Harry Mandel papers

1919-1988

Harry Mandel began his career in the entertainment business in 1917 as an office boy for B. S. Moss Theatrical Enterprises which ran 8 vaudeville theatres, mostly in Manhattan. In 1920 Moss entered into an arrangement with the B. F. Keith Corporation to form a subsidiary company, the Greater New York Vaudeville Theatres Corporation. Mandel was with this company as a publicist until 1928 when Moss sold out to Keith and through various mergers, the company became the Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation or RKO. Mandel remained with RKO for the remainder of his career. In 1938 he was appointed National Director of Advertising, Publicity and Exploitation for the entire RKO circuit of theatres. In 1952 he was promoted to assistant to the vice president for theatre operations, in 1957 he became the vice president for theatre operations and in 1961 he was elected president of RKO, a position he held until he retired in 1966.

During World War II, Mandel was a member of the War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry, serving as public relations chairman for the NY metropolitan area. In this capacity, he oversaw the creation and installation of a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Times Square as part of the successful sixth war loan drive. During the war, he was also asked to promote the film, North Star, a sympathetic picture of the Soviet Union. Later, Mandel was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee to explain why he had lauded communists, though RKO was able to provide sufficient documentation to spare him from having to testify.

The creator of the slogan, "Fantasia will Amazia" for the Walt Disney film, Harry Mandel was born on December 31, 1902 in New York City to parents who had immigrated from Eastern Europe. He died on June 17, 1988.