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Hollywood Legends
The Brothers Mankiewicz: Hope, Heartbreak, and Hollywood Classics
Herman J. (1897–1953) and Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909–1993) wrote, produced, and directed over 150 pictures. With Orson Welles, Herman wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane and shared the picture’s only Academy Award. Joe earned the second pair of his four Oscars for writing and directing All About Eve, which also won Best Picture.
Despite triumphs as diverse as Monkey Business and Cleopatra, and Pride of the Yankees and Guys and Dolls, the witty, intellectual brothers spent their Hollywood years deeply discontented and yearning for what they did not have—a career in New York theater. Herman, formerly an Algonquin Round Table habitué, New York Times and New Yorker theater critic, and playwright-collaborator with George S. Kaufman, never reconciled himself to screenwriting. He gambled away his prodigious earnings, was fired from all the major studios, and drank himself to death at fifty-five. While Herman drifted downward, Joe rose to become a critical and financial success as a writer, producer, and director, though his constant philandering with prominent stars like Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, and Gene Tierney distressed his emotionally fragile wife who eventually committed suicide. He wrecked his own health using uppers and downers in order to direct Cleopatra by day and finish writing it at night, only to be very publicly fired by Darryl F. Zanuck, an experience from which he never fully recovered.
For this first dual portrait of the Mankiewicz brothers, Sydney Ladensohn Stern draws on interviews, letters, diaries, and other documents still in private hands to provide a uniquely intimate behind-the-scenes chronicle of the lives, loves, work, and relationship between these complex men.
Despite triumphs as diverse as Monkey Business and Cleopatra, and Pride of the Yankees and Guys and Dolls, the witty, intellectual brothers spent their Hollywood years deeply discontented and yearning for what they did not have—a career in New York theater. Herman, formerly an Algonquin Round Table habitué, New York Times and New Yorker theater critic, and playwright-collaborator with George S. Kaufman, never reconciled himself to screenwriting. He gambled away his prodigious earnings, was fired from all the major studios, and drank himself to death at fifty-five. While Herman drifted downward, Joe rose to become a critical and financial success as a writer, producer, and director, though his constant philandering with prominent stars like Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, and Gene Tierney distressed his emotionally fragile wife who eventually committed suicide. He wrecked his own health using uppers and downers in order to direct Cleopatra by day and finish writing it at night, only to be very publicly fired by Darryl F. Zanuck, an experience from which he never fully recovered.
For this first dual portrait of the Mankiewicz brothers, Sydney Ladensohn Stern draws on interviews, letters, diaries, and other documents still in private hands to provide a uniquely intimate behind-the-scenes chronicle of the lives, loves, work, and relationship between these complex men.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2019
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226 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 15, 2021
Well researched and very detailed portrait of two iconic filmmakers. I would have given it a higher rating but like the Mankiewicz Brothers, this author is a little longwinded. I think the bio would have flowed better if it had been more concise.
December 1, 2019
Sydney Stern has written a totally absorbing and important dual biography that can be enjoyed by those who love biographies and those who feel meh about them. There’s no meh about The Brothers Mankiewicz. Stern seamlessly spins a high drama, akin to a family saga, of two brilliant brothers, Joseph and Herman, who brought us the film classics Citizen Kane and All About Eve to name only two. Set against the high jinx of impeccably researched Hollywood politics and American political history, written with wit, bite, and insight, it’s as though Stern, who is equal to the talents of the brothers, was born to write this book. In the set piece chronicling the years’ long multimillion dollar making of Cleopatra, a confluence of Hollywood’s over-the top sturm und drang, Stern leaves the reader convulsed with horror-tinged rollicking joyful laughter.
This is a perfect gift book and a keeper.
This is a perfect gift book and a keeper.
April 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this!
February 23, 2021
I don't know why you would make a movie about Herman Mankiewicz and after listening to Sydney Stern's rigorous and well-written book on the screenwriter and his writer/director/producer brother I am not sure why you would write a book about him either.
Of course, I say this partially in jest. Herman was the writer of "Citizen Kane" and Joe accumulated nearly 70 writing credits while directing such films as "All About Eve," "Guys and Dolls," and "Sleuth." And you can add in 23 producing credits for good measure. These men did important things.
But does that make them important men? While these two were definitely talented and certainly influenced the Hollywood that came after them, they are not heroes. Herman was, more or less, a remarkable talent who let drinking get in the way. And Joe was a prolific artist who set out to achieve something and then did it, even if he worked safely within the confined to the studio system to do it.
