When Hollywood Had a King: The Reign of Lew Wasserman, ... (ISBN 0375501681)

A Respectful Look at Lew Wasserman:
Cinema fans of a certain age will no doubt recall the grand films of the 1940s and 1950s with a wry thought of "They don't make them like that anymore." The current boffo box office consists of pyrotechnical sequels starring beefcake (and cheesecake) performers, not matinee idols like Peck, Hepburn, Bogart and Lancaster. But in the old days . . . Connie Bruck, a veteran writer for The New Yorker, has compiled this fulsome biography of Lew Wasserman, one of the most powerful movers and shakers of an era when movies were virtually the only form of popular entertainment. The power wielded by Wasserman and his contemporaries could mean the difference between professional (and sometimes personal) life and death. (Bruck often discusses the Hollywood "gang" in terms of organized crime. Indeed, there was a great deal of dubious dealings with labor unions, often considered under the concern of the gangster trade.) Wasserman was the type of leader who drew a mixture of respect and fear. He was "an entertainment mogul without peer," according to one admirer. To another, "he had an aura. He was my god." And like many such men, "his explosive tirades were legend." Most of the book concerns the wheelings and dealings of the industry. For such a potentially juicy subject, Bruck dishes very little dirt/gossip. Instead she seems more concerned with the financial aspects, which readers will either find fascinating or tedious. There is often too much background that detracts from the overall sense of entertainment a book like this would seem to merit. In fact, Wasserman isn't even mentioned until well into the first chapter. Even the title is a bit hard to get through. Another concern is that the author can't quite decide the direction of her book. The depth of research indicates a scholarly tome, but the voice seems more "popular" in nature. Taken as a whole, however, Bruck offers a respectful look at Wasserman and a homage to the system when, to paraphrase a popular expression of today's younger crowd, "Hollywood ruled." --- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan

When Hollywood was King!:
When Hollywood was King and MCA ruled through aggressive, imaginative, creative, dirty, underhanded, political ways. This is not my favorite Hollywood book as I found "Showman, the life of David O. Selznick" by David Thomson and Peter Biskind's "easy Riders, Raging Bulls" far more entertaining. But Connie Bruck's book is more epic, covering as it does the business careers of Jules Stein and Lew Wassermann from the 1920s into the 21st Century in addition to telling the history of their company MCA and the industry they "ruled". Note I reference business careers because these individuals did not seem to have a personal life that did not revolve around business. There is not much surprising celebrity scandal that unfolds, except some strong hints that Ronald Reagan was a charming empty suit who received many sweetheart deals from the industry and he gave back in return. In some ways the Wasserman life story told here is one of the rise and fall, the young mans glory being used by younger students against him. And even though MCA associated with the mob and the mob with them Wasserman gave heavily to his industry and charity. A book for anyone interested in the history of Hollywood as a business in the 20th century. An epic work that I highly recommend.

Bruck at her best:
I had high expectations for this work after reading `Predators' Ball' and `Master of the Game.' I was not disappointed. It's a stunning portrait of a legendary Hollywood mogul and his genius for cultivating unparalleled power and influence. Though nonfiction, it's a narrative worthy of the best fiction. The saga begins in 1922 with future MCA founder Julius Caesar Stein and union heavyweight James Caesar Petrillo in mob-ruled Chicago. It ends 80 years later with Wasserman's death (slightly past his prime) in Hollywood. It's a story of timely innovation - in performance bookings, agency representation, studio production, television content agreements, union exclusives, tax loophole exploits, political lobbying, fundraising, influence, and leverage. Ultimately, it's the story of the `entertainment' industry,' complete with celebrities, politicians (from JFK; Nixon's history alone is worth the price of the book), and even Japanese suitors. Highly recommended.

Better than fiction, an engaging drama of business history.:
Connie Bruck is a masterful biographer, one of the best. Her books read like political thrillers. She has multiple threads keeping the plot moving, and each thread reveals important information about the character. She outwrites most fiction thriller writers. "When Hollywood had a king" kept me rivited to my audiobook the entire time. Basically, Lew Wasserman is a constantly scheming, completely self-centered, with no interests except business dealings and enlarging his fortune. Bruck portrays him as a crass, nouveau rich executive. He and his wife hold parties, and only include those with the right social status. Yet they themselves come from lower-middle class backgrounds. Wasserman is ruthless in his dealings with everyone, both other business executives and his employees. This man is the epitome of the ugly businessman. Bruck does a spectacular job of showing how the origins of the Talent Agent business that Wasserman started in had mafia ties. wassermann continued to use the Mafia practices of intimidation, fear and punishment in all his business dealings, a true shark suit. If you worked at MCA and quit, it was viewed as an act of betrayal, and Wassermann would do his best to impede your career. Bruck shows how Wassermann kept you in your place, giving you small rewards for doing as he said, and big punishments for doing what was best for you. The book shows how JFK & Bobby Kennedy were influenced to make the anti-trust changes light the year they spun off the MCA talent agency business. Wassermann chose this division to spin off, then just fired all the employees who were loyal to him for 20+ years; no pension, no nothing. That was the kind of guy he was. Do what he wants and you're 'part of the family'. But he doesn't help you when it doesn't benefit him. I can't imagine a work of fiction being more engaging than this book. Plus, when you're done, you have a good understanding of the whole hollywood business scene, and how project (movies) get done in Hollywood. Wassermann was a talented business guy, no doubt. But in his brand of business, other humans have no meaning except how they benefit you.

A Pebble in the Pond:
Absolutely first-rate bio-history. It is the story of this remarkable man, but also the story of a great deal more. As I read this well-written biography, I thought of "Once Upon A Time In America," the film about the American Jewish mafia told by the Italian director Sergio Leone. This biography of Wasserman has all of the mythic power of that film chronicle of violence and dreams. Fear played such a role in the way Wasserman weilded power, it is a wonder that our political theorists have not included this book in their reading lists along with Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. There is something "Oriental" about the use of power, the willingness to ruthlessly destroy, the seemingly endless, insatiable greed. His connection to the mob and to American presidents, such as Johnson and Nixon, is terribly interesting, as is the continuing fascination of Hollywood with power. I can think of no comparable mix of dread and beauty than that of the relationship between Stalin and Russian poets. This book is haunting and scary. Sleep tight.