Hollywood Godfather: The Life and Crimes of Billy Wilkerson

by W.R. Wilkerson

Billy Wilkerson was the most powerful man in Hollywood during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. He was owner and publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, the film industry newspaper that became known as "Hollywood's bible," and he built the CafÉ Trocadero and other legendary nightspots of the Sunset Strip. In thirty years as Tinseltown's premier behind-the-scenes power broker, Wilkerson introduced Clark Gable and Lana Turner to the world, brought the Mafia to Hollywood, engineered the shakedown of the Hollywood studios by Willie Bioff and his mob-run unions, helped invent Las Vegas, tangled with Bugsy Siegel (and possibly was involved with his murder), touched off the Hollywood blacklist, and conspired to cripple the studio system. Perhaps nobody in Hollywood history has ever ruined so many careers or done so much to reshape the movie industry as Billy Wilkerson, yet there has never been a solid biography of the man. Billy's son, William R. Wilkerson III, has done tremendous research on his father, interviewing over decades everyone who knew him best, and portrays him beautifully—and damningly—in this book.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Film, True Crime, Biography Memoir

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2018

Reviews

[Martin Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read (and written) more than my fair share of books on the history of Hollywood and LA and the movers and shakers that helped shaped both the reality and masquerade that is Tinseltown. Consequently, I thought I had a pretty good grip on who the founder of The Hollywood Reporter and creator of legendary nightclubs and Las Vegas was. Or at least I thought I did until I read this warts-and-all biography by Wilkerson’s son. Unfortunately for us all, Wilkerson senior burned most of his papers near the end of his remarkable life, leaving his son to piece together what really happened through interview, correspondence, and published accounts. The story that emerges is eye-popping in places. A couple of times I found myself thinking “Mmmm...yeah...I don’t know about THAT...” but for the most part is a fascinating account of an extraordinarily influential life.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Effectively chronicles the life of a difficult man who had a profound influence on the film industry in its early days. Wilkerson was the founder of The Hollywood Reporter and his story is one of revenge, innovation, aggression and corruption. While reading it I often forgot that the biography was written by his son. The author is brutally honest. Well-researched and comprehensive. Recommended.

My full review here: https://www.outofthepastblog.com/2020...

[Emily Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a nice subject

....And the writer, Wilkerson's son, really doesn't seem to know much. Super bad luck on the writer's part that ALL his research he'd done with those who knew Wilkerson best, just got lost or was stolen! Was he not paying attention? Why didn't he make sure this incredible first hand information was stored someplace very secure? All that aside, I found Wilkerson to be pretty much a loathsome person. I imagine people didn't say much after he died because they were scared. I think he was just an evil vindictive man.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Subtitle this: "The Banality of Evil." Wow, Wilkerson was forever scheming, shaking down Hollywood, nursing gripes, dabbling in organized crime, gambling away millions (not all his own), starting the Blacklist, etc. But, unlike Bugsy Siegel, he kept up the appearance of being a reasonable, class-act, guy. Everyone knew what he was up to, and everyone just let him carry on. "Yeah, that's just Billy." I suppose there is poetic justice in the way he finally met his demise, which I won't spoil here.

Being written by his son, this biography has an odd tone that is at first aghast, but later slightly reverential. Understandable, but I would love to see a disinterested party dive deeper into the Wilkerson legacy, because it does seem that this book doesn't quite cover enough.

[Matthew Valentinas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of true crime and a lot about Hollywood given my career. I was expecting much more from this book. The gossip was not as revealing as I was expecting. But I know the author was a young boy when his father died. Still, with his access I was very disappointed. I also found the writing to be plodding and the editing very sloppy on this one. It was hard to get into a flow. I also feel like the author was omitting things or just being naive in an effort to paint his father in the best light. I get it, it's his father. But the reader suffers. I also suspect Billy Wilkerson may have actually been bisexual, but the author never broaches the possibility. Anyway, it's still a must read for Hollywood historians, but not so deserving of the casual readers attention.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version. Sometimes in life we come across a character so influential and outrageous that we're gobsmacked reading their story. That's the case with Billy Wilkerson, the most important Hollywood power broker you've probably never heard of. I don't want to give spoilers because learning about him is such fun, but he was an important figure in the whole Hollywood scene before and during the golden age of movies. The book is incredibly fun and the narration is easy-going and fun to listen to. I liked it very much!

[Paul Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent History of Hollywood

This is a thoroughly enjoyable biography of a man few outside of Hollywood knew. It is also a wonderful history of Hollywood. The famous as well as the infamous are written about in telling the story of The Hollywood Reporter and it's publisher Billy Wilkerson. This story is worthy of a movie or mini-series telling Billy Wilkerson's remarkable story of a man equally moral and amoral. As the publisher of Hollywood's daily, he could be as equally powerful in helping someone's career as well as destroying it.

[Jay Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Hollywood movie history. While it's full of hearsay, as most books like this are, it's compelling and sheds light on the part of the old Hollywood machine that sometimes sits in the shadows. It scans through stories about movie stars, producers, nightclubs, casinos, and gangsters. I read the book with an open mind, reminding myself not to let truth or the lack of it ruin a good story.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating reading. There was a lot in here that I didn't know about Hollywood history. This is more about power struggles than film, but the power struggles defined the golden age of Hollywood, and therefore influenced film, making this a worthwhile read for classic film fans.

[MARIBELH1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent

If you are A Truly Hollywood history fan, this is the book to go for, I learned a ton of interesting info, about places an very interesting people from those Years and hoe they how get connected and why. I highly recommend it.

[Willo Font · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned abiut things I had no idea.

[Alicia Helbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting man

[Jenny Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic story that is hidden by Hollywood.