The Kid Stays In The Picture: A Hollywood Life

by Robert Evans

Robert Evans' The Kid Stays in the Picture is universally recognized as the greatest, most outrageous, and most unforgettable show business memoir ever written. The basis of an award-winning documentary film, it remains the gold standard of Hollywood storytelling.

With black-and-white photographs from the author's archive and a new introduction by the legendary actor, producer, and Hollywood studio chief Robert Evans, The Kid Stays in the Picture is driven by a voice as charming and irresistible as any great novel.

An extraordinary raconteur, Evans spares no one, least of all himself. Filled with starring roles for everyone from Ava Gardner to Marlon Brando to Sharon Stone, The Kid Stays in the Picture: A Notorious Life is sharp, witty, and self-aggrandizing, and self-lacerating in equal measure.

This is a must-read for fans of American cinema and classics of the canon, including The Odd Couple, Rosemary’s Baby, Love Story, The Godfather, and Chinatown.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Film, Memoir, Autobiography, Media Tie In, Audiobook

528 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Robert Evans (born Robert J. Shapera) is an American film producer best known for his work on Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, The Godfather and Chinatown as well as his hedonistic lifestyle and seven marriages.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is Evans arrogant? Absolutely. Would I want to work for him? Not on your life. Was this a great book? You bet your ass it was.

Robert Evans went from a vague business career, to modest fame as an actor, to become one of the great Hollywood power players of the 60's and 70's. He headed Paramount or worked closely with the studio during the making of Love Story, Rosemary's Baby, The Godfather, Chinatown, Popeye, and a host of others.

He's got fantastic stories, and a singular voice (figuratively and literally). He's very proud (rightly so) of his successes and doesn't mind talking himself up. However, he's also pretty honest about his mistakes and failures.

Timeline wise, the book covers much of the same New Hollywood era as Peter Biskind's Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. While Biskind's book is better written (and doesn't have the awful seduction poetry chapter), Evans' book is more fun, and more personal, since he was front and center for all of the action.

I'd highly recommend the book, especially the audio version. I could easily listen to another six hours of Evans' stories.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most purely entertaining books I've ever read. Robert Evans is clearly a narcissistic man, but he knows how to tell the story of his fascinating life with panache.

[Kid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had some trouble with this review - figuring out what to write. First of all this is a ridiculously good page turner - never a dull moment. Secondly some of Hollywood's sacred cows get slaughtered. Coppola comes off like a man lacking the discipline to realize his vision. This book is exhibit one on the evidence table against the fallacy of the auteur - making a movie is a huge collaboration - and sometimes the producer is the driving force behind an incredible accomplishment.

There's a lot of interesting contradictions in this book. They include his work with incomprehensible screenplays (sometimes they are disasters - a great Nabokov story in here, and sometimes they are brilliant successes - Robert Towne's Chinatown screenplay makes no sense but won a shitload of awards), his relationships with women (there's heart-breaking stuff in there about his failed marriage with Ali MacGraw - you really get the sense that he would throw away his worldly success with film to still be with her), and his battles to keep Paramount open paired with his inability to run the corporation profitably in the end.

It's a brutal ride - but it's Evans' voice that burns through the Lon Chaney-esque trappings of his life story. I believe that's what catapulted this film into a documentary in 2003. Evans did a book on tape and his voice calls out from another era - he sounds like a lost character from a Chandler novel. He's a wounded bear and it's his emotional flaws and rare sentimentality that buoy this story onto a higher plane. Read this sometimes vulgar and mostly jaw dropping story of a veteran home from a life of war.

[Taylor Reid]

A Hollywood producer in the 1970s who would one day run Paramount Studios, Robert Evans has been married seven times and is a completely bewildering character. His biography lets loose on many fascinating moments in film history, including the filming of The Godfather and what happened when Ali MacGraw left him for Steve McQueen.

I read this book when I was in college, having found it in the bargain bin in my local bookstore at the time. I knew I wanted to work in Hollywood one day so I picked it up for about seven bucks. My view of Hollywood -- and Hollywood producers, specifically -- was never the same.

[Kim Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby, this was a fucking enjoyable read. You think the cinematic version captured the essence of Robert Evans? That movie got nothing on the audiobok version of The Kid Stays in the Picture read by Robert Evans himself. Controversial figure? You bet. Fascinating story? Oh, God, yes.

