Jim Moran (publicist)
Encyclopedia
James Sterling Moran was an imaginative publicist who was active as a press agent for various clients (film studios, manufacturers, retailers, Washington politicians) in a career that spanned five decades, from the 1930s to the 1980s. In 1989, Time
ranked him as "the supreme master of that most singular marketing device--the publicity stunt."
Born in Woodstock, Virginia
, in 1907. Moran was the son of a chimney maker. When he was 12 years old, he was riding a bicycle and was hit by a car. The driver was so relieved to see Moran unharmed that he gave him $100, which Moran immediately used to take a train to New Orleans, returning home two weeks later.
Instead of attending college, Moran took a variety of jobs: a tour guide in Washington, an airline executive and manager of a studio where Congressmen recorded speeches for local radio. Moran married several times but had no children.
on behalf of General Electric
and sold a refrigerator to an Eskimo
. On February 4, 1939, he was interviewed by Parks Johnson and Wally Butterworth
on the Vox Pop radio program. Claiming that one must give in to impulsive behavior because inhibitions were "warping" our personalities, he threw eggs at an electric fan.
china
shop and promoting a real-estate development by spending ten days looking for a needle that had been dropped into a haystack. To publicize the 1947 movie The Egg and I
, Moran sat on an ostrich
egg for 19 days, four hours and 32 minutes. In the late 1940s, he promoted a Broadway show with a taxi constructed so that a chimpanzee was the apparent driver (with Moran secretly driving from the back seat).
, he opened an embassy in Washington for a mythical country. To publicize a candy bar, he planned to fly a midget across Central Park in a kite, but police squelched the stunt, prompting Moran to remark, "'It's a sad day for American capitalism when a man can't fly a midget on a kite over Central Park."
and other radio programs during the 1940s, and on one radio show he announced that he had written a song titled, "George Washington Bridge
." The lyrics consisted of the words "George Washington Bridge" repeated over and over for more than a minute.
He acted in several films: The Body Snatcher
(1945), Specter of the Rose (1946), The Mask
(1961) and Is There Sex After Death? (1971). He was a panelist on the 1954 TV quiz show What's in a Word? along with Clifton Fadiman
, Audrey Meadows
, Faye Emerson
and Mike Wallace
. Moran appeared on The Mike Douglas Show
in 1964, and one of his last appearances was promoting the movie Yellowbeard
(1983) on Late Night with David Letterman
.
Moran's show business and writer friends included Burl Ives
, Lee J. Cobb
, John Henry Faulk
and the humorist H. Allen Smith
, who wrote extensively about Moran in his books Lost in the Horse Latitudes (1944) and The Compleat Practical Joker (1953). At age 91, Jim Moran died in an Englewood, New Jersey
retirement home on October 18, 1999, survived by his brother, Paul Moran, of Alexandria, Virginia.
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
ranked him as "the supreme master of that most singular marketing device--the publicity stunt."
Born in Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,097 according to the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shenandoah County....
, in 1907. Moran was the son of a chimney maker. When he was 12 years old, he was riding a bicycle and was hit by a car. The driver was so relieved to see Moran unharmed that he gave him $100, which Moran immediately used to take a train to New Orleans, returning home two weeks later.
Instead of attending college, Moran took a variety of jobs: a tour guide in Washington, an airline executive and manager of a studio where Congressmen recorded speeches for local radio. Moran married several times but had no children.
1930s stunts
His attention-grabbing publicity stunts began in the 1930s. He made his mark when he went to AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
on behalf of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and sold a refrigerator to an Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
. On February 4, 1939, he was interviewed by Parks Johnson and Wally Butterworth
Wally Butterworth
Hebert Wallace “Wally” Butterworth was an American radio announcer and host of variety and quiz shows.Born in Philadelphia, Butterworth aspired to be a singer from an early age...
on the Vox Pop radio program. Claiming that one must give in to impulsive behavior because inhibitions were "warping" our personalities, he threw eggs at an electric fan.
