Partner Frank McCarthy
Queer Places:
University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3PA
1455 Seabright Pl, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Rupert M. Allan Jr. (October 25, 1912 - August 24, 1991) was a public relations agent who represented
Marilyn Monroe and other film
stars. "I used to watch Frank McCarthy,"
Gavin Lambert recalled, "he and
his lover, Rupert Allan, who was a publicist and really very nice, an adorable
man. They would always arrive separately at parties with separate girlfriends,
and they'd act surprised to see each other. "Oh, how are you?" and all that.
It was hilarious because everyone knew what was going on. But that's the way
things were."
He was a student at Washington University in St. Louis when his Rhodes Scholarship took him to Oxford. He returned to review books and write for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before wartime service with the State Department as a political affairs officer.
Allan left a career in journalism in 1955 to become a publicity agent. He
Moved to California as assistant director of public relations for Universal-International studios, went to Paris as a representative of the Motion Picture Assn. of America and then accepted a job as West Coast editor for Look magazine.
In addition to
Monroe, he represented stars like Bette Davis, Steve McQueen,
Rock Hudson,
Marlene Dietrich, Gina Lollobrigida, Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve and Melina Mercouri.
As press representative at Grace Kelly's 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, Allan defused a potentially explosive situation when 1,600 journalists showed up to cover the event. Only 40 had been expected. He later was Monaco's consul general in Los Angeles.
Rudolf Nureyev performed in the United States for the first time in 1963. Rupert Allan
was at the time a leading Hollywood press agent who represented
Marlene Dietrich,
Marilyn Monroe and other stars. As a friend of
Erik Bruhn's brother, Christopher, Allan invited Nureyev to stay with him during his Los Angeles sojourn.
In addition, Nureyev was the guest of honor at a party at Allan's home cohosted by Allan's life partner, film producer Frank McCarthy. Among the stars in attendance: Bette Davis, one of Nureyev's idols; Fred Astaire, whose films Nureyev had not yet discovered; and Natalie Wood, who chatted with Nureyev in Russian.
Also on hand was British gay photographer and designer
Cecil Beaton, who found Nureyev moping in the guest bedroom. Beaton later quoted Nureyev as saying he was "very lonely — this awful house — you suffer so." Nureyev also was missing Bruhn: "We have been traveling a month without meeting, and when you love, you are apt to be sad, and there's no hope for us...."
As a journalist, Allan worked for The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Look magazine.
In 1989 Rainier made him a Chevalier of the Order of Grimaldi in honor of his service.
He died Saturday. He was 78 years old and lived in Beverly Hills.
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