Veteran Hollywood Reporter Army Archerd, 87

Once upon a time, back when Hollywood-related media was relatively quaint, there was a man named Army Archerd. After covering the entertainment scene for the Associated Press, in 1956 he moved to Variety, where his column became a hit.

Archerd, a New Yorker, brought new vitality to entertainment reporting and penned, for decades, the “Daily Variety” column for Variety and received kudos for breaking earth-shattering stories, perhaps most notably the fact that Rock Hudson died of AIDS. He was so trusted and well-respected, in fact, that Warren Beatty called Archerd to spread the word that he had married Annette Benning. That’s no small potatoes.

Later, when television networks were angling for a piece of the action, rather than resisting, Archerd joined onto Entertainment Tonight for a spell. He also founded the People’s Choice Awards, so we’re all indebted to his egalitarian approach to entertainment. As a testimony to his place in the Hollywood media’s upper echelons, Archerd played himself on the small and big screen.

Archerd left the scene back in 2005, when he retired to live out his days with his actress wife, Selma. He died this evening. He was 87-years old. Aspiring journalists of all ilks should be in awe.