1940s stunts
In a Nevada river, during the 1944 Presidential campaign, he changed horses in midstream. Other stunts included walking a bull through a New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
china
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
shop and promoting a real-estate development by spending ten days looking for a needle that had been dropped into a haystack. To publicize the 1947 movie The Egg and I
The Egg and I (film)
The Egg and I is a 1947 film directed by Chester Erskine, who co-wrote screenplay with Fred F. Finklehoffe, based on the book by Betty MacDonald.This comedy was such a hit with audiences, it spawned the Ma and Pa Kettle film series...
, Moran sat on an ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
egg for 19 days, four hours and 32 minutes. In the late 1940s, he promoted a Broadway show with a taxi constructed so that a chimpanzee was the apparent driver (with Moran secretly driving from the back seat).
1950s stunts
In 1959, for the premiere of The Mouse That RoaredThe Mouse That Roared
The Mouse That Roared is a 1955 Cold War satirical novel by Irish-American writer Leonard Wibberley, which launched a series of satirical books about an imaginary country in Europe called the Duchy of Grand Fenwick...
, he opened an embassy in Washington for a mythical country. To publicize a candy bar, he planned to fly a midget across Central Park in a kite, but police squelched the stunt, prompting Moran to remark, "'It's a sad day for American capitalism when a man can't fly a midget on a kite over Central Park."
Radio
Moran was heard on People Are FunnyPeople Are Funny
People are Funny is an American radio and television game show, created by John Guedel that remained popular throughout the 1940s. The program ran from 1942 to 1960. The program's stunts and audience participation were calculated to reveal the humorous side of human nature...
and other radio programs during the 1940s, and on one radio show he announced that he had written a song titled, "George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
." The lyrics consisted of the words "George Washington Bridge" repeated over and over for more than a minute.
He acted in several films: The Body Snatcher
The Body Snatcher
The Body Snatcher is a fictional short story by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. First published in the Pall Mall Christmas "Extra", in December 1884, the story is based on characters in the employ of Robert Knox, around the time of the Burke and Hare murders.-Plot summary:The story...
(1945), Specter of the Rose (1946), The Mask
The Mask (1961 film)
The Mask is a 1961 Canadian horror film produced in 3-D by Warner Bros. It was directed by Julian Roffman, and stars Paul Stevens, Claudette Nevins and Bill Walker.-Plot summary:...
(1961) and Is There Sex After Death? (1971). He was a panelist on the 1954 TV quiz show What's in a Word? along with Clifton Fadiman
Clifton Fadiman
Clifton P. "Kip" Fadiman was an American intellectual, author, editor, radio and television personality.-Literary career:...
, Audrey Meadows
Audrey Meadows
Audrey Meadows was an American actress best known for her role as the deadpan housewife Alice Kramden on the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners.-Early life:...
, Faye Emerson
Faye Emerson
Faye Margaret Emerson was an American film actress and television interviewer, known as "The First Lady of Television". She acted in many Warner Brothers films beginning in 1941...
and Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (journalist)
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
. Moran appeared on The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
in 1964, and one of his last appearances was promoting the movie Yellowbeard
Yellowbeard
Yellowbeard is a 1983 comedy film by Graham Chapman, along with Peter Cook, Bernard McKenna and David Sherlock. It was directed by Mel Damski, and was Marty Feldman's last film appearance.-Plot:...
(1983) on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
.
Moran's show business and writer friends included Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
, Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront and one of his last films, The Exorcist...
, John Henry Faulk
John Henry Faulk
John Henry Faulk from Austin, Texas was a storyteller and radio show host. His successful lawsuit against blacklisters of the entertainment industry helped to bring an end to the Hollywood blacklist.-Early life:...
and the humorist H. Allen Smith
H. Allen Smith
For the congressman see H. Allen SmithHarry Allen Wolfgang Smith was an American journalist and humorist whose books were popular in the 1940s and 1950s, selling millions of copies....
, who wrote extensively about Moran in his books Lost in the Horse Latitudes (1944) and The Compleat Practical Joker (1953). At age 91, Jim Moran died in an Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
retirement home on October 18, 1999, survived by his brother, Paul Moran, of Alexandria, Virginia.