I remember wondering how I would burn one of those Audible.com trial memberships that have been floating around. So what does Kim do? He adds Robert Evans's The Kid Stays in the Picture to his cart and signs up. Pain in the ass to manage Audible's proprietary software so I could load it to my iPod? Haha. Well worth it? Absolutely. Did I cancel my Audible.com membership right after? You bet. That's the magic of abusing free trial memberships!

[Kevin Kizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I like this book? Yes! Is it written in an interesting way? You bet. Does he ask a lot of questions and then answer them himself? God damn right he does.

[Bob Schnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of the documentary "The Kid Stays in the Picture" for many years so I was happy to finally get around to reading the source book. If anything, it is crazier than the movie.

Robert Evans has led a life that defies logic. He should be dead, incarcerated, blacklisted or bankrupt many times over, yet he keeps rising from the ashes to "stay in the picture". From radio actor to men's model to schmatta salesman to Hollywood producer, it is quite a ride and a fascinating tale. Having seen the movie which he narrates, it was easy to hear his voice as I read and it certainly gave an added dimension. Next I'll have to try the audiobook edition that he also narrates. I'm not sure I would like or get along with Mr. Evans if our paths crossed, but his life story is one to remember and includes a lot of sage advice.

Since this is an updated version of the 1994 original, the story of the book and film are included in the later added chapters. I thought this was a great way to build on the story and let the interested reader know how Evans' life was affected, positively and negatively, by his new notoriety. Apparently there is a follow-up book "The Fat Lady Sang" that I will also have to find.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evans' name wasn't immediately familiar to me. I'd heard enough buzz about this book, though, to grab a copy when I spotted it on the shelf. Some early acting roles thrust him into the spotlight, but it was his tenure as studio head at Paramount Pictures that brought him most of his fame and notoriety. Under Evans' leadership, the studio produced such classic films as The Godfather, Chinatown, and many more. He seems to have led an interesting and eventful life, to say the least. Reading some of his tales from the trenches, I'm amazed that movies get made at all, with all of the second-guessing and machinations that go on behind the scenes. His style takes a bit of getting used to, and some of the chapters--especially the later ones that seem to have been added for the paperback edition--function more as standalone essays than parts of a greater whole. Evans almost goes out of his way to portray the more negative aspects of his personality. But the result is a fascinating insider's look at the motion picture industry.

[Robert Haines · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was only able to get through three-fourths of this book. it is an ego trip and I knew that going in but by the tenth time Evans judged another man's merit by describing him as a "cocksman" I was done. I really wanted some detail about how films like the Godfather and China Town were made. Evans is so self absorbed his only concerns are material possessions (house, clothes, cars, women). I got to the point where I felt slimy and embarrassed to be a member of the male species.

[Amin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely prefer audio versions over the text, but the narrative here is an inseparable and essential part of enjoying the book and seeing the world from Evan’s eyes.
This is my favorite memoir; for all the “will you?”s in it, for his unique tone, and for the kid who stays in the picture.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-watched the film for the 10th time after I finished this. Were there a lot of stories from the book left out? You betcha! (And the hilarious Documentary Now spoof is what got me thinking about this film again).

I realize I need to create a new book genre called: "Required management texts other than the currently fashionable compendiums of feel-good platitudes like Who Moved My Cheese or Lean In" to name just two.

The fact that this is written in the author's own New York/Hollywood street patois is really what makes it almost the 20th Century version of Huckleberry Finn. His life before taking over at Paramount would be hugely entertaining on its own. However, the story of how he took the studio from a backwater tax write-off for Gulf + Western to number one is the reason this needs to be a management text.

He continually proved that following a tired old formula was never going to lead to anything great. For instance, I was laughing my head off when he described the reaction of just about everyone to the scenario for Harold and Maude. It is pretty safe to say that movie would never have been made under any other studio boss.

And of course the story of how Kissinger ended up at The Godfather premier is pretty priceless. "Henry, I need you bad! The Paris Peace Talks can wait!"

Unbeknownst to him at the time, this represented the high water mark of his tenure on "The Mountain." In the 80's he was pretty much a self-described leper while his mentees (Michael Eisner and Barry Diller) became industry titans on a scale unknown in the '70's. It didn't help that scandal was always one degree of separation away (the so called "Cotton Club Murder.")

All of that makes this a great page-turner. But believe it or not, by Hollywood standards Evans is fairly humble and down to earth. He actually dispenses sage advice on how to "stay in the picture" even when everyone in the world seems to be against you.

