Brief review of "The Brothers Mankiewicz" by Sydney Stern

Earlier this summer I read the new double-biography The Brothers Mankiewicz by Sydney Stern. This brief review is my contribution to the Classic Film Reading Challenge, run by Raquel Stecher of the Out of the Past blog. (I originally posted a variant of this on Goodreads.)

I started reading the Kindle book but switched to the audiobook after a couple chapters. This is extremely well researched and well-written. In fact, I think it is an essential book for anyone interested in the golden age of Hollywood. The Hollywood connection stretches from Herman's beginning as a writer in the 1920s to the end of Joe's career as producer-writer-director in the 1970s.

Both of the brothers, Herman and Joe Mankiewicz, come across as pompous asses, but they are fascinating and important characters. Joe’s patronizing and disrespectful attitude toward the women in his profession is an indication of how tough women had it in Hollywood at the time (and still, no doubt). This is especially true since I get the impression that, as bad as he was, Joe may have been one of the better of the Hollywood power players on that front.

The chapter on Cleopatra is fascinating all by itself, and the humbled Joe that emerged from that experience was a more appealing version of his character.

Comments

[RaquelStecher]

Excellent! I have an electronic copy of this book but haven't dived in yet. Thanks for your review!