A Timely Thank-You for Rogers

Henry Rogers is a man of his word.

When the public relations pioneer was honored Wednesday by the Music Center at a black-tie dinner, he promised the 350 guests gathered in the Beverly Hills Grand Ballroom that the evening would end by 9:30. This would be no easy promise to fulfill.

There was a cocktail party to move through, a three-course dinner to consume, speeches, toasts, musical tributes and, for Rogers, 350 hands to shake as he moved about the room. It’s safe to say he knew everyone in the room. After all, Rogers as been in the business since the early 1930s.

Technically, the Music Center was honoring the founder of the Rogers & Cowan public relations firm for his many years of support. But it seemed he was being honored as much for his elegant, classy style as for his work. “He knows how to deal with egos, temperaments and ruffled feathers,” said Mark Taper Forum artistic director Gordon Davidson. “He knows new ways to skin old cats.”

Praise for the publicist began from emcee Gregory Peck, who described Rogers as “still, calm, elegant, amusing, a raconteur and author of four books.”

This was followed by a singing tribute from co-chairs Warren Cowan, Walter Mirisch and Joseph Sinay (accompanied by Charles Wick on piano). They harmonized--intermittently--on lyrics composed by Sammy Cahn to the tune of “The Lady Is a Tramp.”

The toast from Monty Hall and brief tributes from Army Archerd and Wick were done in mere prose. The keynote address came from “designated speaker” Art Buchwald, who said he knew Rogers from “the early days of silent pictures--when I first started suing Paramount.”

Music Center president Esther Wachtell presented a commemorative statue to Rogers, who, besides thanking his family, friends and Music Center founder Dorothy Chandler, said his mentor in public service has been Franklin Murphy. He ended his speech by asking the guests to join in singing “Happy Birthday” to his wife, Roz.

Among those singing were Dinah Shore, Roz Wyman, Chuck and Ava Fries, George and Jolene Schlatter, Red Buttons, Henry and Ginny Mancini, Jean Firstenberg, George Stevens, Dan and Daisy Belin, Rona Barrett, Donna Mills, Barbara Rush and Nancy Sinatra.

With surgical precision, the song ended just before 9:30.