George Barrie, 90; Faberge Owner Used Celebrities in Ads

George Barrie, 90, a retired chief executive for Faberge products who created Brut cologne for men, died of pneumonia Saturday in Miami.

Barrie was among the first to use celebrities to advertise fragrances. Actor Roger Moore, actresses Farrah Fawcett and Margaux Hemingway, and football star Joe Namath peddled Faberge products at one time. Barrie also convinced film legend Cary Grant to sit on Faberge’s board of directors.

The New York native’s first job in the beauty business was with Rayette hair care products. Several years later, Barrie established his own company, Caryl Richards, and in 1964 he purchased Faberge Inc., which he owned and operated for 20 years.

In the early 1970s, Barrie branched out to create the film company Brut Productions, and produced a number of feature movies, including “A Touch of Class” with Glenda Jackson and George Segal in 1975.

An amateur musician, Barrie took a hand in the movie’s title song, collaborating with legendary songwriter Sammy Cahn. The song, “All That Love Went to Waste,” was nominated for an Academy Award.