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Hollywood Double Agent: The True Tale of Boris Morros, Film Producer Turned Cold War Spy
The Cold War and the Golden Age of Hollywood meet in this story of the remarkable career of Boris Morros, film producer and Russian double agent. Boris Morros was a major figure in the 1930s and ’40s. The head of music at Paramount, nominated for Academy Awards, he then went on to produce his own films with Laurel and Hardy, Fred Astaire, Henry Fonda, and others. But as J. Edgar Hoover would discover, these successes were a cover for one of the most incredible espionage tales in the history of the Cold War—Boris Morros also worked for Russian intelligence.
Morros’s assignments took him to the White House, the Vatican, and deep behind the iron curtain. The high-level intel he provided the KGB included military secrets and compromising information on prominent Americans: his friends. But in 1947, Morros flipped. At the height of the McCarthy era, he played a leading role in a deadly tale.
Morros’s assignments took him to the White House, the Vatican, and deep behind the iron curtain. The high-level intel he provided the KGB included military secrets and compromising information on prominent Americans: his friends. But in 1947, Morros flipped. At the height of the McCarthy era, he played a leading role in a deadly tale.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 16, 2020
Fair warning: I won a free ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Pretty much what it appears to be from the jacket. Boris Morros may not be a household name in the 21st century, but he was head of music at Paramount Pictures during the 30’s and 40’s before leaving to become an independent producer. And he was also a spy, initially for the Russians before becoming a double agent working for the FBI.
Morros was an unlikely agent, which was part of the secret to his success. He was prone to telling outrageous lies about his past, which made his life story difficult to pin down without recently declassified Soviet documents. Johnathan Gill’s book is probably the closest we’ll ever get to knowing his life story, parts of which seem almost too fantastic to be true--conducting the orchestra that regularly played for the tsar, and meeting the infamous Rasputin, for instance.
Morros seems to have been a fascinating man, and his life story makes for interesting reading. Recommended!
Pretty much what it appears to be from the jacket. Boris Morros may not be a household name in the 21st century, but he was head of music at Paramount Pictures during the 30’s and 40’s before leaving to become an independent producer. And he was also a spy, initially for the Russians before becoming a double agent working for the FBI.
Morros was an unlikely agent, which was part of the secret to his success. He was prone to telling outrageous lies about his past, which made his life story difficult to pin down without recently declassified Soviet documents. Johnathan Gill’s book is probably the closest we’ll ever get to knowing his life story, parts of which seem almost too fantastic to be true--conducting the orchestra that regularly played for the tsar, and meeting the infamous Rasputin, for instance.
Morros seems to have been a fascinating man, and his life story makes for interesting reading. Recommended!
March 14, 2020
This was a DNF for me. The story wasn't what I was looking for and I couldn't get into it. It was a bit boring for me and right from the first few pages I knew I wouldn't get into it.
November 1, 2020
I can't remember how this book came to my attention; anyway, I decided it looked interested and got a copy from local public library.
The story of Morros' life flows along and drew me in until the 1950s, when the pace slowed and the same things seemed to happen over and over with little variation. I read the first two-thirds or so enthusiastically enough and then pushed through to the end just to see how it turned out.
In the era of Donald Trump there are some interesting parallels in this book. Morros rarely told the truth about himself or the businesses he operated - his version of selling himself and his products or services (such as they were) relied heavily on continued repetition of false versions of himself and everything he was trying to do Overall this worked remarkably well in many varies circumstances. It is unsettling to think about how easily people are taken in when hearing the same lies over and over.
Apparently the author's goal was to provide readers with something surprising and entertaining; this isn't in any way a scholarly approach with footnotes or endnotes. There is an interesting section at the end that talks about sources, but which sources informed what parts of the narrative are unstated. In addition, many books of this sort often provide what seems to me to be too much contextual history but here I think the reading experience would have been better if there was more.
It was interesting to observe how narrowly the Soviet spy network was in how it operated - that the Soviet intelligence operatives were completely taken in by Morros' apparently wealth and apparently had no way of checking on his real financial situation, which would have changed their view of him considerably - and that furthermore Morros understood that they didn't have that information. The spycraft was completely focused on spy-vs-spy type interactions and activities.
