Johnny Hyde (23 April 1895 – 18 December 1950) was an American

talent agent A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, broadcast journalists, film directors, musicians, models, professional athletes, screenwriters, writers, and other professionals in various entertainment or sport ...

who developed the career of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

Early life

Hyde was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family as Iván Haidabura in Russia and moved to the United States in April 1898.

Career

Hyde was the vice-president of the

William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent a ...

's West Coast office during the 1930s and 1940s and represented some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. In 1949 he met then-unknown actress and model

when she was being photographed by Hollywood

pin-up A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion models ...

photographer

Bruno Bernard Bruno Bernard Sommerfeld (February 2, 1912 – June 3, 1987) also known as Bernard of Hollywood, was an American photographer best known for pin-up and glamour photography of Marilyn Monroe and others. Early life Bruno Bernard Sommerfeld was born ...

at the

Racquet Club of Palm Springs The Racquet Club was a resort in Palm Springs, California, founded by actors Charles Farrell and Ralph Bellamy, which opened on December 15, 1934.here for Table of Contents Originally developed with two tennis courts, it expanded to include a sw ...

. Taking her on as a client, he had her undergo minor

plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...

, and used his influence to help her land the roles of Angela in ''

The Asphalt Jungle ''The Asphalt Jungle'' is a 1950 American film noir heist film directed by John Huston. Based on the 1949 novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett, it tells the story of a jewel robbery in a Midwestern city. The film stars Sterling Hayden and Lo ...

'' and Miss Caswell in ''

All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does ...

''. The buzz generated by her performances enabled Hyde to negotiate a contract for Monroe with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. Just a few days after securing the contract, Hyde died of a heart attack aged 55. Despite the fact that Monroe was nearly 31 years his junior, Hyde eventually left his wife for her. He wanted to marry her, but she repeatedly refused his marriage proposals; she said she loved Hyde, but was not actually in love with him.

Death and legacy

Hyde died on 18 December 1950.California Death Records, using the search terms "John Hyde" 'vitals.rootsweb.ancestry.com'
2 July 2010 He was survived by his third wife, actress Mozelle Cravens (1914–2004) and his four sons. Two from his first marriage to Florence Harper and two from Cravens. Hyde was played by

Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama ''Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in ''L.A. Confidentia ...

in ''

Norma Jean & Marilyn ''Norma Jean & Marilyn'' is a 1996 made-for-TV biographical film produced by HBO and premiered on May 18, 1996. The film featured Ashley Judd as Norma Jean Dougherty and Mira Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe. It was partially based on the 1989 book ''No ...

'',

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. He starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson in the television science-fiction drama ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1964–68). He also portrayed Wilton Knight ...

in the TV movie '' Marilyn: The Untold Story'',

Joel Gray Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical ''Cabaret'' on Broadway as well as in the 1972 fil ...

in the TV movie ''Marilyn and Me'', and

Lloyd Bridges Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (January 15, 1913 – March 10, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. He was the father of four children, includi ...

in the TV miniseries ''Moviola'' episode "

This Year's Blonde ''This Year's Blonde'' is a 1980 American made-for-television drama film directed by John Erman and starring Constance Forslund as Marilyn Monroe, Lloyd Bridges as Johnny Hyde, and Norman Fell. Based on the Garson Kanin novel ''Moviola'' about Mo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyde, Johnny 1895 births 1950 deaths Place of birth missing Place of death missing Hollywood talent agents American people of Russian-Jewish descent Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States