Michael G. Fitzgerald, 55; Wrote Books on Westerns, Film Studio

Michael G. Fitzgerald, 55, author of a book on Universal Studios and co-author of two books on Western film actresses, died Tuesday after a brief illness at a hospital in El Dorado, Ark.

A native of El Dorado who worked as an accountant in Shreveport, La., until retiring a couple of years ago, Fitzgerald was the author of “Universal Pictures,” a history of the studio published by Arlington House in 1977.

Fitzgerald was known in the Hollywood community for the last 30 years as co-host of the annual Jivin’ Jacks and Jills Hollywood Reunion at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City. Named after a dance troupe that performed in Universal films in the 1940s, the event was launched as a Universal players reunion but expanded to include all Hollywood personalties.

Fitzgerald also was coauthor of “Westerns Women” (1999) and “Ladies of the Western” (2002). The books, published by McFarland and co-written with Boyd Magers, contain dozens of interviews with actresses who appeared in Westerns from the silent era through the 1960s.

The two books were an outgrowth of “Western Ladies,” a column Fitzgerald wrote for Western Clippings, a film publication, for nearly 12 years. He also wrote articles for Classic Images, Filmfax and other publications.