Army Archerd, who became an industry institution and beloved figure in his more than half a century at Daily Variety, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He had a rare form of mesothelioma cancer, thought to be the result of his exposure to asbestos in the Navy during WWII. He was 87. Archerd was one of the first writers to link AIDS to a celebrity when he wrote a piece detailing, amid denials from the actor's publicists and managers, that Rock Hudson was undergoing treatment for AIDS.

For 47 years, Archerd was the official greeter of the Academy Awards, serving as emcee and interviewer of stars on Oscar's red carpet. While much of what he wrote was more congratulatory than confrontational, Archerd sometimes took stands on Hollywood's hot-button issues, as when Elia Kazan was to be given an honorary Oscar in 1999. "I, for one, will not be giving him a standing ovation," Archerd wrote.

"Army's finest hour was his courageous stand against the blacklist at a time when almost all other Hollywood columnist were red-hunting," said Peter Bart, VP and editorial director of Variety. "He really was a passionate reporter and a champion of causes he believed in."