Veteran Newsman Paul Price, 73, Dies

Paul Price, longtime Las Vegas Sun columnist and former television columnist for the old Los Angeles Daily News, died of cancer Friday in the Nevada city.

Price, 73, reportedly fought the disease for about 10 years and had been bedridden for the last month.

Born in Vancouver, Canada, he went to Hollywood High School and began his newspaper career in 1932 as a copyboy on the old Los Angeles Record. In 1933, he went to the Hollywood Citizen-News as a sports writer, then worked for the old Herald-Express as a police reporter and rewrite man.

He was advance man and business manager for the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra in 1936, then did publicity for several film studios, including Monogram and MGM.

After World War II, he worked as publicist for the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, but that job ended when the Flamingo’s owner, mobster Benjamin (Bugsy) Siegel was slain in Los Angeles in 1947.

Price became television columnist and promotion manager for Manchester Boddy’s Los Angeles Daily News, where he frequently launched crusades against U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.) and local archconservatives who were attempting to suppress television shows they did not like.

Just as often, he would indulge in lively wars of words with Jack Paar and other performers whose shows he criticized. The newspaper went out of business in 1954.

Price joined the Las Vegas Sun in 1960. His “Dateline Las Vegas” column dealt with the life and characters of the gambling capital.

In 1971, Price ran for the Las Vegas City Commission, winning in the primary but losing in the general election. In 1977, he was appointed by Gov. Mike O’Callaghan to a term on the Nevada Racing Commission.

Price leaves his wife, Dorothy, and two daughters, Pam and Patti. He also leaves his mother, Vera Mack, of Oceanside.

Funeral services are pending.