"The Brothers Mankiewicz" is at its best when it chronicles the notable projects that these men undertook. The most fascinating aspects of David Fincher's "Mank" are covered here. The sections on the books covering the making of Joe's directorial successes (Sleuth) and failures (Anthony and Cleopatra) offer as much beat to beat oral history as student of film might like. I suspect a more compelling book could be written concentrating just on one of the major works of either brother.
But, this book struggles when it asks for something more from these men. Both of them suffered limitations in their personal lives. I would go as far as to say they were both assholes. The brothers were each guilty of philandering and drinking too much, though Joe was more into the former and Herman was a fan of the latter. Their casual disregard for those they believed beneath them was callous, yet never quite bad enough to be all that interesting. These were not bad men. But they weren't good enough to admire on their virtues alone.
The greatest failings of both men were political. While Herman certainly made a statement with "Citizen Kane," he consistently stayed away from anything resembling a moral stand in the blacklist era. "Mank" gives him credit for things he didn't exactly do and props up as noble a politics of self-preservation.
History called on Joe to make a stand and he too failed his test. While Cecil B. DeMille sided with HUAC and encouraged a loyalty oath as a way to hurt liberals like Joe, a number of directors led by Frank Capra fought back on his behalf. After they saved his skin, Joe hung them out to dry. He didn't name names or anything like that. But he did fall short.
This isn't to say that everyone has to be a hero. But it is to say that if you, like Joe, keep your head down and produce good work. Or, like Herman, you retreat into the bottle and into the haughty pompous sarcasm beloved by the Algonquin Roundtable, the book may not be on par with the movies its subjects produced.
Sydney Stern does great work with "The Brothers Mankiewicz." I would like to read him on more interesting subjects.
Of course, I say this partially in jest. Herman was the writer of "Citizen Kane" and Joe accumulated nearly 70 writing credits while directing such films as "All About Eve," "Guys and Dolls," and "Sleuth." And you can add in 23 producing credits for good measure. These men did important things.
But does that make them important men? While these two were definitely talented and certainly influenced the Hollywood that came after them, they are not heroes. Herman was, more or less, a remarkable talent who let drinking get in the way. And Joe was a prolific artist who set out to achieve something and then did it, even if he worked safely within the confined to the studio system to do it.
"The Brothers Mankiewicz" is at its best when it chronicles the notable projects that these men undertook. The most fascinating aspects of David Fincher's "Mank" are covered here. The sections on the books covering the making of Joe's directorial successes (Sleuth) and failures (Anthony and Cleopatra) offer as much beat to beat oral history as student of film might like. I suspect a more compelling book could be written concentrating just on one of the major works of either brother.
But, this book struggles when it asks for something more from these men. Both of them suffered limitations in their personal lives. I would go as far as to say they were both assholes. The brothers were each guilty of philandering and drinking too much, though Joe was more into the former and Herman was a fan of the latter. Their casual disregard for those they believed beneath them was callous, yet never quite bad enough to be all that interesting. These were not bad men. But they weren't good enough to admire on their virtues alone.
The greatest failings of both men were political. While Herman certainly made a statement with "Citizen Kane," he consistently stayed away from anything resembling a moral stand in the blacklist era. "Mank" gives him credit for things he didn't exactly do and props up as noble a politics of self-preservation.
History called on Joe to make a stand and he too failed his test. While Cecil B. DeMille sided with HUAC and encouraged a loyalty oath as a way to hurt liberals like Joe, a number of directors led by Frank Capra fought back on his behalf. After they saved his skin, Joe hung them out to dry. He didn't name names or anything like that. But he did fall short.
This isn't to say that everyone has to be a hero. But it is to say that if you, like Joe, keep your head down and produce good work. Or, like Herman, you retreat into the bottle and into the haughty pompous sarcasm beloved by the Algonquin Roundtable, the book may not be on par with the movies its subjects produced.
Sydney Stern does great work with "The Brothers Mankiewicz." I would like to read him on more interesting subjects.
December 28, 2022
So much to say about two brothers who had much to do with many of the iconic Hollywood films - All About Eve, Citizen Kane, Sleuth, and on and on. A most recent film, Mank, based on Herman’s plight during the writing of Citizen Kane, piqued my interest. Lots of gossip, lots of intrigue and lots of insecurities that goes hand in hand with two, dare I say, geniuses. I loved it.
I gave it a 5 out of the sheer joy I had in reading it.
I gave it a 5 out of the sheer joy I had in reading it.
