One of her first interviews was with the "Red Light Bandit" serial rapist Caryl Chessman on San Quentin's death row, shortly before he was executed.
[citation needed] Beck's Hollywood column moved to the New York Times Special Features in 1972 as she reported on the doings of celebrities.
Among Beck/Smith's innovations (under the auspices of CompuServe and Entertainment Drive) was live online reporting with user questions being relayed to winners at the Academy Awards, beginning at the 1994 Oscars show.
[3] Beck's five-decade run has seen her and Smith's column featured in hundreds of outlets ranging from France and Mexico to Cleveland and Milwaukee.
Brigham Young University features a collection of Marilyn Beck works,[8] including published columns from 1963 to 1993, videotapes, photographs, research files, celebrity correspondence, publicity material and drafts of her books.
[9] A grandmother of four, Beck headquartered for 30 years from her home in Beverly Hills, where she often interviewed the stars for her column and for TV.