Two of Hollywood’s most powerful women, Barbara Davis and Lili Zanuck, have dug into their own pockets to help pay for the funeral of murdered PR QUEEN RONNI CHASEN, The ENQUIRER has learned.
The funeral for Chasen will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City and a big turnout of Hollywood’s rich and famous are expected including California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Chasen, 64, was gunned down in a hail of bullets during the early hours of Tuesday, November 16 as she was driving home along Sunset Blvd. in Beverly Hills from the premiere of the film Burleseque.
Barbara is the wife of the late billionaire oil man Marvin Davis, who once owned 20th Century Fox studios.
Lili, along with her husband and producing partner Richard Zanuck, praised Chasen, who was not only their publicist but a close friend for many years.
She worked with Zanuck on every film he’s produced since 1982, beginning with The Verdict.
"I’m devastated by this," he said. "I’ve always admired her work ethic. Her hours were hideous and she organized and went to all those functions we all dread."
It was the publicist’s work on the Zanucks’ movie Driving Miss Daisy which helped it win the Golden Globe and Oscar in 1989.
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures have together committed to help foot the bill for a private gathering to be held after Chasen’s funeral Sunday
But one prominent movie industry insider told the ENQUIRER, "Barbara and Lili really spearheaded this whole thing. They were the ones who got the ball rolling and had the studios commit to honoring one of their own. And they also put their money where their mouth is!"
The Palm Springs Film Festival has now issued a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Chasen’s murder.
According to Fox News, Chasen’s colleague, publicist Michael Levine, has also started a fund to come up with $25,000 in reward money.
The Beverly Hills Police and other law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles are still chasing leads but they have no motive or suspects yet.
Chasen’s brother, screenwriter/director LARRY COHEN who gave his sis her first PR gig on his classic soul cinema flick Hell Up In Harlem told the ENQUIRER, exclusively, "All that I can say right now is that the police are investigating and I will leave it at that. My sister was a kind, caring human being.
"She had no enemies that I would know of who would’ve wanted to hurt her."
— MICHAEL GLYNN in Hollywood
Special to NationalEnquirer.com
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