[Will Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard the audio book which I HIGHLY recommend. Evans is 1) a complete narcissist 2) an old-school "Man's man" sexist / stereotyper 3) insanely fun storyteller, with a great sense of humor and melodrama. You WILL impersonate his ridiculous style of talking. Also, I've never done cocaine but after hearing him talk for hours I feel like I got... high? Like I absorbed his shameless confidence/fascination with his own life and was applying it to my own.

[Nathan Rabin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this the greatest book ever written? You bet your ass it is.

[David Slater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to review The Kid Stays in the Picture, the autobiography of Robert Evans, legendary and notorious Hollywood producer of films like Funny Girl, The Godfather, Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, and... the list goes on. On one hand, the story is unputdownable because his unlikely rise to fame is fascinating, as are the behind-the-scenes details about the battles to get his films made--and he's not afraid to name names when detailing his debauchery. Evans is a compelling character, that's for sure, but not super likeable (he's from the generation that unironically used the terms "broad" and "dame") though he badly wants to be liked and admired for generosity and kindness. He's the savior in every situation and, though it seems every significant relationship in his life ended in disaster, he portrays himself as always the one betrayed. He read for the audiobook and his hardboiled voice and persona enhances everything good and bad the book. Bottom line: it's a must read if you have any interest in movie history, but bring a dash of salt with you to the party. Maybe an entire bag.

[Noah Goats · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to an abridged audiobook version of The Kid Stays in the Picture, and this was the right way to read it for two reasons:

1) Robert Evens has a unique voice that fits his narrative perfectly.

2) Evans seems like kind of a douchebag, and six hours is as much time as I wanted to spend with him.

The Kid Stays in the Picture tells the story of Evans’s rise from second rate actor to huge Hollywood producer. He was the man who saved Paramount with a string of hits from Love Story, to The Godfather, to Chinatown. The book is a collection of anecdotes about the business of filmmaking. It also includes, astonishingly, a long and awful poem that somehow didn’t wind up on the cutting room floor when this thing was being cut down in the abridgment process. This memoir is interesting and entertaining if you’re into the Hollywood of the 60s and 70s.

[Dea Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

After seeing The Offer on Paramount Plus, I had to read this book. I then learned while looking for it that Dustin Hoffman based his character in Wag the Dog off of Altman and they had worked together on Marathon Man.Hoffman actually knew Evans and had worked with him and even after all of these years, his betrayal in that movie sticks with me. It's hard to write about yourself and it's even harder to admit mistakes. I love that he read the audiobook and that the actor in The Offer had really nailed it. This book is not for the faint of heart
But if you grew up around people like him or know hard driving men who have cast perception against the wind and driven towards what they wanted, this book is for you. He also wrote it like a movie. It reads almost like a script. A lot of fun and the new introduction by Peter Bart adds to it.

[Gigi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only made it through about 20 percent of this book because the author of this autobiography is loathsome. He refers to himself and other men as “cocksmen” and women as “tramps.” I couldn’t take him anymore. I’m glad I’ve lived to see the end of that kind of thinking being the norm. Do I want to re-visit it? No way!

[Rom Mojica · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's right binch a SECOND book I didn't log and just read without telling you! Turns out logging the books here by progress can make me feel like I'm performing a duty and makes reading less fun lollllllllllll

First of all I think I'll say that Robert Evans is kind of a miserable author. The events in the book are arranged in a way that feels haphazard, important moments in the history of Hollywood given nothing more than a sentence or two of reminiscence before moving on to something else. While it's an interesting look through several decades on working with massive projects at Paramount, it can often make you feel unmoored in time - the Godfather has started, will start, has finished, in the space of three chapters, before he suddenly grounds you again like "it was 1963" which is years before the book of The Godfather was even written.

You feel jerked around, but still enticed, because if there's one thing about Robert Evans, it's that he's an enjoyable storyteller. You almost get the sense of him as the guy in the bar who keeps going "oh yeah you wanna hear some stories? Buy me another round and I'll tell ya one. Wanna hear about the time I got Kissinger to appear at a movie premiere as a personal favor? Or the time I met the Queen with my wife wearing a tie-dye pantsuit? Hell I'll tell ya anything, just don't ask me about the murder trial - not unless my lawyers are here, heh heh heh!" It all feels like he's going through a story and then being reminded partway through of something else, changing what he's talking about with his interests in the moment.