Not entirely relevant to contents of book: The cover has several letters of the title, which is in English, renders with Cyrillic letters that are similar but not the same as the correct Latin letters. This is most often done by using the Cyrillic letter than looks like a backwards capital "R" but here it is two other letters - anyway, I think this is a particularly dumb design decision for the cover of a book about Russia in the 21st century. Honestly, grow up.
Who would be the ideal reader for this? I'm not sure. Hm...
The story of Morros' life flows along and drew me in until the 1950s, when the pace slowed and the same things seemed to happen over and over with little variation. I read the first two-thirds or so enthusiastically enough and then pushed through to the end just to see how it turned out.
In the era of Donald Trump there are some interesting parallels in this book. Morros rarely told the truth about himself or the businesses he operated - his version of selling himself and his products or services (such as they were) relied heavily on continued repetition of false versions of himself and everything he was trying to do Overall this worked remarkably well in many varies circumstances. It is unsettling to think about how easily people are taken in when hearing the same lies over and over.
Apparently the author's goal was to provide readers with something surprising and entertaining; this isn't in any way a scholarly approach with footnotes or endnotes. There is an interesting section at the end that talks about sources, but which sources informed what parts of the narrative are unstated. In addition, many books of this sort often provide what seems to me to be too much contextual history but here I think the reading experience would have been better if there was more.
It was interesting to observe how narrowly the Soviet spy network was in how it operated - that the Soviet intelligence operatives were completely taken in by Morros' apparently wealth and apparently had no way of checking on his real financial situation, which would have changed their view of him considerably - and that furthermore Morros understood that they didn't have that information. The spycraft was completely focused on spy-vs-spy type interactions and activities.
Not entirely relevant to contents of book: The cover has several letters of the title, which is in English, renders with Cyrillic letters that are similar but not the same as the correct Latin letters. This is most often done by using the Cyrillic letter than looks like a backwards capital "R" but here it is two other letters - anyway, I think this is a particularly dumb design decision for the cover of a book about Russia in the 21st century. Honestly, grow up.
Who would be the ideal reader for this? I'm not sure. Hm...
August 29, 2020
There are these people who seem to be everywhere in the entertainment business. A producer's credit in a film, for example, a name that you would generally not even notice suddenly assumes a different significance: Steven Bannon, Harvey Weinstein, Steven Menuchin. Since reading this book I have been noticing Boris Morros in some role in almost every film of the 1930s. I had no idea who he was prior to a few weeks ago and now I see him everywhere.
By all accounts this little selfish toad of a man was supremely talented as a musician, manipulated his way nearly to the top of the Hollywood power structure, but was considered something of a buffoon. Turns out he was also a double agent at the heart of the early stages of the Cold War. Even stranger, this man who went from poverty in the Russian Pale to leading the Tsar's orchestra, then somehow survived wars and murderous special police, eluded the NKVD/KGB for decades, and convinced J. Edgar Hoover that he would be a better asset than prisoner, this guy not only emerged alive but even wrote a best selling book about his life.
...and he is all but forgotten today.
Gill tries to recover the sheer oddity of Morros' life in a fairly standard chronological biography, and it's a little dull. It also feels like it repeats itself, but it doesn't. It just reads like it does. Very much worth reading for the information, but I can't help but feel it would have been a more engaging tale in other hands.
By all accounts this little selfish toad of a man was supremely talented as a musician, manipulated his way nearly to the top of the Hollywood power structure, but was considered something of a buffoon. Turns out he was also a double agent at the heart of the early stages of the Cold War. Even stranger, this man who went from poverty in the Russian Pale to leading the Tsar's orchestra, then somehow survived wars and murderous special police, eluded the NKVD/KGB for decades, and convinced J. Edgar Hoover that he would be a better asset than prisoner, this guy not only emerged alive but even wrote a best selling book about his life.
...and he is all but forgotten today.
Gill tries to recover the sheer oddity of Morros' life in a fairly standard chronological biography, and it's a little dull. It also feels like it repeats itself, but it doesn't. It just reads like it does. Very much worth reading for the information, but I can't help but feel it would have been a more engaging tale in other hands.
