Larry Kleno

Joseph Edward "Larry" Kleno was born March 14, 1933 in Calumet, Michigan, the only child of Joanna and Edward Kleno. Growing up during the depths of The Depression, Larry found escape at the movies. He was barely more than a toddler when his mother noted his natural talent for dancing, and he began performing at local events. Later on, after a teacher suggested he consider pursuing a career in show business, it became his goal. But after a teenage sojourn in NYC (resulting in sporadic chorus work) Larry returned to Michigan and enlisted in the Army (the Korean War). Upon discharge he gave New York another try, this time with more success. But Hollywood and the movies was still on his mind and, in his late 20s, he headed west. Between jobs as a movie extra ("King Rat", etc) he found work with United Fan Mail Service. It was while doing this work that Larry's empathy with actors led him to his ultimate destiny and a friendship with legendary publicist, Helen Ferguson. By the mid-1960s