Where Did I Go Right?: You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead

by Bernie Brillstein, David Rensin

The talent agent who worked with the likes of John Belushi, Jim Henson, Phil Hartman, and Dennis Miller reveals how he began at the mail room at the William Morris Agency, working his way to the top in the cutthroat world of the entertainment industry. Reprint.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Media Tie In

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Bernie Brillstein was a show business manager and an American film/television producer and executive producer.

Reviews

[Amy Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bernie was a funny guy. I worked for him during the One Year that Lorimar was in the feature business. He was a great manager -- maybe not such a great head of a film studio, but I think he knew that. A very colorful man!!

[Mediaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is supposed to be one of the classic inside-Hollywood tell-all memoirs, often quoted in other books about the business, but it is incredibly long and overly focused on self-analysis as the author tries to survive retirement. It could have cut out at least a hundred pages and been more effective.

There are certainly some great stories, plenty of inside details on profits, and a few slams along the way. Too much of the book focuses on Jim Henson, Lorne Michaels, John Belushi, and anything Saturday Night Live, which fans might appreciate but it just goes on and on with those details woven throughout. Other stars he was involved with get short-changed or ignored.

No surprise that Michael Ovitz ends up being the evil villain, but the writer's over-the-top praise for Loren Michaels conflicts with most of the other books I've read. It could be that Brillstein essentially believed in Michaels when no one else would and got the SNL producer a lot more money than NBC offered. The amount of money Brillstein made from the shows he was involved in was shocking, often personally earning millions for simply putting a deal together for one client and being credited as an "executive producer." He got very rich off the Muppets because of his longtime guidance of Jim Henson's career.

Brillstein admits to his own shortcomings, including gambling, anger issues, marriages and affairs. One of his observations was that interest in women will cost a man money, whether it's through dating, marriage or simply hiring an escort. Brillstein said that men in Hollywood know "the way to get the best pussy is by paying for it--one way or another."

The guy was no genius--he let money slip through his hands often. Brillstein created the idea for Hee-Haw, then eventually gave away his residual payments. There are a number of times he didn't get the best deals for himself, but his clients were for the most part happy with what he did for them as a manager.

A streamlined volume of this book would be of great use in film classes, but as published it's often monotonous, repetitive, and too self-congratulatory. Namely, he is constantly trying to answer his own title question by proving where he went right.

[Beth E · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very funny, well-written book which describes the life of Bernie Brillstein. Who is Bernie Brillstein?

Well, he is the agent for some people you have probably heard of, like Lorne Michaels, John Belushi and Jim Henson.

This book gives a fun look at their careers as well as those of many others. It is also very funny in its own right.
I was happy to add this book to my Muppet book collection.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, though told a somewhat non-linear fashion that makes it a little hard to follow. It was published in 1999, so there's a bit where he praises Harvey Weinstein which has aged like milk, and also a fun passing mention in the epilogue of his having discovered some kid called Alan Tudyk recently who seems to really be going places.

[Patrick Hanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of the poignant and the cutthroat as Brillstein describes his partnerships with the likes of Jim Henson and John Belushi and battles with Michael Ovitz. The warmer portraits of his clients and friends carry the day.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved hearing how the celebrity management and the TV/movie show packaging business was built, by the legend himself.

[ben hofmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading in LA

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am loving it, even 25 years later.

[A Cesspool · Rating 3 out of 5]

also apropos

"...But I'm Not Bitter.
An Earful Of How I Really Feel About 'That Käkscker Garry Shandling' and/or Michael Ovitz "
by Bernie Brillstein. Read by the Author.

A good chunk toils in responding to their '...totally Not a landmark' case:

Garry Shandling v. Brad Grey Entertainment

In hindsight, we now know Brillstein had Shandling's phones tapped all along.
So Bernie isn't really expressing his own personal assessment (to reports of Brillstein-Grey's duplicitous agenting), rather, responding to those [then-still-secret] eavesdropped phone conversations: (after) hearing every unvarnished personal critique / descriptor / flaw never meant for his ears.
- - - - - - - - -
Also, Brillstein straight contradicts everything he so meticulously outlines in introductory chapter regarding the Necessity of a Good Manager's Duties, i.e what fees are deemed lawful "kosher," unconventional or prohibited "morally acceptable or less-favorable," or dishonest "in-breach"...

I have one other management rule: no contracts.
A handshake is good enough. My wink is binding.
If you have no contract there's nothing to break.

...by the manuscript's finale.

tl;dr: Exceptional Showbiz Legacy memoir, chronicling the end of New Hollywood, throughout 1980's Blockbuster-Corporate Hollywood comeback and into Pre-Information/Independent Cinema era ...and those aggregate systems, standards, and posturing(s) that entail talent representation, throughout. Still, infinitely better than the uneven When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead or
infinitely negating [née: Redacting] A Life in Movies (both covering the same timeline, approximate viewpoint) imo.

[Comelibros]

Muy bueno, a pesar que no es fácil entender de leyes; el libro da una visión de lo que es el Cabildo de La Gomera, desde su fundación hasta nuestros días. Interesante todas la penurias que paso está institucuión por culpa de situaciones externas "Guerra civil, dictaduras, etc.", y la ideas, proyectos e ilusiones que tardaron décadas en materializarse.

[Harry Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A relatively unvarnished look at the business of entertainment from an insider. Anyone with an interest in popular culture or show business of the last half century will enjoy this book. Brillsltein is clearly something of an outsized character, and the memoir reflects his sensibilities and humor.

[Coby]

Still reading this one

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. If you want an inside look form a master of the game check this one out. you won't be disappointed.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best, by the best.

[Tara L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun journey through Hollywood while giving a history lesson of the people and deals behind many of the movies and TV shows of the latter half of the 20th Century.

[Bradley Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read and fun to read bits about what goes on behind the movie business. He talks about the start of SNL, Belushi, Jim Henson, and many more. The part I didn't like was amounts of money thrown around. Rich dude problems. Ex. "I was on a cruise in the South Hamptons when I got a call of bad news that we'll be making a million as opposed to a few.." Not an actual quote, but not far off. Brillstein has since passed, but it was definitely an interesting read.