In Passing
Indianapolis
Julia Carson, congresswoman
Rep. Julia Carson, who rose from a childhood of poverty and segregation to become the first black and first woman to represent Indianapolis in Congress, died Saturday.
Carson, 69, died of lung cancer at her home, where she had spent the past several weeks.
Carson had persevered through major heart surgery and years of health problems before revealing her lung cancer last month, saying she would not seek election in 2008 to a seventh term.
Carson, a Democrat, was elected to Congress in 1996. She championed children’s issues, women’s rights and efforts to reduce homelessness, and was a staunch opponent of the war in Iraq.
Carson’s highest-profile action came in 1999, when she pushed for the legislation granting the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks, the black woman who refused to give up her seat on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Ala., and was arrested for her defiance.
Beverly Hills, Calif.
Freddie Fields, Hollywood agent
Freddie Fields, a one-time vaudeville booker who became a high-flying Hollywood talent agent for such stars as Judy Garland, Henry Fonda, Steve McQueen and Barbra Streisand, and who later headed production at MGM and United Artists studios, has died. He was 84.
Fields, who also produced the critically acclaimed 1989 Civil War epic “Glory,” died of lung cancer Tuesday at his home in Beverly Hills.
Considered the Michael Ovitz of his era, Fields and his late partner, David Begelman, formed Creative Management Associates in 1960. The company became the forerunner of today’s International Creative Management, one of the world’s biggest talent agencies.
Fields was an early advocate of the “back-end deal,” which saw top stars forgo their upfront paychecks in return for a percentage of a film’s ticket sales.
In 1980, Fields moved over to the studio side of the business, running production at MGM and UA.
Later, as an independent producer chiefly based at Paramount, Fields was involved with “Lipstick,” “Victory,” “Wholly Moses,” “Handle with Care,” “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” and “American Gigolo.” He also was executive producer of the TV talk show “The Montel Williams Show.”