| Phil Berg | |
| Birth Name: | Phillip Jay Berg |
| Birth Date: | February 15, 1902 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Death Date: | February 1, 1983 (age 80) |
| Education: | B.A. University of Pennsylvania |
| Known For: | co-founding the Berg-Allenberg talent agency. |
Philip Jay Berg (February 15, 1902 – February 1, 1983) was an American talent agent who co-founded, with Bert Allenberg, the Berg-Allenberg talent agency, he was known for his movie package deals, a concept that changed Hollywood in the 1930s, he represented an empire of dozens of actors, directors and writers.
Berg was born in New York City on February 15, 1902.[1] He was of Jewish descent.[2] He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.[1] In 1924, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a talent agent, becoming a millionaire by the age of 26.[3] In 1927, he partnered with Bert Allenberg to form the Berg-Allenberg talent agency.[1] Berg created the concept of the "package deal" where he would find a script, a writer, actors, and a director; and then sold the entire package to a producer.[4] He represented such stars as Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford,[4] Lucille Ball, Wallace Beery, Walter Brennan, Olivia de Havilland, Joan Fontaine,[5] [6] Melvyn Douglas, Walter Huston, Buster Keaton, Alan Ladd, Charles Laughton, and Edward G. Robinson; directors Frank Capra, Victor Fleming, Vincente Minnelli, Jean Renoir, and William Wellman; and writers Michael Arlen, James Hilton, Dalton Trumbo, and Rodgers and Hart.[1] He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[3] He retired in 1947[4] to pursue his passion in archaeology.[3] In December 1949, the Berg-Allenberg Agency was acquired by the William Morris Agency.
In 1927, he married actress Leila Hyams who predeceased him.[1] He remarried to Joan Hartley.[4] At age 80 in 1983, he died from heart failure, leaving his artifacts and fine art collection (valued at $1.5 million in 1969) to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[1]