And yet it's an entertaining read about a guy who just seems to have lucked into success, but had the eye to continue turning out projects to keep him at the top until extenuating circumstances brought him down. Who is he? A former pants salesman who got his big Hollywood break because, lounging by the pool, a woman came up to him and basically said "you should play my late husband in the movie I'm producing - you just have that, presence, that someone needs to really inhabit him." From there, he made an impression with Daryl F. Zanuck, who gave him another break - but the power Zanuck had is what inspired him to want to become a producer, which, another lucky handshake with a great literary agent, gave him options to a book that got people's eyes on him. A bidding war broke out, Paramount won out in the end, and he spent the next 20 years delivering hits that saved the company. There was a time when the Paramount brass (a bunch of oil executives looking to get into the pictures because it's easy money!) were going to scrap the company and sell it to the cemetery behind the studio, but a couple quick hits from Evans, and suddenly they're back in the black!

To hear Evans tell it, the world was always against him, but, against all odds, he *drumroll* always stayed in the picture. They wanted to kick him off a movie he was acting in. They tanked a later film of his. They kept threatening to fire him. They kept not giving him the funding he knew he needed. They kept ignoring his ideas. But in the end, he managed to pull it off. One-sided? You bet! (this "question? quick answer!" thing is a writing tic Evans often returns to and I am worried now it has rubbed off on me). But a fun narrative all the way, because whatever lies and grains of truth were there, it gave me some kind of appreciation for the work a producer does, and the collaborative nature of filmmaking that tends to be glossed over by a lot of people through a (mis)understanding of the concept of "auteurism."

In fact there's an entire chapter about what he understands to be the place of a producer in Hollywood - or at least, the Hollywood he cut his teeth in. And I'll say that in general this book was good for that. I tend to think that "producer" is a kind of empty role, a sort of "I put money in and rubber stamped the finished product" kind of position, but a producer can be clearly so much more. The way he talks about himself, almost caught between the director and the studio as the person who's trying to find the right middle ground to make everyone happy. But as the last chapter suggests, perhaps the role of producer has changed - latter chapters in my version show him trying to make his way in 90s Hollywood, and struggling with the changes. Where he used to spend so much time fighting for films and dropping years in them, he was now amazed that he could get a movie greenlit in an afternoon.... only to find out that it's just to rush out a good idea into a mediocre movie to plug a gap in the Memorial Day Weekend.

On that subject, the version I had, ending with stories from his return to producing in the 90s, feels like the biggest misstep in the world. From what I can tell, the original book ended with him going through all his legal issues that brought him low, and ended with him signing back on with Paramount for a new movie and a love letter to his son. It seems like it would have been nice! And yet the unforced error of him telling stories about his time in the 90s.... it comes off as a dinosaur in a system that's moved past him. He tells us that someone I've never heard of will be the Coppola of the 90s, he talks about how certain movies he's working with will be successes when we now know they flopped massively, it's really sad stuff.

But perhaps the most confusing "bro why did you include this?" stuff is when he talks about how Sharon Stone didn't like him because she had heard about several abuses he's done to women. It's not just the Depp case being recent, but ending that chapter with "if you can prove what you're telling me, I'll acquiesce!" type language, it's icky. He goes from the previous chapters seeming like a handsome charming playboy to seeming like a lech that people know it's in their best interests to stay away from. He presents it as him being at the top of the world, but to me it seems like he still has no idea what he's doing - and has lost that spark for how to tell the story of it.

The book is a fun, if incredibly one-sided and self-serving, story, but I wouldn't look at it for anything but a tawdry little showbiz rag, and certainly not a document about the history of Hollywood and the massive changes that went through it from 1960-80. Evans approaches it all without any analysis or real consideration. Events just happen to him, and then he moves on. It goes back to what I was saying above - that he's not really considering much, just rattling off stories, and happy to tell you more stories if you'll just grab him another whiskey. It's a fun book, at times able to tell you something interesting or give insights into filmmaking that you might not have known otherwise, but it might as well have been titled "Robert Evans Has Never Done Anything Wrong Ever." And I know that, and I love him.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun look at the inside of the movie-making biz. Robert Evans ran Paramount Pictures and produced many of its most memorable films, including The Godfather and Chinatown, despite not having graduated high school and starting out as a so so actor. To pull off this feat, he had to have some special gifts: huge cojones, a gambling streak a mile long, total fixation on work, an amazing work ethic, and the largest ego I've ever seen. Lots of great Hollywood stories here (they would be amazing if even half of them were true) and quite a few chuckles. A very unique writing style. Fun, fun, fun...

[J.r. Molina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun stories but feels one note.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite the tale of late 20th century Hollywood, told by quite the big personality who lived it. I’m not what you'd call a movie buff, so I remembered the blockbuster movies and the big-name stars, but none of the other players, which made much of it hard to keep track of. I listened to an audiobook version narrated by the author, and I thought the best part was his frequent cynical chuckling.

