What do you think?
Rate this book
Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner
Traces the life and career of the influential producer, shares the impressions of those who worked with him, and surveys Warner Brothers films
324 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
15 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Bob Thomas
131 books33 followersRobert Joseph "Bob" Thomas was an American Hollywood film industry biographer and reporter who worked for the Associated Press from 1944.
Born in San Diego, he grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a film publicist. He attended UCLA. He lived in Encino with his wife, Patricia. They have three daughters. Thomas, aged 92, died on March 14, 2014 at his home.
Thomas made his mark by engaging celebrities in activities that brought out their personalities, whether by measuring their waistline after childbirth (as he did with Betty Grable) or testing just how tall a leading lady needed to be by kissing her himself (as he did with June Haver). Acclaimed as the dean of Hollywood reporters, Bob Thomas wrote about the movie business for the Associated Press since the days when Hollywood was run by the men who founded it: Jack Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck, Harry Cohn and Louis B. Mayer.
During his long history of reporting for the AP, Thomas authored at least 30 books. Many in the film industry credit his 1969 biography of producer Irving G. Thalberg as sparking their interest in pursuing a career behind the scenes. Other Thomas biographies include Joan Crawford, Marlon Brando, David O. Selznick, Walter Winchell, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Howard Hughes, Abbott & Costello, Walt Disney, and a children's book, Walt Disney: Magician of the Movies. - Wikipedia
Born in San Diego, he grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a film publicist. He attended UCLA. He lived in Encino with his wife, Patricia. They have three daughters. Thomas, aged 92, died on March 14, 2014 at his home.
Thomas made his mark by engaging celebrities in activities that brought out their personalities, whether by measuring their waistline after childbirth (as he did with Betty Grable) or testing just how tall a leading lady needed to be by kissing her himself (as he did with June Haver). Acclaimed as the dean of Hollywood reporters, Bob Thomas wrote about the movie business for the Associated Press since the days when Hollywood was run by the men who founded it: Jack Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck, Harry Cohn and Louis B. Mayer.
During his long history of reporting for the AP, Thomas authored at least 30 books. Many in the film industry credit his 1969 biography of producer Irving G. Thalberg as sparking their interest in pursuing a career behind the scenes. Other Thomas biographies include Joan Crawford, Marlon Brando, David O. Selznick, Walter Winchell, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Howard Hughes, Abbott & Costello, Walt Disney, and a children's book, Walt Disney: Magician of the Movies. - Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 11, 2022
History of a movie mogul
This book is a biography of Jack Warner. It's quite interesting and it was entertaining to read about various actors' and actresses' dealings with Jack. I would have liked the book to be longer with more stories about the stars, but it was an enjoyable read. My only nit is the numerous typos.
This book is a biography of Jack Warner. It's quite interesting and it was entertaining to read about various actors' and actresses' dealings with Jack. I would have liked the book to be longer with more stories about the stars, but it was an enjoyable read. My only nit is the numerous typos.
July 28, 2020
Fascinating
Great biography that tells it like it really was from the very beginning to the very end. He was such a jerk but brilliant movie maker. A must read if you want to know about movie making!
Great biography that tells it like it really was from the very beginning to the very end. He was such a jerk but brilliant movie maker. A must read if you want to know about movie making!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews