Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-28
Harry Brand
A Hollywood
Supernatural
Publicity Director Wins
Popularity Palm
by DAMON RUNYON

IN q q / q oil the night 10 do a
friend a favor.
He Is AZ years old and was
born in the Bronx, New York,
but grew up in Los Angeles. He
was sports editor of the Los An
geles Express and Tribune until
he turned TO the movie publicity
game. lie started with Jack
Warner, was with Buster Kea-
ton, the comedian. a while. then
joined Joe Schcnck at United
ArtiStS.-
That was q years ago For
the past eight years he has been
with Daryl Zanuck on the Goth
Century-FoX lot. He is 5 feet Z
inches in height, weighs a
pudgy 100 and has wispy black
hair. He sometimes wears horn
trimmed SpectacleS that give him
a slightly owlish look which be-
lies his bubbling good nature.
He is famous for his wise
cracks his practical jokes and
for one of the most pronounced
cases of telephonitis in the
United States. He calls up at
least 40 or so friends every day
of his life and gives each the
same sugary routine:
Hello. palsy-walsy. How are
you: What are you doing?
When am l going to see yOu:"
He may have seen the friend
two hours before 'Well, you.
know i love you"
LIE even hands similar line
H probably as a matter of
habit, TO his wife, Sybil. a grand
little lady Of sparkling person
atty who admits to getting
many laugh out of listening
10 Harry's stock dialogue. She
gives good imitation Of him in
conversational action. She says
he spends most of his days off
at home on the phone The
Brand telephone bills must be
terrific.
In his office at the studio are
three phones and he. often car
rlcs on two conversations prac-
tically simultaneously. There is
never pencil or scrap of
paper on his desk. His office
door is never closed and the
newspaper folks covering the
movies make it their head
quarters.
His desk and chair are vener-
able pieces of furniture that
look out of place in the some
what ornate environment, but
they belonged to Joe Schenck
and Harry would not part with
them.
Mrs. Brand once connived
with Harry's secretary. Katie
r o b ins son, when Harry was
away, and redecorated the Of
flee quite handsomely, but when
Harry returned and saw the
result he was highly indignant
and threw all the new trappings
out and demanded the restora-
ton of the Old
He has autographed photos
OF many worldwide celebrities
on the walls. but did all the
autographing himself. There is
not one photo Of a movie person.
HARRY had a fall when a
IA child that left one leg per-
manently stiff despite many OPP
erationS. Yet in World War |
he was drafted and sent TO
Camp Lewis where he remained
until he was examined by an
army surgeon there who sent
him home with some rather
SulphurouS comments on the
first examiner.
AS a boy Harry was keenly
sensitive about his handicap and
his inability to participate in
the usual games of boyhood. and
he learned TO play one of the
most difficult of all games.
handball. He became a great
player.
lie is A prodigious letter
writer bat some OF his letters
VIII consist Of but one or two
words. He served briefly as sec
rotary TO Mayor Snyder of Los
Angeles years ago. His brother.
EDWARD, IS one Of the judges of
the superior court and when he
was running for election. Harry
called up everybody he could
think of and told them confiden-
TALLY a vote for Brand en-.
titles YOU 10 two mISdemeanors."
a promise that needless TO say
was scarcely fulfilled.
Harry probably has a hollow
IN his head where the bump of
generation is supposed 10 exist.
He kids about everything and
everybody except possibly Joe
Schenck. lie has never called him
anything but Mr.. Schenck.
though nearly everyone else
calls Mr.. Schcnck Joe. Harry
was publicity man for Mrs.
Dairy Zanuck when she was
Virginia Fox, a movie star. and
that was when he became ac-
qualnted with Mr.. Zanuck. whom
he calls Daryl.
Harrys home phone number is
in the telephone directory. which
makes him unique and peculiar
in the Hollywood colony where