October 14, 2020
This book is the story of the two Mankiewicz brothers, Herman and Joseph, who between them, created the Hollywood screwball comedy as a genre, and solidified the idea of the writer-director as auteur. The two brothers wrote or produced or directed: The Front Page, Duck Soup, Dinner at Eight, The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, The Philadelphia Story, The Pride of the Yankees, All About Eve, Guys and Dolls, Suddenly Last Summer, Cleopatra, and Sleuth, to name only a few.
Herman was the better dialogue writer, whenever anyone could get him to sit down at a typewriter. An alcoholic and a problem gambler, practically everyone who knew him agreed that Herman was a great friend who wasted his talents on producing amusing banter and stories for his cronies, instead of paid writing work. When he was incapacitated by a car accident, sitting in a bungalow in Palm springs with nothing to do but write, Herman banged out the script for Citizen Kane, one of the greatest movies ever made. Which just goes to show you what he could do if he put his mind to it.
Joseph was 10 years younger than Herman, a productive workaholic who loved women so much he couldn't help but seduce them, practically non-stop. But he was not a casting couch producer. Joe really listened to his leading ladies. He understood them, captured their unique voice, and rewrote their dialogue to present each woman in the best light possible. He became known, quite rightly, as one of the best writer/producer/directors for women Hollywood has ever known. Of course, that kind of treatment made every Hollywood star who worked with him, from Joan Crawford to Susan Hayward to Katherine Hepburn to Lauren Bacall to Elizabeth Taylor, fall in love with him. at least a little bit.
In addition to some of the greatest Hollywood movies ever, The Brothers Mankiewicz also produced TV screenwriter Don, who created the show Ironside; political consultant Frank, who ran the Robert Kennedy and George McGovern Presidential campaigns, screenwriter Tom, who wrote a bunch of James Bond movies. Don and Frank also produced son John, the producer of the TV shows House, and House of Cards; son Josh, a television journalist working for NBC's Dateline, and the sardonic hipster movie nerd Ben, the host of Turner Classic Movies (where he has no problem praising his grandfather, uncle, and various cousins whenever their films come up for viewing).
Herman was the better dialogue writer, whenever anyone could get him to sit down at a typewriter. An alcoholic and a problem gambler, practically everyone who knew him agreed that Herman was a great friend who wasted his talents on producing amusing banter and stories for his cronies, instead of paid writing work. When he was incapacitated by a car accident, sitting in a bungalow in Palm springs with nothing to do but write, Herman banged out the script for Citizen Kane, one of the greatest movies ever made. Which just goes to show you what he could do if he put his mind to it.
Joseph was 10 years younger than Herman, a productive workaholic who loved women so much he couldn't help but seduce them, practically non-stop. But he was not a casting couch producer. Joe really listened to his leading ladies. He understood them, captured their unique voice, and rewrote their dialogue to present each woman in the best light possible. He became known, quite rightly, as one of the best writer/producer/directors for women Hollywood has ever known. Of course, that kind of treatment made every Hollywood star who worked with him, from Joan Crawford to Susan Hayward to Katherine Hepburn to Lauren Bacall to Elizabeth Taylor, fall in love with him. at least a little bit.
In addition to some of the greatest Hollywood movies ever, The Brothers Mankiewicz also produced TV screenwriter Don, who created the show Ironside; political consultant Frank, who ran the Robert Kennedy and George McGovern Presidential campaigns, screenwriter Tom, who wrote a bunch of James Bond movies. Don and Frank also produced son John, the producer of the TV shows House, and House of Cards; son Josh, a television journalist working for NBC's Dateline, and the sardonic hipster movie nerd Ben, the host of Turner Classic Movies (where he has no problem praising his grandfather, uncle, and various cousins whenever their films come up for viewing).
April 9, 2020
The writing talent alone of the Mankiewicz Brothers – Herman and Joseph – is overwhelming.
Younger brother Joseph won academy awards for writing and directing, particularly for the verbal fireworks of All About Eve, and Herman laid the basis for the cinematic masterwork Citizen Kane.
That legacy alone would satisfy most people. Yet the Mankiewicz Brothers produced so much more. Their creative fingerprints can be seen on films as diverse as The Philadelphia Story, Duck Soup, Dinner at Eight, The Ghost and Mrs Muir and even The Wizard of Oz.
Lured by large salaries, the brothers left the intellectual life of New York for the well-paid work of Hollywood.
Their writing was considered to be down market to the intellectual heights of Broadway, but it would prove to be a fruitful decision.
