Fifi Oscard

Fifi Oscard
Born
Fernande Oscard

(1920-06-19)June 19, 1920
Rockaway Beach, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 12, 2005(2005-11-12) (aged 85)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationBarnard College
OccupationTalent agent
Years active1949–2005
Spouse
Harold M. Steinmetz
​
​
(m. 1939; died 1984)​
RelativesArmy Archerd (cousin)

Fifi Oscard (born Fernande Oscard[1] June 19, 1920[2][3] – November 12, 2005) was an American talent agent, perhaps best known for helping Margaret Edson develop her play W;t and for helping Orson Welles get the much-parodied "We will sell no wine before it's time" TV ads for Paul Masson. Oscard is the cousin of entertainment writer Army Archerd and the aunt of the former film and television child actor Miko Oscard.[1][4]

Early life and career

Born in Rockaway Beach, Queens and raised in Cedarhurst, Oscard was the youngest of three children born to French parents, Maurice N. Oscard and Helene Berthet.[5][6][7][8] She attended Barnard College.[2]

Having attended college, married at 19, and raised two children in the interim, Oscard began her career in 1949, with the Olga Lee-Stephen Draper Agency and, in 1952, with Lucille Phillips,[9][10] where, two years later, she was promoted to handling all television casting.[11]

Later career

Oscard began her agency in 1959.[9]

Her client list included Orson Welles,[12] Arthur Ashe[13] (and his daughter Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe[14]), Charles Aznavour,[15] Eartha Kitt,[16] Jacques Bergerac,[17] Gloria Grahame,[18] Alexander Scourby,[19] Peggy Cass[20] Ted Knight,[21] Dorothy Lyman[22] Christopher Gore,[23] Gary Garrison,[24] Terry Schreiber,[25] Tom Ligon,[26] Sam Tsoutsouvas,[27] Wayland Flowers,[28] Jack F. Matlock Jr.[29] Patwant Singh,[30] Billy Klüver[31] James MacGregor Burns,[32] Susan Dunn,[33] Robert McElvaine,[34] and Walter Sullivan.[35]

Oscard represented film noir icon Gloria Grahame during the years leading up to her death,[36] and is portrayed by the British actress Suzanne Bertish in the 2017 biopic Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool.[37]

In 2002, Oscard received the League of Professional Theater Women's Lifetime Achievement Award for her "countless years of creative contributions to American theater."[1]

Personal life and death

Oscard was married to attorney Harold M. Steinmetz from 1939 until his death in 1984.[9] They had two children.[2]

