In information that had not been previously released, it's now been acknowledged that legendary, 78 year-old talent agent Hal Guthu was suffering from spine cancer and had left a suicide note to that effect. Photog David Story who knew Guthu over 35 years, has been piped into this tragedy. According to what Story learned from police and other sources, police found the suicide note in Guthu's car which was parked several blocks away from his 7400 Santa Monica Blvd. business address. "I guess he took everything out of the studio," said Story. "Hal had two kids. He was married twice. He said in the note that he had spine cancer. I guess he liquidated everything for his two kids which he found in England last year or they found him. It is assumed that everything went to them."
According to Story, Guthu was going to give his pet bird to Carol, his female business partner, whom he had once lived with at the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate where they raised monkeys. Carol's wherabouts, however, are currently unknown. Guthu, however, decided that the bird would probably die of a broken heart and took the bird with him. "Hal had this studio for 25 years but thought that nobody could take over the business for him, so he took it with him," Story said. Guthu supposedly shot himself in the heart. "That shocked me," said Story. "Hal wasn't the type that would have done that. I thought Hal would take pills. But I guess he got to the point, being 78 with inoperable cancer, he said what-the-hell He emptied both safes, and I'm sure that he had maybe $50,000 worth of [camera] equipment there. Everytime he saw a power pack, he bought it. But none of that was there. He planned this. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing."
This is what the LA Times has reported so far: "The discovery of a charred body after a fire that gutted the offices of a West Hollywood modeling and acting agency has triggered homicide and arson investigations.
Police said the body of a man, who has not been identified, was found in the offices of CHN International Agency in the 7400 block of Santa Monica Boulevard after a fire Sunday afternoon. The building appeared to have burned in several places at once, indicating arson, authorities said.
Sheriff's investigators, looking for the owner of the agency, 78-year-old Harold Guthu, brought in a bloodhound, which found his car several blocks away on Martel Avenue. Clients and colleagues said the agency specialized in placing people in soft porn magazines and films, but also dealt with some mainstream films.
Lauren Montgomery said she had been a client of Guthu's for three years and that he helped her get a bit part in the Warren Beatty movie "Town and Country." She described Guthu as "the sweetest man you ever met."
In 1970, Guthu shot a film with adult/soft porn director Ed Wood Jr. Reb Sawitz, another adult-model agent, had been trying to contact Guthu after the fire. "He's one of the good guys in this industry," Sawitz said.
