Overview
Groundbreaking pioneers of the Hollywood Dream Factory, Joseph and Nicholas Schenck may not have been household names like the Warner brothers or Louis B. Mayer, but they were infinitely more powerful, influentialāand ruthless. A pair of Russian immigrants with giant ambitions, the Schencks turned their small nickelodeon business in New Yorkās Bowery into a partnership with Loewās movie theaters and a controlling interest in three major studios: MGM, 20th Century Fox, and United Artists. They painted the silver screen silver, laid the foundations for the all-powerful studio system, and ruled a global movie empire from their Gatsby-sized mansions on the East and West coasts. The Schencks had become moguls.
Their story is the stuff of legendsāand their scandals are among the greatest stories Hollywood never told. This riveting, behind-the-scenes account reveals the suprising truth about:
- The union-busting mob deal that landed Joe Schenck in federal prison for four yearsāon tax evasion charges including deductions for a menage a trois.
- The cutthroat and merciless political maneuvering that defined the Hollywood studio heads.
- The lurid murder charges against silent film star āFattyā Arbuckleāwhose legal defense was paid for by Joe Schenck.
- Joeās secret infatuation with Marilyn Monroe, even though Marilynās mother named her Norma after Joeās wife!
- The brothersā ingenious creation of the Academy of Motion Pictures and the Oscarsāand indomitable control over the entire film industry.
From the earliest days of silent films and the swinging era of the Roaring Twenties, through the Golden Age of the studio system and the patriotic call of WWII, to the Red Scare paranoia of the McCarthy years, the history of the Schenck brothers is the story of Hollywood itselfāand the endurng power of the American Dream. Moguls is a must-read for film fans, history buffs, and anyone who loves the movies.
This book title, Moguls (The Lives and Times of Hollywood Film Pioneers Nicholas and Joseph Schenck), ISBN: 9780806543086, by Michael Benson, Craig Singer, published by Kensington (September 24, 2024) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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