Bethlyn Hand Dies: Veteran Motion Picture Association Executive Was 85

Bethlyn Hand, the former senior vice president of publicity and administration for the Motion Picture Association, died on February 14. The cause was Alzheimer’s disease, her brother Lloyd Hand said. She turned 85.

A veteran of the MPA, Hand joined the organization shortly after Jack Valenti was named president and remained there for 37 years. Valenti said in 2003, “She was by my side early in my tenure at the MPAA. I got a lot of praise for what she did.”

Hand played a critical role in approving or disapproving marketing campaigns under the guidelines of the Motion Picture Association of America’s review program and became a well-known figure in the industry.

She grew up in Houston and studied journalism at the University of Texas. She began her career in 1966 when she moved to Washington DC and worked with Valenti. Nine years later, Hand moved to Los Angeles to head the MPAA’s publicity department.

Hand was a member of the public relations department of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a member of the Public Relations Coordinating Committee. She was also vice chair of the California Film Commission.

On her retirement in 2003, Hand said, “It has been a wonderfully rewarding career in which I have made long-lasting friendships.”

Hand is survived by her brother and sister-in-law Lloyd and Ann Hand, three nieces, five great-nieces and nephews, and four great-grandnieces and nephews. She also loved her dogs and watching her beloved Texas Longhorns win.

Lloyd Hand said: “Everyone in our family felt Bethlyn’s love and loyalty and benefited from her generosity on occasion. Her death leaves a void in all of our lives, but she will live on in our hearts forever.”

A memorial service will be conducted by Pierce Bros Westwood Village Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, the family said: “Please consider making a donation to the Film and Television Fund or the Alzheimer’s Association.”