Jay Kanter, the agent for a number of Hollywood stars, including Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly, died Tuesday at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 97.
His son Adam Kanter of the Independent Artists Group remembers his father as someone who led his entire career with “integrity and kindness.”
The character of Canter also inspired Jack Lemmon in Billy Wilder's classic comedy “The Apartment.”
Jay Kanter served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and began working at MCA with Lew Wasserman. At just 22 years old, he was sent to meet Brando at the train station and they became friends, with Brando becoming his long-term client.
He then went on to represent stars including Warren Beatty, Gene Kelly, and Ronald Reagan.
Kanter moved to London when MCA bought Universal, where he oversaw the studio's European production. When the studio closed its European operations, he formed a production company with Elliot Kastner and Alan Ladd Jr. Kanter had a long-standing relationship with Ladd while working at 20th Century Fox, The Ladd Co., and MGM/UA, where he worked on films including “Chariots of Fire,” “Star Wars,” “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” “Norma Rae,” and “Thelma and Louise.”
Collaborating with fellow director Mel Brooks, Kanter worked on the films “Young Frankenstein,” “Silent Movie,” “High Anxiety,” “Spaceballs,” and “Life Stinks.”
Kanter was part of a long-running weekly luncheon group that included former Fox executives and filmmakers including Brooks Ladd, Richard Donner, Freddie Fields, Paul Mazursky and Richard Benjamin. Kanter attended the group’s most recent luncheon at the Porta Via in Beverly Hills last Friday.
Kanter was married three times, briefly to actress Roberta Hines; then to Judy Balaban, daughter of former Paramount chairman Barney Balaban; and finally to his wife of 49 years, Kate Bennett Kanter, who died in 2014. He was predeceased by his daughter, Victoria Kanter Colombetti.
He is survived by his children Dustin (and Debra) Bernard, Tom Bernard, Sydney Bernard, Amy Canter (and Bob Thiele), Adam (and Brooke) Canter, and Michael (and Erica) Canter, as well as his grandchildren Jason (and Andy) Colombetti, Matthew Colombetti, Owen Thiele (Jared Ellner), Sophie Bernard, Charlie Foster, Hannah Canter, Kate Foster, Cleo Canter, Grayson Canter, and Ryan Canter.
Donations can be made to either the Film and Television Fund or the Jules Stein Eye Institute.
