Kay B. Barrett

Katharine "Kay" Brown Barrett (December 7, 1902 – January 18, 1995) was a Hollywood talent scout and agent beginning in the 1930s. She is most famous for bringing Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind to the attention of David O. Selznick, for whom she worked, in 1936. She had a long career as representative, talent scout and agent with Leland Hayward, MCA and International Creative Management ("ICM").

Career

Brown was born into New York high society as the daughter of Kate Ross and Henry Collins Brown, a founder of the Museum of the City of New York. In later years, her Hollywood friends were amused by the fact that she was listed in the New York Social Register.

In 1924, she graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in English and an interest in drama. following the example of Selznick's brother Myron, became a talent agent, joining MCA at first and picking up many new clients after MCA acquired Leland Hayward's talent agency.

Personal life Kay Brown married James Barrett (died 1967) and had two daughters, Laurinda and Kate. She died on January 18, 1995, of a stroke, aged 92, at her home in Hightstown, New Jersey. According to IMDb, the character of "Betty Schaefer", the literary assistant who had total control over a producer's story acquisitions, in the film Sunset Boulevard (played by Nancy Olson) was based on Brown.