Tim Boxer on Farrah Fawcett

by Tim Boxer
Special to the Jewish Week

(Photo: Tim Boxer)

There was a time when Farrah Fawcett, who succumbed to cancer at age 62 on June 25, fell in love with a part of Israel. It was October 1979 when Faberge chief George Barrie took her on a promotional junket to Egypt and Israel. He was promoting a new shampoo named after the iconic sex symbol that he believed would go over well there, especially in Israel.

Farrah, newly separated from Lee Majors, discovered that the best part of Israel was - her handsome young bodyguard. Her dazzling smile and golden tresses could win over anyone anywhere.

When the Faberge group returned to New York Barrie immediately quashed gossip of a passionate affair. "She did not have a romance with her guard in Tel Aviv," he declared. Furthermore Barrie denied a rumor that Farrah asked him to give her Israeli friend a job so he could come to the U.S."

Two months later the top poster girl of the '70s appeared at Woolworth's offices in downtown Manhattan to push her shampoo sales. I took pictures as she autographed her glossies for the executives and buyers.

"My goodness, you're so small," a surprised secretary said as Farrah shook everybody's hands. "On television you look so big."

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