# Warren Cowan

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{{Short description|American film industry publicist (1921–2008)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Warren Cowan
| image       = 
| caption     = 
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1921|03|13}}
| birth_place = [New York City](/source/New_York_City), NY, U.S.
| birth_name  = 
| other_names = 
| death_date  = {{death date and age|2008|05|14|1921|03|13}}
| death_place = [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California), U.S.
| education   = 
| occupation  = film industry publicist
| children    = 3, including [Claudia Cowan](/source/Claudia_Cowan)
| spouse      = Ronnie Cowan<br />({{abbr|m.|married}} 194?; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 195?)<br />{{marriage|[Barbara Rush](/source/Barbara_Rush)<br />|1959 |1970|end=divorced}}<br />[Josette Banzet](/source/Josette_Banzet)<br />({{abbr|m.|married}} 1973; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 1979)<br />
Barbara Gilbert<br />({{abbr|m.|married}} 1995)
| website     = 
}}

'''Warren Cowan''' (March 13, 1921&nbsp;– May 14, 2008) was an American film industry [publicist](/source/publicist).  He co-founded the public relations company [Rogers & Cowan](/source/Rogers_%26_Cowan) in 1954 and founded his own company, Cowan & Associates, in 1994.<ref>Amy Wallace, [https://web.archive.org/web/20150329063024/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-79396165.html "Sharper Image Man"], ''[Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles_(magazine))'', November 1, 2001. via [HighBeam Research](/source/HighBeam_Research).</ref>  He was described as "one of Hollywood’s most powerful and innovative publicists" at the time of his death.<ref name="NYTObit">Bruce Weber, [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/business/media/16cowan.html?partner=BREITBART&_r=0 "Warren Cowan, a Star at Promoting Stars, Dies at 87"], ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'', May 16, 2008.</ref><ref name=LATimesObit>Dennis McLellan, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-may-16-et-cowan16-story.html "Warren Cowan, 1921 - 2008: Legendary Hollywood press agent"], ''[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)'', May 16, 2008.</ref>

==Early life==
thumb|Townsend Harris High School
He was born to a [Jewish](/source/American_Jews) family<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1zGBwAAQBAJ&q=hubgry+jewish&pg=PT140|first=Dick|last=Guttman|title=Starflacker: Inside the Golden Age of Hollywood|date=April 2, 2015|publisher=Guttman Associates, Incorporated |isbn=9780986407116}} {{dead link|date=February 2023}}</ref> in [New York City](/source/New_York_City), the son of songwriter Rubey Cowan<ref name="NYTObit" /> and Grace Cowan.<ref>[http://archives.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005120897#.V2yGMI-cGmQ Idaho Mountain Express Obituaries: "Warren Cowan"] May 30, 2008</ref> He had one older brother, Stanley, who was also a songwriter.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051504196.html Washington Post: "Warren Cowan; Press Agent for Hollywood Stars" by Jeff Wilson] May 16, 2008</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-17-mn-610-story.html Los Angeles Times: "Stanley Cowan; Songwriter, Film Composer"] December 17, 1991</ref> He attended [Townsend Harris High School](/source/Townsend_Harris_High_School), a school for boys on the educational fast track.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/business/media/16cowan.html|title = Warren Cowan, a Star at Promoting Stars, Dies at 87|newspaper = The New York Times|date = May 16, 2008|last1 = Weber|first1 = Bruce}}</ref> While attending the [University of California, Los Angeles](/source/University_of_California%2C_Los_Angeles), Cowan majored in journalism and represented actress [Linda Darnell](/source/Linda_Darnell).<ref name="NYTObit" /> Cowan served in the [United States Army Air Forces](/source/United_States_Army_Air_Forces) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) for three years.<ref name="NYTObit" /><ref name=LATimesObit />

==Career==
In 1946, Cowan joined the firm established by [Henry C. Rogers](/source/Henry_C._Rogers).<ref name="NYTObit" /> In 1950, he became a partner in the firm, which then changed its name to Rogers & Cowan.<ref name="NYTObit" /> He was named president in 1964.<ref name="NYTObit" /> Rogers & Cowan became one of the largest entertainment public relations firm in the world<ref name="NYTObit" /><ref>[http://annenberg.usc.edu/AboutUs/PublicAffairs/AbergNews/release20060412.aspx Profile], Annenberg,usc.edu; accessed September 18, 2015.</ref> handling not only entertainers but also high-tech manufacturers, athletes, publishers, movie studios and trade unions.<ref name="NYTObit" /> Whenever he was asked to name his favourite client, Cowan's constant answer was always "the next one."<ref>[http://www.healthyhearing.com/library/interview_content.asp?interview_id=205 Interview with Warren Cowan], healthyhearing.com; accessed September 18, 2015.</ref>

