Leonard Morpurgo, the veteran UK publicist whose career highlights included senior roles at Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures and Rogers & Cowan, has died. He was 93.
Morpurgo died of cancer in Los Angeles on August 12, surrounded by his family.
Born in London on November 28, 1932, Morpurgo served as director of European publicity and promotion for Columbia Pictures before he relocated to the US. He was also editor of the Publicists Directory for a decade.
In the US he served as head of international marketing for Universal Studios, and held comparable roles at CBS Theatrical Films and Lorimar Pictures, and was vice president of Rogers & Cowan Public Relations.
Morpurgo maintained a cheery and friendly demeanour in his dealings with talent and the press. His experience behind the scenes with many of the entertainment industry’s biggest stars, among them Cary Grant, Steve McQueen, and Omar Sharif, informed his 2009 memoir Of Kings and Queens And Movie Stars.
“He was in one desert for the filming of Lawrence Of Arabia and another for Dune,” Morpurgo’s son Thierry said. “That was the kind of life he led – always close to the world of movies, wherever the work took him.”
Morpurgo also held the position of vice president of Weissman/Markovitz Communications, contributing to publicity campaigns for independent and studio productions across film and television. Fluent in several languages and a member of Bafta and the Academy, Morpurgo was active on the international feature film committee and played a key role in the company’s international feature film Oscar campaigns.
“Leonard brought uncommon experience, intelligence, and perspective to every campaign and every conversation,” said Rick Markovitz, president of Weissman/Markovitz Communications, who collaborated with Morpurgo for many years. “He was a skilled raconteur, and I will miss his passion for storytelling and hearing about the old days of Hollywood.”
“Leonard was a sweet, kind and generous soul – and my second boss after I moved to Los Angeles nearly five decades ago,” publicity executive Pamela Godwin-Austin said. “He shared his knowledge generously and was a great mentor. He knew how to temper the pressures of the job with humour. I am grateful he showed me the way.”
Outside the film business Morpurgo was an accomplished needlepoint artist.
He is survived by his wife Elena-Beth Kaye; twin sons Benjamin and Thierry; and grandchildren, Violet, Oona and Lucien. Information regarding a celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
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