September 27, 2020
The author has researched this complex story of a spy/counterspy in a very thorough way. Because there is so much at stake in our lives to come closer to our Life Call, it behooves us to pay attention to the formation tradition we are attached to during the growing years of our life. Unfortunately, Boris never allowed his heritage of Judaism to develop and help make sense of the SocioHistorical maelstrom in which he found himself. Just like today, the chaotic forces which demand our attention cause us to make decisions based on our past integration of our developing relationship to the Mystery (God). Being unable to fall back on a system of Faith Formation (Judaism), Boris was blown back and forth from Capitalism to Marxism with the threat of Fascism driving the entire World to Chaos and War. Boris as well as Lavrenti Beria (head of the NKVD who eventually accounted for a reduction of tension in the Cold War) made decisions which affected many people. It is amazingly clear that the many SocioHistorical Dangers that Boris faced could have provided many opportunities for growth in relation to a Life Call change if he was able to only “be still, and know that I am God”.
August 24, 2025
Uma história fascinante de um passado recente.
A história é quase inacreditável, Boris Morros teve muita sorte e foi tão cheio de audácia. A visão do livro sobre a espionagem na Guerra Fria faz o leitor se encolher ao perceber que o destino das nações dependia tanto da habilidade quanto da inépcia de algumas pessoas muito perversas. A única falha que noto no livro é que teria sido útil ter uma lista de personagens para consultar, já que o elenco é enorme e seus nomes nem sempre são fáceis de distinguir.
Mal escrito
Foi uma tarefa árdua. A apresentação poderia ter sido muito mais interessante. Foi um pouco como ler uma enciclopédia.
A história é quase inacreditável, Boris Morros teve muita sorte e foi tão cheio de audácia. A visão do livro sobre a espionagem na Guerra Fria faz o leitor se encolher ao perceber que o destino das nações dependia tanto da habilidade quanto da inépcia de algumas pessoas muito perversas. A única falha que noto no livro é que teria sido útil ter uma lista de personagens para consultar, já que o elenco é enorme e seus nomes nem sempre são fáceis de distinguir.
Mal escrito
Foi uma tarefa árdua. A apresentação poderia ter sido muito mais interessante. Foi um pouco como ler uma enciclopédia.
December 10, 2021
I knew of Morris as the producer of The Flying Deuces.I was therefore very interested to read about his Hollywood career.Unfortunately this ended about one third the way through.Then it was on to his spying career which became dull and repetitive. Always off to Vienna to meet another spy,but nothing substantive seemed to happen till near the end.I was pleased to finish this book as quickly as I could.
March 18, 2025
This was an entertaining read, and it was something that I just read in bits and pieces in between other reads. Boris had a fascinating life starting with being part of the court of Czar Nicholas II before the Bolsheviks as a musician. He eventually made it over to the US where he made a name for himself in both New York and Hollywood. Eventually Moscow saw that one of their native sons was doing well and wanted to capitalize on his connections. Boris was a mediocre spry, doing just enough to keep him deemed useful, but not enough to actually help either cause. He was recruited by the US later as a double agent and just used both countries as a pocketbook to fund his passion projects. Overall I was entertained, even though this book could definitely be dense and almost textbook like at times. It was a fascinating little known history.
July 1, 2020
Poorly written
It was a chore to get through. The presentation could have been much more interesting. It was a little like reading an encyclopedia.
It was a chore to get through. The presentation could have been much more interesting. It was a little like reading an encyclopedia.
May 10, 2026
I learned a lot. I highly recommend this book.
June 21, 2020
Crazy story! I enjoy anything about movies, the Cold War, or Russia, so I was very interested. A lot of Russian names, but it honestly read like a comedy at some parts.
September 2, 2020
3.5 Stars
Espionage is at the heart of this story but the storytelling approach is more linear and historically factual than in the vein of a spy thriller or an Erik Larison-esque deep dive into an overlooked historical event. It's not a book for everyone - the story can feel cumbersome at times - but the actual story and the man make for interesting reading.
If you enjoy WW II and emerging Cold War non-fiction without too much flourish, the author offers a steady, detailed account that re-introduces you to a once-headliner who changed spy craft.
Espionage is at the heart of this story but the storytelling approach is more linear and historically factual than in the vein of a spy thriller or an Erik Larison-esque deep dive into an overlooked historical event. It's not a book for everyone - the story can feel cumbersome at times - but the actual story and the man make for interesting reading.
If you enjoy WW II and emerging Cold War non-fiction without too much flourish, the author offers a steady, detailed account that re-introduces you to a once-headliner who changed spy craft.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews