William “Bill” O’Hare, a longtime movie marketing executive for companies including MGM, Paramount and Columbia, died of lung cancer April 2 at the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Born in Lake Placid, N.Y., O’Hare started out as an assistant manager at Century Theatres in Brooklyn and worked his way up to VP of advertising and publicity for DCA, MGM, Cinema Center Films, Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures..
He served as art director for poster campaigns for films including “Dr. Zhivago,” an anniversary celebration of “Gone With the Wind,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Dirty Dozen.”
Over more than three decades in entertainment, he worked with stars including Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Lee Marvin and Steve McQueen, as well as filmmakers David Lean, Robert Aldrich and Stanley Kubrick.
He published a book “Movie Magic: A Marketing Memoir,” detailing his time in the business and his work with countless complex personalities.
“In my wildest dreams, I never imagined a kid from the tiny hamlet of Lake Placid, New York, would someday be working at these mythical companies, much less meeting and working with movie stars. Even more astonishing was that these stars would actually listen to what I have to say,” stated O’Hare in his memoir.
O’Hare is survived by his daughter Billianne; sons Rob, Matthew and Mike; brother, Don and daughter-in-law, Monina.
Private memorial services will take place on Wednesday, April 11, at the Louis B. Mayer Theater at the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
