Army Archerd biography
Date of birth : 1922-01-13
Date of death : 2009-09-08
Birthplace : Bronx, New York, U.S.
Nationality : American
Category : Famous Figures
Last modified : 2011-01-13
Credited as : Columnist, Just for Variety,
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His "Just for Variety" column appeared on page two of Daily Variety and swiftly became popular in Hollywood. Archerd broke countless exclusive stories, reporting from film sets, announcing pending deals, giving news of star-related hospitalizations, marriages, and births. In 1984, he was given a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, in front of Mann's Chinese Theater, where he had emceed dozens of movie premieres.
One of his most significant scoops was in his July 23, 1985, column, when he printed that Rock Hudson, despite denials from the actor's publicists and managers, was undergoing treatment for AIDS.
Archerd was Jewish and a strong proponent of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Holocaust awareness. He was married to Selma Archerd, a former actress Selma Archerd from November 15, 1969 until his death. They had one child and lived in Westwood, California.
Archerd died at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center from of a rare form of mesothelioma, "thought to be the result of his exposure to asbestos in the Navy during WWII" .
