-era heyday and more recently represented such stars as Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck.
Esme Chandlee, a publicist who began her career working for iconic studio executive Louis B. Mayer at MGM and went on to represent major stars for more than six decades, died November 24, 2012, in Los Angeles. She was 94.
According to news reports, she died peacefully in her sleep.
At MGM, Chandlee represented such larger-than-life talents as Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, James Stewart, Spencer Tracy, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and many others.
In 1958 she left MGM for a job with the public-relations firm Cleary, Strauss & Irvin. She later moved to NBC, where she became an associate producer on the afternoon talk show Here’s Hollywood, which aired from 1960-62.
She launched her own company, Esme Chandlee Public Relations, in 1961. Her first clients were married couple John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands.
Seven years later she discovered Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott when they were up-and-coming actors. She continued to work with Selleck until her retirement at age 89.
More about her life and career is available at: