Fifi Oscard (born Fernande Oscard"Fifi Oscard, Literary and talent agent". Variety. November 15, 2005 June 19, 1920Attallah, Naim (1987). Women. London: Quartet Books. p. 1125. ."United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K97-P4XB : Thu Feb 06 18:38:06 UTC 2025), Entry for Fernandez Steinmetz and Maurice N Oscard. – November 12, 2005) was an American talent agent, perhaps best known for helping Margaret Edson develop her play W;t and for helping Orson Welles get the much-parodied "We will sell no wine before it's time" TV ads for Paul Masson. Oscard is the cousin of entertainment writer Army Archerd and the aunt of the former film and television child actor Miko Oscard.Shanas, Bert (July 24, 1966). "Actor Stages 'Comeback' in Flush of Youth". pp. 45P.

Early life and career

Born in Rockaway Beach, Queens and raised in Cedarhurst, Oscard was the youngest of three children born to French parents, Maurice N. Oscard and Helene Berthet."New York, Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1925", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JNJG-GZ6 : Sun Mar 10 21:26:20 UTC 2024), Entry for Fernande Oscard, 1922."The Intimate and Personal in Long Island News: Cedarhurst". The Brooklyn Daily Times. July 26, 1924. p. 4."Recital by Jane Marmer". The Brooklyn Daily Times. November 14, 1927. p. 3."United States, Census, 1930", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X78K-MVZ : Wed Jul 10 23:48:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Maurice N Oscard and Helen Oscard, 1930. She attended Barnard College.

Having attended college, married at 19, and raised two children in the interim, Oscard began her career in 1949, with the Olga Lee-Stephen Draper Agency and, in 1952, with Lucille Phillips,Jones, Kenneth (November 16, 2005). "Fifi Oscard, Talent Agent for More Than 50 Years, Dead at 85". Playbill.Callan, K (1995). Directing your Directing Career : A Support Book and Agent Guide for Directors. Studio City, CA: Sweden Press. p. 221. . where, two years later, she was promoted to handling all television casting.

Later career Oscard began her agency in 1959.

Her client list included Orson Welles,"Intelligencer – Welles and WABC: Love From Afar". New York Magazine. Arthur AsheAshe, Arthur (1993). A Hard Road to Glory--Basketball : The African-American Athlete in Basketball. New York: Amistad. p. n10. . (and his daughter Jeanne Moutoussamy-AsheMoutoussamy-Ashe, Jeanne (1993). Daddy and Me : a photo story of Arthur Ashe and his daughter, Camera New York : A.A. Knopf. p. n5. .), Charles Aznavour, Eartha Kitt,Hopkins, Tom (March 17, 1979). "TV Hotline: Shooting Down 'Pilot Series' After Few Weeks Unfair". Dayton Daily News. p. TV2. Jacques Bergerac,"Here and There: Zee Sweet Smell of Zee Success". New York Daily News. December 17, 1990. p. 15. Gloria Grahame,Curcio, Vincent (1989). Suicide Blonde: The Life of Gloria Grahame. William Morrow. p. 7. . Alexander Scourby,"Television – Commercials: The Voice from Brooklyn". Time. March 15, 1968. p. 59. Peggy CassShaw, Stuart (October 20, 1978). "Questions, Please: Peggy Cass Dog Pedigree". The Toronto Star. p. A13. Ted Knight,"Ted: A Knight on the town". New York Daily News. August 26, 1977. p. 3F Dorothy Lyman Christopher Gore,Gregg, Rodman W. (1982). Who's Who in the Motion Picture Industry. Beverly Hills, CA: Packard Publishing. p. 78. . Gary Garrison,Garrison, Gary (1999). The Playwright's Survival Guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. p. n8. . Terry Schreiber,Shoop, Jim (August 22, 1963). "Actor Seeks Break in Toughest Place". The Minneapolis Star. p. 1B. Tom Ligon, Sam Tsoutsouvas,Scaduto, Anthony; Vaughan, Doug; Stasi, Linda (September 27, 1991). "Inside New York: A Boy Named Tsou". Newsday. p. 13. Wayland Flowers,Adams, Cindy (March 31, 1983). "Cindy Says". Henry County Local. p. 11. Jack F. Matlock Jr.Ellicott, Susan (August 24, 1991). "Cashing In On the Scramble for News". The Times. p. 5. "A big winner in the media frenzy was the recently retired U.S. ambassador to Moscow, Jack Matlock. Mr. Matlock's agent, Fifi Oscard, showing a New York nose for business, launched an auction for the ex-convoy's exclusive services and reportedly won her client $25,000 over the coming two months for 15 days of work for ABC." Patwant Singh,Edgar, Kathleen J. (1996). Contemporary Authors Volume 150. New York: Gale Research. p. 410. . Billy KlüverTrosky, Susan M., ed. (1991). Contemporary Authors; A Bio-bibliographical Guide to Current Writers in Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Journalism, Drama, Motion Pictures, Television and Other Fields. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company. p. 214. . James MacGregor Burns,Burns, James MacGregor (2001). The Three Roosevelts : Patrician Leaders who Transformed America. New York : Atlantic Monthly Press. p. 645. . Susan Dunn,Dunn, Susan (2004). Jefferson's Second Revolution: The Election of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism. New York: Houghton Mifflin. p. 353. . Robert McElvaine,McElvaine, Robert (1996). What's Left?: A New Democratic Vision for America. Holbrook, MS: Adams Media. p. V. . and Walter Sullivan.Sullivan, Walter (1994). We Are Not Alone : The Continuing Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. New York: Plume. p. 338. .

Oscard represented film noir icon Gloria Grahame during the years leading up to her death,"People: Here and There...". New York Daily News. March 7, 1979. p. 7. and is portrayed by the British actress Suzanne Bertish in the 2017 biopic Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool."'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool' Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.

In 2002, Oscard received the League of Professional Theater Women's Lifetime Achievement Award for her "countless years of creative contributions to American theater."

Personal life and death Oscard was married to attorney Harold M. Steinmetz from 1939 until his death in 1984. They had two children.

Predeceased by her husband and daughter, Oscard died on November 12, 2005, aged 85. She was survived by her son and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as her cousin, entertainment writer Army Archerd.

References

External links

Fifi Oscard Correspondence – 1995-2004, 1995 - 2004 at Williams College