[Jeff Swystun · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something smarmy and discomforting about Evans' remembrances. It is not the cocaine conviction or the 'Cotton Club Murder'. Nor the many marriages and dalliances. To say he had a wild, eventful life is an understatement. The discomfort comes from a dark sadness that hangs over this cautionary tale.

Evans seems drawn to the dark even though he has been bronzed by the sun his whole life. As Head of Production at Paramount he oversaw Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Rosemary's Baby, True Grit, Love Story, Harold and Maude, The Godfather, and Serpico. As producer he put out Chinatown, Marathon Man, Black Sunday, Urban Cowboy, Popeye, The Cotton Club, The Two Jakes, Sliver, and Jade. So many of these movies are dark and the lighter ones became dark in production.

Still there is a rough honesty threaded throughout even though some of his recollections may be suspect. As he says, "There are three sides to every story: yours ... mine ... and the truth." As stated in the Foreward he was "Robust, audacious original" and had vision and drive but was felled by believing his own hype and very normal limitations. Yet, he is to be applauded for very tangible results. The man symbolized mid century Hollywood ... it's many warts and all.

I loved his conversational style of writing. It like you are sitting next to him on a plane and he regaling you with these takes over endless scotches. The book can be taken seriously or just enjoyed for the cavalcade of stars who appear. Evans' life is two degrees of separation and these supporting stories truly entertain. I was intrigued by the conflict with Coppola who Evans goes after repeatedly. In the end you begrudgingly admire the man and his tenacious spirit. He says, "Rejection breeds obsession." The man is definitely obsessed.

[Jeffrey Powanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riotous Hollywood memoir by actor, producer, womanizer, raconteur Robert Evans, "Kid Notorious," the man who brought such movie classics as Love Story, Rosemary's Baby, Harold and Maude, The Godfather, Chinatown, The Godfather Part 2, Marathon Man, Black Sunday, and Cotton Club to the screen. Evans led a remarkable life, filled with ups and downs, successes and failures, triumphs and scandals. Unlike most producers, Evans stayed in the picture a lot longer than almost everyone else:

Where is everyone? Dead? Most. Wealthy? Some. Destitute? Many. Retired? Suppose so, I ain't seen 'em.

One thing I do know, I ain't dead. I ain't wealthy, I ain't destitute, and I ain't retired. Can't afford any of 'em, gotta keep standin', stay in the picture.

Does Evans dish? You bet. He dishes jaw-dropping stories about numerous Hollywood celebrities, including Errol Flynn, Jimmy Cagney, Ava Gardner, Jack Nicholson, Robert Towne, Roman Polanski, Francis Coppola, Ali McGraw, Steve McQueen, Henry Kissinger (who lived at Evans’s Beverly Hills home for 10 years!), and Sharon Stone, to name a few. His stories could fill two or three books, and they could inspire several more seasons of Entourage.

What makes this book really stand out is Evans's distinctive voice. Eschewing a bland ghost writer, Evans narrates his story in his own hilariously profane vernacular. The audio book, which is read by Evans in his deep, velvety voice, has got to be a blast. Gotta check it out.

My interest in Evans was stimulated by reading Sam Wasson's great Hollywood book The Big Goodbye , which is about the remarkable talents who collaborated on the movie Chinatown. Both books complement one another nicely.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, yay. I sort of love when things that I picture in my head are pretty much exactly that way. Meaning, I had the whole "Old Hollywood" stereotype in my brain forever - the phones slamming down, deals being made, everyone fucking everyone else. And, well, it's just fabulous that it was true. Maybe not if you lived it, but for a reader, it's great.

Evans writes how I assume he speaks. There's a constant jumpiness, as if he's completely coked out, flitting from thought to thought. He made his life making deals, so much so that it's like he's making the deal of his life with the reader. Of course, that made the book sort of hard to follow in parts because there are things he talks about that assume context. He also mentions so many people, and brings them up randomly throughout, that I couldn't quite keep up with who was who, but I got over it and just enjoyed the voice.

People who know me, know I love old men. And I especially love old New York men, people who grew up in the city in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. And I love old Hollywood stuff, so really, if I ever met Robert Evans in a bar, I'd probably be his eighth wife. On the surface, he comes off as completely arrogant, but there's this odd sort of fascination with his own life that makes him seem a bit more humble and endearing than he lets on. On a more practical side, I really was interested in the idea of producing, as it's probably the most important yet hardest to describe job in theater, television, and film. He has some great quotes that sum it up very aptly for the uninitiated, all framed in some classic, "Guess who I banged?" stories.