In 1950, Cowan staged the first celebrity charity-fundraiser, a golf tournament on behalf of motion picture director [Frank Borzage](/source/Frank_Borzage).<ref name=LATimesObit /> Rogers was the first agent to actively solicit public support for his client's nomination for an [Academy Award](/source/Academy_Awards), starting with [Joan Crawford](/source/Joan_Crawford)'s performance in 1945's ''[Mildred Pierce](/source/Mildred_Pierce_(film))''; she won Best Actress.<ref name=LATimesObit /> In 1997, Cowan personally introduced Italian actor [Roberto Benigni](/source/Roberto_Benigni) to his already famous American peers, all of them Cowan clients and Academy voters, on behalf of [Miramax](/source/Miramax). Benigni and his picture, ''[Life Is Beautiful](/source/Life_Is_Beautiful)'', won three Oscars that year.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}

In 1988, Rogers & Cowan company was sold to Shandwick Plc., an English conglomerate.<ref name="NYTObit" />  "It was the right move to make in some respects, but I found that I was doing too much that was administrative and too little that was creative," Cowan said.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} Cowan remained as chairman until 1992.<ref name=LATimesObit /> In 1994,after a two-year non-competitive period, he launched a new company, Warren Cowan & Associates.<ref name=LATimesObit />

==Personal life==
Cowan had five marriages, four of which ended in divorce, including two to actress [Barbara Rush](/source/Barbara_Rush).<ref name="NYTObit" />

He and his first wife, entertainment columnist Ronnie Cowan  (1926-1997), had two daughters, Bonnie and Linda.  Linda was killed by a drunk driver in 1989.<ref>[https://variety.com/1997/scene/people-news/ronnie-cowan-1117433099/ "Ronnie Cowan, a Hollywood columnist based in London for Screen International throughout the 1970s and the former wife of public relations executive Warren Cowan, died Monday of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Beverly Hills at age 71"] January 23, 1997</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-12-16-me-8-story.html Los Angeles Times: "A Tale of Two Women" by Al Martinez] December 16, 1989</ref>

He had one child with his second wife [Barbara Rush](/source/Barbara_Rush), Fox News Channel reporter [Claudia Cowan](/source/Claudia_Cowan).<ref name="NYTObit" />

His third wife was [French](/source/French_people) actress [Josette Banzet](/source/Josette_Banzet).<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19760229&id=dYdPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mwUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4943,6575113&hl=en Ocala Star-Banner: "Actress Takes Her Work Home" by Dick Kleiner] February 29, 1976</ref>

His fourth marriage was to Barbara Gilbert-Cowan, daughter of comedy writer [Harry Crane](/source/Harry_Crane), to whom he remained married until his death. She is the mother of actors [Melissa Gilbert](/source/Melissa_Gilbert), [Sara Gilbert](/source/Sara_Gilbert), and [Jonathan Gilbert](/source/Jonathan_Gilbert).

He had eight grandchildren.<ref name="NYTObit" /> He died on May 14, 2008, of [cancer](/source/cancer) at his home in Los Angeles.<ref name="NYTObit" /> He is buried at [Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery](/source/Mount_Sinai_Memorial_Park_Cemetery).<ref name="LATimesObit" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article4045036.ece The Times - Obituary]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* {{EmmyTVLegends name|warren-cowan|Warren Cowan}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, Warren}}
Category:1921 births
Category:2008 deaths
Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Category:United States Army personnel of World War II
Category:Businesspeople from Queens, New York
Category:Mass media people from Los Angeles
Category:American public relations people
Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers
Category:Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Category:Deaths from cancer in California
Category:Townsend Harris High School alumni
Category:Jewish American military personnel
Category:American businesspeople in the entertainment industry
Category:20th-century American businesspeople
Category:20th-century American Jews
Category:21st-century American Jews

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Warren Cowan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Cowan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Cowan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.