Ben Halpern who was a longtime film and TV publicist has died at the age of 99. He passed away peacefully on Jan. 16 at his home, surrounded by his family. He was three weeks shy of his 100th birthday, Deadline reports.
Ben Halpern was the fourth and youngest child of Jewish immigrants from Central Europe. As a small child growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, he enjoyed wandering into all the theatres in his neighbourhood, collecting film scraps from projectionists to make slide shows for his brother and sisters.
The live of cinema led Ben Halpern to New York University’s nascent film school, which he left to enlist in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
As a sergeant in the Photographic Unit, he was charged with training soldiers to shoot and develop film for aerial reconnaissance. He was also a publications editor and winner of a sharpshooter medal.
After the war, Ben Halpern graduated from NYU Film School in 1945 as part of their first class.
From 1946-1949, Ben Halpern worked as a journalist and Associate Editor for the daily Independent Film Journal. From 1949-1952 he was a publicist in the New York office of Paramount. He created campaigns for feature films including The Greatest Show On Earth, Sunset Boulevard, Samson And Delilah and A Place In The Sun.
He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Lois Jule Halpern, his children Amy Halpern-Lebrun (David Lebrun), Nancy Halpern Ibrahim (Mahmood Ibrahim), Andrew James Halpern (Rebecca Lobl) and Nora Halpern Brougher (Kerry Brougher), by six loving grandchildren (Arwa Sara and Adnan Mandela Ibrahim; Emily Clara and Julia Gordon Brougher; and Cooper Jay and Grace Annabelle Halpern; and by his nephew Alfred Tauber of New York City.
Due to the pandemic, there will be a private burial. The family will be toasting him and celebrating his memory on February 5, which would have been his 100th birthday.