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The Brothers Warner
"The Brothers Warner" is the definitive family biography and intimate portrait of the four legendary Warner brothers. It is told through the eyes of Harry Warner’s granddaughter, Cass Warner Sperling, and through the voices of others who knew them.
- GenresBiography
426 pages, Paperback
Published June 23, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 3, 2025
A family memoir of the Warner Brothers, created by Harry Warner's granddaughter, Cass Warner Sperling, this is a great source for insight into the Warners as people.
It is a mix of family accounts and biography. It does trace the lives of Harry, Jack, Sam and Abe from the immigration of the family to America to escape Jewish persecution, all the way to the selling of the company and Jack's death, with a bit of an epilogue section describing what happened to other family members. There's also a family tree and photos of various family members. If you're looking for a completely objective biography, this isn't it. There is fictionalized dialogue between characters, inserted thoughts from Cass and other family members, there are some dramatized scenes, and it relies at least somewhat on the memory. The focus is more on the men than discussing classic movies, awards won or other things in the public eye. However, it is very engaging and offers insight into the personal lives of the brothers that probably no other source can. I also think it's sweet that Cass was moved to tell her grandfather's story like this.
While, especially given the intense fights between family members, some bias is inherent, it does seem to me that efforts were made to add nuance. There are sections of inserted text from other family members, employees or acquaintances of the family and not all of them necessarily portray the brothers in a positive light. Sure, probably some unfavorable details were left out, but there are still moments that may not reflect all that well on the subjects of the story. Off the top of my head, there's Harry chasing Jack around with a lead pipe, Harry calling Jack's second wife a whore, Jack's utter betrayal of his family, Jack's constant affairs, Jack's naming names to HUAC, the almost-forty Sam marrying an eighteen-year-old, etc. These were men who were flawed and products of their time, but also did a lot of amazing things and whose legacy can still be felt today.
It is a mix of family accounts and biography. It does trace the lives of Harry, Jack, Sam and Abe from the immigration of the family to America to escape Jewish persecution, all the way to the selling of the company and Jack's death, with a bit of an epilogue section describing what happened to other family members. There's also a family tree and photos of various family members. If you're looking for a completely objective biography, this isn't it. There is fictionalized dialogue between characters, inserted thoughts from Cass and other family members, there are some dramatized scenes, and it relies at least somewhat on the memory. The focus is more on the men than discussing classic movies, awards won or other things in the public eye. However, it is very engaging and offers insight into the personal lives of the brothers that probably no other source can. I also think it's sweet that Cass was moved to tell her grandfather's story like this.
While, especially given the intense fights between family members, some bias is inherent, it does seem to me that efforts were made to add nuance. There are sections of inserted text from other family members, employees or acquaintances of the family and not all of them necessarily portray the brothers in a positive light. Sure, probably some unfavorable details were left out, but there are still moments that may not reflect all that well on the subjects of the story. Off the top of my head, there's Harry chasing Jack around with a lead pipe, Harry calling Jack's second wife a whore, Jack's utter betrayal of his family, Jack's constant affairs, Jack's naming names to HUAC, the almost-forty Sam marrying an eighteen-year-old, etc. These were men who were flawed and products of their time, but also did a lot of amazing things and whose legacy can still be felt today.
February 5, 2023
Fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews