FREDDIE FIELDS, 84 Agent, studio executive

Freddie Fields, the Hollywood agent, producer and studio executive who helped make stars of Mel Gibson, Richard Gere and others with films such as The Year of Living Dangerously, American Gigolo and Glory, died Tuesday of lung cancer at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., said publicist Warren Cowan, a longtime friend.

During a long, colorful career as one of Hollywood's biggest behind-the-scenes players, Mr. Fields founded the international talent agency Creative Management Associates and served as president of two major film studios, MGM and United Artists.

He produced such films as Glory, which won Denzel Washington his first Oscar; Crimes of the Heart, starring Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek; and American Gigolo, which helped turn Mr. Gere into a box-office star.

RICHARD CLASEN, 65 Newspaper editor, publisher

Richard Clasen, co-owner and editor and publisher of The Eureka Herald in Kansas, died Sunday at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita after suffering a stroke, the newspaper reported.

Mr. Clasen was a former president of the Kansas Press Association and often took on the role of community spokesman. .