My Life as a Mankiewicz: An Insider's Journey through Hollywood (Screen Classics) [Hardcover]

Tom Mankiewicz (Author), Robert Crane (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 8, 2012 | Series: Screen Classics

The son of famed director and screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve [1950], Guys and Dolls [1955], Cleopatra [1963]) and the nephew of Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz was genuine Hollywood royalty. He grew up in Beverly Hills and New York, spent summers on his dad's film sets, had his first drink with Humphrey Bogart, dined with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, went to the theater with Ava Gardner, and traveled the world writing for Brando, Sinatra, and Connery. Although his family connections led him to show business, Tom "Mank" Mankiewicz forged a career of his own, becoming a renowned screenwriter, director, and producer of acclaimed films and television shows. He wrote screenplays for three James Bond films -- Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) -- and made his directorial debut with the hit TV series Hart to Hart (1979--1984). My Life as a Mankiewicz is a fascinating look at the life of an individual whose creativity and work ethic established him as a member of the Hollywood writing elite.

Mankiewicz details his journey through the inner world of the television and film industries, beginning with his first job as production assistant on The Comancheros (1961), starring John Wayne. My Life as a Mankiewicz illuminates his professional development as a writer and director, detailing his friendships and romantic relationships with some of Hollywood's biggest stars as well as his struggle with alcohol and drugs. With the assistance of Robert Crane, Mankiewicz tells a story of personal achievement and offers an insider's view of the glamorous world of Hollywood during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""One of the few books about the American movie industry that shows, not tells, what is meant by the idea that the business is one of relationships."--Tom Stempel, author of Understanding Screenwriting: Learning from Good, Not-Quite-So-Good, and Bad Screenplays" --

""Highly entertaining.... I came away from this book with a real appreciation of, and fondness for, how it works-- from premise to pitch to scrambling for finance to dealing with ego dilemmas to final screenplay and practical on-the-set problems. [Mankiewicz's] tremendous respect for small and large collaborators, from grips to stars, is contagious."--Clancy Sigal, author of five books including Going Away and A Woman of Uncertain Character" --

""Mankiewicz details his journey through the inner world of the television and film industries, beginning with his first job as a production assistant on The Comancheros (1961), starring John Wayne."--Turner Classic Movies" --

""Highly entertaining....[Mankiewicz's] tremendous respect for small and large collaborators, from grips to stars, is contagious." --Clancy Sigal, author of five books including Going Away and A Woman of Uncertain Character" --

""A primer on the industry from someone who experienced it up close and personal throughout his whole life."--Yahoo! Movies" --

""A whirlwind tour through Hollywood history withy Tom as the affable guide."--Movie Maker" --

""There hasn't been a great book on Hollywood in quite some time, which is why My Life as a Mankiewicz is such a treat."--Script" --

""A treasure trove of observations and anecdotes about Hollywood from the 1960s to the 1980s and the people who made the movies back then."--Associated Press" --

""Details the developments of Menkiewicz's own career as a writer and director. It also recounts the wild, drug-fueled atmosphere of Hollywood and his romantic liaisons with big stars of the '60s, '70s, and '80s."--Our Ventura Boulevard" --

""One of the few books about the American movie industry that shows, not tells, what is meant by the idea that the business is one of relationships."--Slant Magazine" --

""A spirited and creatively non-linear account of his colorful and diverse career, transcending traditional storytelling by showing what it meant to be a Mankiewicz--in and out of the director's chair.... A top-notch read about a true class act."--DGA Quarterly" --

""There are stories about how he shepherded the Bond transition from Sean Connery to Roger Moore, and his rewrite of Superman, which created the template for every superhero movie up to today."--Maclean's" --

""After obligingly recapping his fractious family history in the opening pages, Mank dives headlong inot the book's tru purpose: serving up delicious Hollywood dish. He grew up on the sets of his father's films, and there is no reason to doubt his recollection of events. This time the tawdry Tinseltown stories feel true."--Globe and Mail" --

""A fitting tribute to... a member of of the glmourous world of Hollywood during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s."--Tucson Citizen" --

""Tom Mankiewicz was as close to royalty as one can get in Hollywood."--Los Angeles Times" --

""Prime firsthand anecdotes fill this consistently readable and entertaining book."--Washington Post" --

""This enormously entertaining memoir gives the reader the benefit of a superb racouteur's vast store of anecdote and incident."--Washington Times" --

""A trove of cinematic tales and celebrity gossip."--Biographile" --

""A brutally honest autobiogaphy."--National Board of Review" --

""My Life as Mankiewicz is a treasure trove of observations and anecdotes about Hollywood from the 1960s to the 1980s and the people who made movies back then." --Winston-Salem Journal" --

""This enormously entertaining memoir gives the reader the benefit of a superb raconteur's vast store of anecdote and incident." --Washington Times" --

""A consistently readable and entertaining book." --Washington Post" --

""Tom Mankiewicz was as close to royalty as one can get in Hollywood.... He was also a raconteur of the highest order and many of his favorite stories appear in My Life as a Mankiewicz." --Los Angeles Times" --

""One of the best personal accounts of show business ever published." --Weekly Standard" --

""Every aspiring film writer, producer, director and movie fanatic should lay hands on this book."--Liz Smith, Huffington Post" --

About the Author

Tom Mankiewicz (1942--2010) was a screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures and television series, perhaps best known for his work on the James Bond films, Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), and the television series Hart to Hart (1979--1984).

