Marilyn Hall, an actress, writer, Emmy-winning producer, and wife of game show host Monty Hall, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. She was 90.
A Canada native, Hall began her career as a writer and radio ingénue for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Hall moved to New York with her husband, where she became a published songwriter. Her song “Is It Possible That I’ve Been Gone So Long,” (co-written with Helen Bilby) was recorded by cabaret singer Hildegarde.
An advocate of the arts, Hall worked for the Jewish Welfare Fund, Tel-Aviv University, and Brandeis University, for which she made a number of documentaries. She won an award for best documentary campaign film for “A Fragile Sleep” in 1972.
Hall became involved in philanthropy, sharing her resources and time with the Julia Ann Singer Child Care Center, Guardians of Courage, Israel Bonds, Tel-Aviv University, the Jewish Home for the Aging, and Variety Clubs International, where she served as a board member and wrote and produced its International Humanitarian Award event.
In addition to her humanitarian work, Hall was an associate producer of the 1982 Emmy-winning television movie “A Woman Called Golda,” starring Ingrid Bergman and Leonard Nimoy. She was also the executive producer of the four-part miniseries “The Ginger Tree,” and co-executive producer of the Emmy-winning television movie “Do You Remember Love?”
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Marilyn Hall also produced “Nadia,” “The Little Traitor,” “Angels in America,” and “Jelly’s Last Jam.” Her television writing credits include “Love, American Style” and the ABC special “Lights, Camera, Monty.”
She authored “The Celebrity Kosher Cookbook” in 1975, and also wrote book reviews for the Los Angeles Times.
She is survived by her husband; daughter Joanna Gleason, an actress; son Richard Hall, a writer-director; daughter Sharon Hall, president of Endemol Shine Studios; five grandchildren, and a sister.
Donations may be made to the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging or Variety, the Children’s Charity.