While each brother was talented and successful, each would rise and then suffer a painful decline in a different way.
Herman wasted his talent through alcoholism and Joseph had to suffer a bitter decline in his career as he grew older.
Author Sydney Ladensohn Stern has a wide range of writing interests, having produced books about the feminist leader Gloria Steinem and the toy industry.
She has the novelist’s gift of placing anecdotes in a flowing narrative to deliver a fine story. With each anecdote, she opens up fascinating lines of thought and she manages to do this repeatedly throughout the book. While each brother was talented and successful, each would rise and then suffer a painful decline in a different way.
Moreover, Stern has revealed a valuable undercurrent of Hollywood history.
Ethan and Joel Coen are only the latest of a long history of brothers – and some sisters – who have shaped Hollywood. The list extends right back to its origins when Cecil B. DeMille and his brother William worked together in a shed in a small rural town called Hollywood in the 1910s.
Perhaps other writers will follow in her footsteps and look at the role of sibling rivalry and co-operation has worked in the development of American cinema.
Author-journalist Stern has written a groundbreaking dual biography, with an excellent balance between the stories of two brothers. It is hard to see how the book can be bettered.
https://dailyreview.com.au/the-brothe...
Younger brother Joseph won academy awards for writing and directing, particularly for the verbal fireworks of All About Eve, and Herman laid the basis for the cinematic masterwork Citizen Kane.
That legacy alone would satisfy most people. Yet the Mankiewicz Brothers produced so much more. Their creative fingerprints can be seen on films as diverse as The Philadelphia Story, Duck Soup, Dinner at Eight, The Ghost and Mrs Muir and even The Wizard of Oz.
Lured by large salaries, the brothers left the intellectual life of New York for the well-paid work of Hollywood.
Their writing was considered to be down market to the intellectual heights of Broadway, but it would prove to be a fruitful decision.
While each brother was talented and successful, each would rise and then suffer a painful decline in a different way.
Herman wasted his talent through alcoholism and Joseph had to suffer a bitter decline in his career as he grew older.
Author Sydney Ladensohn Stern has a wide range of writing interests, having produced books about the feminist leader Gloria Steinem and the toy industry.
She has the novelist’s gift of placing anecdotes in a flowing narrative to deliver a fine story. With each anecdote, she opens up fascinating lines of thought and she manages to do this repeatedly throughout the book. While each brother was talented and successful, each would rise and then suffer a painful decline in a different way.
Moreover, Stern has revealed a valuable undercurrent of Hollywood history.
Ethan and Joel Coen are only the latest of a long history of brothers – and some sisters – who have shaped Hollywood. The list extends right back to its origins when Cecil B. DeMille and his brother William worked together in a shed in a small rural town called Hollywood in the 1910s.
Perhaps other writers will follow in her footsteps and look at the role of sibling rivalry and co-operation has worked in the development of American cinema.
Author-journalist Stern has written a groundbreaking dual biography, with an excellent balance between the stories of two brothers. It is hard to see how the book can be bettered.
https://dailyreview.com.au/the-brothe...
April 16, 2021
Published 2019–Dual biography of Herman and Joe Mankiewicz.
They grew up in NYC; their father was a teacher who looked down on the movies and wanted them to be playwrights and authors.
Herman, who had written for newspapers, was lured out to Hollywood by colleagues who were excited about the jobs to be found. When Herman arrived in the 1920s, it was still the silent era. He wrote “titles,”the captions explaining the action for silents. He went on to write Citizen Kane, for which he won an Oscar. He also wrote Pride of the Yankees and other films. He produced Horse Feathers and Monkey Business, among other films.
Herman encouraged other NY writers to come out to Hwood, including his younger brother Joe. Joe wrote & directed All About Eve. Produced The Phil. story and Woman of the Year. Wrote and directed Letter to Three Wives. Directed Guys and Dolls, Cleopatra and Sleuth. And worked on other films. Along with other Hwood people, Joe attended the 1963 March on Washington and treasured the experience for the rest of his life.
This is a well-researched book that provides lots of information about how various films came to be and the personalities behind them. It was at times more than I wanted to know. I started just skimming some of the narrative that was about movies I’m unfamiliar with. Nevertheless it was a pretty good read.
They grew up in NYC; their father was a teacher who looked down on the movies and wanted them to be playwrights and authors.