[Lady of the Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the autobiography of Robert Evans, actor producer head of Paramount Studios. Started in radio as a young boy... Got his big break in film playing Rhonda Shearers (she was a great actress way back when...) husband in a film. Robert Evans is the only actor ever to head up a major film studio. He is the man behind such block busters as The Godfather and China Town. He was married to Ali Magraw and Phyllis George as well as others And dated many starlets and models. He was cdiends with Carey Grant...He had a long and distinguished caterer on and mostly behind the silver screen. If you are old enough to remember big Hollywood names or just love a goodies story...This book is a fun ride and what gives it the xtra kicker is Evans reads his own story! When it started, I was thinking, Eh. He seems flat reading, he seems dry... But he really got into it when he went on and many parts it was like sitting with RE and having him telling you these fun, personal and some important Hollywood stories of his life. Some of it is more him speaking than reading and you can really hear him enjoying the memories. I really enjoyed this story. I loved the stories! I loved hearing Evans tell me his life story. Bits and pieces of others lives as well told thru his eyes...All in all a great time. It's a fast audio at under 6 hours and it really went by fmuickly and every chapter was full of inside fun!
So wether your older and remember the "old days" or you just love old Hollywood and find it interesting as I do the. You won't be disappointed with THE KIDS STAYS IN THE PICTURE.

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being a movie fan I never heard of Robert Evans until the show Kid Notorious appeared on Comedy central back in the 00's http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379638/

That lead me to buy the book and read it again and again. This relates an incredible story of a man who was in the right place and the right time and the wrong place at the wrong time. He bedded and wedded many of the famous actresses from the 1950s through the 1990s.

Without Robert Evans Paramount studios would have been a graveyard (Literally) and movies like the Godfather and Chinatown wouldn't have been made.

While the studio made Billions Robert Evans flirted with bankruptcy over and over. His brother was the founder of the clothing line Evan- Picone, but Bob never managed to stay rich. His Hollywood buds included Jack Nickelson, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty. His non Hollywood bestie was Henry Kissinger. But bad movies, bad decisions and bad luck lead to a lonely life.

[Alex Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one I would suggest listening to rather than reading as Bob Evans’s unique vocal stylings add another level of entertainment (or check out the animated documentary of the same name). He shares his rise from a kid selling typewriters in old New Yawk to running Paramount studios and subsequent downfall in the style of a classic Hollywood biopic. You see all the broads and two bit actors he met along the way. Did he work hard? Heh heh, No: he worked *damn* hard. But he had an enemy just waiting for the right time to trip him up and bring him down: himself. He reveals every future star he discovered, every faded star he saved from obscurity and how many of them turned his back on him later.
Don’t let those last parts make you think this is a bitter sob story. He relates this all with a sense of pride in his accomplishments but also amazed and amused at the crazy twists and turns of fate that even let it happen.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the most fascinating man in Hollywood. This book is just incredibly entertaining and well written, and the documentary that was made after is is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. I am not lying.

Robert Evans has lived about 30 lifetimes and he keeps going. Most notable of being a major producer (chinatown, the godfather, rosemary's baby, harold and maude) and running paramount, going bankrupt and making it all back.

You'll love it if you are in awe of people like Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and all those other liberal hollywood playboys who like to have a good time and make good as well.

[Rex Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the first, but probably the definitive Hollywood tell-all. A little perspective. Evans fathered the following movies Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Rosemary’s Baby, True Grit, Love Story, Plaza Suite, Harold and Maude, The Godfather, Serpico, Chinatown, Urban Cowboy, Popeye, and The Cotton Club, among others. He was the king. Pals included Nicholson, Beatty, Hoffman, and Kissinger. And he never finished high school. And never made the money you would think.

Written in rapid fire sentences to mimic his roller-coaster life you get a real sense of the ride. For spice, there are his many bedroom conquests. Highly recommended if you like movies at all.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining glimpse at the entertainment industry from the 50's to the early 90's. Robert Evans has obviously seen and done it all. It has a little bit of a Forrest Gump feel in that you wonder if he was really such an integral part (or almost part) of things like the Sharon Tate murder (he was supposed to be at Polansky's house that night) or the crafting of iconic movies like The Godfather. I think he probably glosses over his involvement in other things like heavy drug use. Regardless, it was worth the read.