Betty Lasky
Born(1922-10-11)October 11, 1922
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 7, 2017(2017-01-07) (aged 94)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Author, film historian
Parent
FamilyJesse L. Lasky Jr. (brother)
Betty Lasky
GenreMovie industry, movie editor, film history, Hollywood history
Notable worksRKO: The Biggest Little Major of Them All

Betty Lasky (October 11, 1922 – January 7, 2017)[1] was an American film historian and author.

Life

She was the daughter of pioneering producer Jesse L. Lasky, a key founder of Paramount Pictures and Bessie Mona Ginsberg Lasky, a painter known for her depictions of the California missions.[1] Her late brother, Jesse L. Lasky, Jr., was the screenwriter of over 50 films, including a long partnership with the DeMilles. She grew up in and around Hollywood, piquing her interest in film history. Her writing career began as a screen story analyst for RKO Pictures, the Selznick Company and the Hamilburg Agency, as well as a position editing and writing for The Players Showcase Magazine.[2]

In the 1970s, she worked with attorney Terrys T. Olender to preserve film artifacts saved by the City of Los Angeles in the Lincoln Heights Jail. As a result, she was asked by her former employer, RKO, to compile and publish a history of the film company (producer of Citizen Kane and King Kong). RKO: The Biggest Little Major of Them All was released in 1984 by Prentice-Hall. She also contributed the "Roots of Hollywood" chapter in Hollywood Archive: The Hidden History of Hollywood in the Golden Age (New York: Angel City Press and Universal Publishing, a division of Rizzoli) in 2000.[3]

Miss Lasky died of pneumonia on the afternoon of January 7, 2017, at her home in Los Angeles, aged 94.[4]

Awards and honors

  • 1984: Award of Excellence from Film Advisory Board for RKO: The Biggest Little Major of Them All.[1]
  • 1985-86: Honorary trustee of Hollywood Studio Museum and member of honorary committee for De Mille Dynasty Exhibition in Century City, CA.[1]
  • 1998-01: Historical Advisor "The Hollywood History Museum" Exhibits, Website, Newsletter and Advisor in Hollywood, CA.
  • 2001-16: Member of the Board "George Westmore Research Library & Museum" Exhibits and Advisor in Burbank, CA.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Contemporary Authors Online". Biography in Context. Gale. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Jesse-L-Lasky.com -- Betty Lasky, daughter". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-08.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ↑ "Film historian and author Betty Lasky dies at 94". Daily Journal. January 13, 2017. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
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