Robert Crane is coauthor of Bruce Dern: Things I've Said, but Probably Shouldn't Have -- An Unrepentant Memoir, Jack Nicholson: The Early Years, and SCTV: Behind the Scenes as well as a contributor to Hal Ashby: Interviews. He lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (May 8, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813136059
• ISBN-13: 978-0813136059
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #324,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Decades of Hollywood insider info June 17, 2012

By Breezy

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Tom Mankiewicz has been a force in Hollywood for many years--the son of director Joe (Cleopatra among others). In his very candid memoir, Tom takes the reader into his life, first as the son of someone famous, then as he emerged as a force to be reckoned with on his own. A writer and problem solver for movies, including James Bond, Superman, and Delirious, his career spanned decades, and Tom rubbed shoulders of many of Hollywood's elite.

This informal and relaxed memoir was engaging, warm, and scandal free. I really enjoyed reading Tom's journey.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My Life as a Mankiewicz August 12, 2012

By Dennis Marchand

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

A tremendously entertaining book I couldn't put down about one man's life in the Hollywood fast lane. Very well written and very funny.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Mankiewicz autobiography August 6, 2012

By MGKAL

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Tom Mankiewicz' book is full of fun stories about his time in Hollywood. His writing style is casual and suggestive about what contributed to him being a good script writer. A friend offered that today, Mankiewicz would not have survived the corporate film business; he would have only made it in the world of indie films. The Hollywood of Mankiewicz' time is gone. To read his account is to visit a particular time in the Hollywood film industry. I recommend this book for any lover of the movies.

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this! May 31, 2013

By Little Lupe

Format:Hardcover

One of the best books on Hollywood that I have read and I have read many. Get this book. You won't be disappointed.

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny! December 2, 2012

By Daniel Sugar

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

One of the funniest autobiographies I've read. (Sad that Mank is gone but at least we have this terrific book.)

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Hollywood Stories and Truthtelling October 23, 2012

By Joel Canfield

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wit is ingrained in the Mankiewicz gene pool - and, having read books about his dad Joseph and Uncle Herman (both Hollywood legends), I figured I would move on to the next generation. I wasn't disappointed in the read; many great anecdotes and blunt assessments of Hollywood stars (Robert Redford, Natalie Wood, etc.), studio heads (Lew Wasserman) and agency vultures (CAA's infamous 80's stranglehold that apparently derailed Tom's career). This book might have earned five stars from me, except, if I'm reading the forward correctly, Mankiewicz passed away before the book was really finished - that means, even though we hear in great detail, for example, about his adventures as a p.a. on a 60's John Wayne western, we learn little to nothing about his involvement as a screenwriter on three James Bond and the first two Christopher Reeve Superman films, probably his most highly-remembered work (which, yes, pales in relation to his uncle's "Citizen Kane" screenplay and his dad's Oscar-winners like "All About Eve" but probably reflects today's movie mentality more than his talent). He seems to also think the two biggest movies he directed, "Dragnet" and "Delirious" were a lot funnier than they actually were, although, again, his overall perspective on Hollywood is very self-deprecating and enjoyable. The last few pages of the book are curious, as they seem repetitive and disorganized, as though the editor had to find a way to tie everything together but was out of material. Anyway, a very breezy and enjoyable read, minus the flaws I mentioned. I wish he would have stuck around a little longer to tell a few more stories...

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood royalty gives whirlwind tour June 11, 2012

By TSP

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm happy to be the first person to say what a terrific read this book is! I'm almost through w/ it, I'm sorry to say.

Tom Mankiewicz is the son of legendary writer/director Joseph L Mankiewicz (All About Eve, A Letter to Three Wives, Julius Ceasar, Guys and Dolls) just to name a few! Talent runs deep through the family tree. His uncle Frank wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane, his cousin Ben is the weekend host of TCM, and on it goes. Family lineage aside, Tom's tale is fascinating on it's own merits. He wrote or re-wrote four bond films, Superman 1 and 2, and directed the movie Dragnet w/ Tom Hanks and Dan Ackroyd, and much more.

If you're the least bit interested in what went on behind the scenes during the golden age of Hollywood, I highly recommend this thourouglhy entertainig book. Enjoy the ride as it takes you through classic Hollywood of the 30's and 40's through the 60's and 70's, right up to today.

Sadly, Tom passed away during the writing of this book. But his memory lives on along w/ some great stories for posterity. If you want to have a truly enjoyable reading experience, you owe it to yourself to read this book!