Born in New York on 17 October 1946 Miss Chasen was a sucessful public relations guru who represented actors such as Michael Douglas and promoted films including The Hurt Locker.

Miss Chasen directed the Academy Award campaigns for more than 100 films during her career which spanned more than four decades.

Her first job in the industry came when her brother, the film director Larry Cohen, hired her to publicise his 1973 film Hell Up in Harlem. It would be the first of many and Miss Chasen soon became popular in Hollywood circles.

A career highlight was when she successfully promoted the Oscar campaign for the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture the following year.

Other works she promoted included On Golden Pond and most recently Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Douglas.

Miss Chasen represented dozens of actors through her PR firm Chasen & Co, once coaching a young John Travolta in how to deal with life in the spotlight.

She was shot five times as she drove in the early hours of November 16 - a crime for which no one has yet been brought to justice. A $100,000 (£63,000) reward has been offered for information leading to a conviction.

Tributes from a shocked Hollywood poured in after her death. "She was just a terrific person, a great sense of humour, and great energy," her brother said. "Certainly didn't deserve anything like this to happen to her," Mr Cohen added.