Predeceased by her husband and daughter, Oscard died on November 12, 2005, aged 85. She was survived by her son and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as her cousin, entertainment writer Army Archerd.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Fifi Oscard, Literary and talent agent". Variety. November 15, 2005
  2. ^ a b c Attallah, Naim (1987). Women. London: Quartet Books. p. 1125. ISBN 0704326256.
  3. ^ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K97-P4XB : Thu Feb 06 18:38:06 UTC 2025), Entry for Fernandez Steinmetz and Maurice N Oscard.
  4. ^ Shanas, Bert (July 24, 1966). "Actor Stages 'Comeback' in Flush of Youth". pp. 45P.
  5. ^ "New York, Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1925", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JNJG-GZ6 : Sun Mar 10 21:26:20 UTC 2024), Entry for Fernande Oscard, 1922.
  6. ^ "The Intimate and Personal in Long Island News: Cedarhurst". The Brooklyn Daily Times. July 26, 1924. p. 4.
  7. ^ "Recital by Jane Marmer". The Brooklyn Daily Times. November 14, 1927. p. 3.
  8. ^ "United States, Census, 1930", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X78K-MVZ : Wed Jul 10 23:48:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Maurice N Oscard and Helen Oscard, 1930.
  9. ^ a b c Jones, Kenneth (November 16, 2005). "Fifi Oscard, Talent Agent for More Than 50 Years, Dead at 85". Playbill.
  10. ^ Callan, K (1995). Directing your Directing Career : A Support Book and Agent Guide for Directors. Studio City, CA: Sweden Press. p. 221. ISBN 1-878355-01-5.
  11. ^ "Radio-TV Briefs". The Hollywood Reporter. February 25, 1954. p. 9. ProQuest 2677031874. The Lucile Phillips Agency in NY has appointed Fifi Oscard to cover its entire TV department. Mrs. Phillips will continue casting for the legitimate theatre and motion pictures.
  12. ^ "Intelligencer – Welles and WABC: Love From Afar". New York Magazine.
  13. ^ Ashe, Arthur (1993). A Hard Road to Glory--Basketball : The African-American Athlete in Basketball. New York: Amistad. p. n10. ISBN 1-56743-037-6.
  14. ^ Moutoussamy-Ashe, Jeanne (1993). Daddy and Me : a photo story of Arthur Ashe and his daughter, Camera New York : A.A. Knopf. p. n5. ISBN 0679950966.
  15. ^ Haun, Harry (August 29, 1984). "PEOPLETALK". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F2. ProQuest 1820009293. Charles Aznavour has been huddling with his agent, Fifi Oscard, about doing a revue of his songs in the manner of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.
  16. ^ Hopkins, Tom (March 17, 1979). "TV Hotline: Shooting Down 'Pilot Series' After Few Weeks Unfair". Dayton Daily News. p. TV2.
  17. ^ "Here and There: Zee Sweet Smell of Zee Success". New York Daily News. December 17, 1990. p. 15.
  18. ^ Curcio, Vincent (1989). Suicide Blonde: The Life of Gloria Grahame. William Morrow. p. 7. ISBN 9780688067182.
  19. ^ "Television – Commercials: The Voice from Brooklyn". Time. March 15, 1968. p. 59.
  20. ^ Shaw, Stuart (October 20, 1978). "Questions, Please: Peggy Cass Dog Pedigree". The Toronto Star. p. A13.
  21. ^ "Ted: A Knight on the town". New York Daily News. August 26, 1977. p. 3F
  22. ^ Harris, Radie (June 24, 1982). "Broadway Ballyhoo". The Hollywood Reporter. p. 3. ProQuest 2587840193. Thasnks to the combined efforts of her high-powered agent, Fifi Oscard, and ABC, Dorothy will appear in 'Children' on Monday through Wednesday, then she jets to L.A. and joins 'big Mama' Thursday through Saturday.
  23. ^ Gregg, Rodman W. (1982). Who's Who in the Motion Picture Industry. Beverly Hills, CA: Packard Publishing. p. 78. ISBN 0-941710-01-7.
  24. ^ Garrison, Gary (1999). The Playwright's Survival Guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. p. n8. ISBN 0-325-00165-0.
  25. ^ Shoop, Jim (August 22, 1963). "Actor Seeks Break in Toughest Place". The Minneapolis Star. p. 1B.
  26. ^ Grant, Hank (September 24, 1981). "Rambling Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. p. 3. ProQuest 2598221566. 'The Young and the Restless' sudser star Tom Ligon's getting a bit restless over the possibility of getting enough of a leave from his series to bounce the Broadway boards. His agent Fifi Oscard had him perusing no less than six plays, and he loves them all.
  27. ^ Scaduto, Anthony; Vaughan, Doug; Stasi, Linda (September 27, 1991). "Inside New York: A Boy Named Tsou". Newsday. p. 13.
  28. ^ Adams, Cindy (March 31, 1983). "Cindy Says". Henry County Local. p. 11.
  29. ^ Ellicott, Susan (August 24, 1991). "Cashing In On the Scramble for News". The Times. p. 5. "A big winner in the media frenzy was the recently retired U.S. ambassador to Moscow, Jack Matlock. Mr. Matlock's agent, Fifi Oscard, showing a New York nose for business, launched an auction for the ex-convoy's exclusive services and reportedly won her client $25,000 over the coming two months for 15 days of work for ABC."
  30. ^ Edgar, Kathleen J. (1996). Contemporary Authors Volume 150. New York: Gale Research. p. 410. ISBN 0-8103-9349-2.
  31. ^ Trosky, Susan M., ed. (1991). Contemporary Authors; A Bio-bibliographical Guide to Current Writers in Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Journalism, Drama, Motion Pictures, Television and Other Fields. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company. p. 214. ISBN 0-8103-1958-6.
  32. ^ Burns, James MacGregor (2001). The Three Roosevelts : Patrician Leaders who Transformed America. New York : Atlantic Monthly Press. p. 645. LCCN 00--6089.
  33. ^ Dunn, Susan (2004). Jefferson's Second Revolution: The Election of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism. New York: Houghton Mifflin. p. 353. ISBN 0-618-13164-7.
  34. ^ McElvaine, Robert (1996). What's Left?: A New Democratic Vision for America. Holbrook, MS: Adams Media. p. V. ISBN 9781558506299.
  35. ^ Sullivan, Walter (1994). We Are Not Alone : The Continuing Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. New York: Plume. p. 338. ISBN 9780452272248.
  36. ^ "People: Here and There...". New York Daily News. March 7, 1979. p. 7.
  37. ^ "'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool' Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.
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