Herman, who had written for newspapers, was lured out to Hollywood by colleagues who were excited about the jobs to be found. When Herman arrived in the 1920s, it was still the silent era. He wrote “titles,”the captions explaining the action for silents. He went on to write Citizen Kane, for which he won an Oscar. He also wrote Pride of the Yankees and other films. He produced Horse Feathers and Monkey Business, among other films.
Herman encouraged other NY writers to come out to Hwood, including his younger brother Joe. Joe wrote & directed All About Eve. Produced The Phil. story and Woman of the Year. Wrote and directed Letter to Three Wives. Directed Guys and Dolls, Cleopatra and Sleuth. And worked on other films. Along with other Hwood people, Joe attended the 1963 March on Washington and treasured the experience for the rest of his life.
This is a well-researched book that provides lots of information about how various films came to be and the personalities behind them. It was at times more than I wanted to know. I started just skimming some of the narrative that was about movies I’m unfamiliar with. Nevertheless it was a pretty good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2020
Started reading the Kindle book but switched to the audiobook after a couple chapters. Extremely well researched and well written. I think this is an essential book for anyone interested in the golden age of Hollywood.
Both of the brothers come across as pompous asses, but they are fascinating and important characters. Joe’s patronizing and disrespectful attitude toward the women in his profession is an indication of how tough women had it in Hollywood at the time (and even now, no doubt). Especially since I get the feeling Joe was actually one of the better of the Hollywood power players on that front.
The Cleopatra chapter is fascinating all by itself, and the humbled Joe that emerged from that experience was a more appealing version of his character.
Both of the brothers come across as pompous asses, but they are fascinating and important characters. Joe’s patronizing and disrespectful attitude toward the women in his profession is an indication of how tough women had it in Hollywood at the time (and even now, no doubt). Especially since I get the feeling Joe was actually one of the better of the Hollywood power players on that front.
The Cleopatra chapter is fascinating all by itself, and the humbled Joe that emerged from that experience was a more appealing version of his character.
April 30, 2020
Fantastic lives unfulfilled
The author takes you through the worlds of two of Hollywood’s seminal and largely unsung geniuses and plumbs the depths of their psychology with affectionate care.
The Mankiewicz brothers' studio battles are bittersweet, but recognizable to any but the most successful writers of the oeuvre. One wishes that Joe Mankiewicz lived during the seventies, when auteurs like Altman, Coppola, Scorsese, etc. could shine outside the studio system. Alas, there was no Tisch school or Sundance institute in his day. But arguably, he blazed a trail through the studios for the writer/ directors who followed. Great read!
The author takes you through the worlds of two of Hollywood’s seminal and largely unsung geniuses and plumbs the depths of their psychology with affectionate care.
The Mankiewicz brothers' studio battles are bittersweet, but recognizable to any but the most successful writers of the oeuvre. One wishes that Joe Mankiewicz lived during the seventies, when auteurs like Altman, Coppola, Scorsese, etc. could shine outside the studio system. Alas, there was no Tisch school or Sundance institute in his day. But arguably, he blazed a trail through the studios for the writer/ directors who followed. Great read!
June 11, 2020
This may or may not serve as an introduction to the Mankiewicz family and their impact on the motion picture industry. For the most part information about Herman and Joseph L. Mankiewicz were provided in previously written biographies but they were not necessarily updated over the years (this would be true in the case of Joseph's later years). I am guessing that it was written with the cooperation of family members so that is a good thing.
A good read which can serve as a starter to finding out more about the family and their many contributions to motion pictures, politics, the media and journalism.
A good read which can serve as a starter to finding out more about the family and their many contributions to motion pictures, politics, the media and journalism.
May 21, 2023
Respectful and well-researched biography of two important figures in the Hollywood history. Stern provides plenty of examples of the individual brothers’ talents, including particularly detailed chapters on Citizen Kane and All About Eve. The making of Cleopatra is also recounted and should serve as nightmare fuel for anyone interested in making movies. The brothers are depicted warts and all, as brilliant as they both were, they had their demons and frequently antagonized others around them. Insightful account of the legends and their legacy.
May 3, 2025
One of the best "Golden Age of Hollywood" books I've read. Helpful in clarifying the love, assistance, support, rivalry, competition, and envy in the relationship of two remarkable brothers. And this: first generation Jewish immigrants grow up in the East, but move West, re-define themselves, and re-define American culture in the process.
Some great anecdotes - some of which are probably too racy for Ben Mankewicz to share on TCM.
Some great anecdotes - some of which are probably too racy for Ben Mankewicz to share on TCM.
December 5, 2020
Giving this 4 stars, but I could have given it 3. I had some problems with the structure of the book, and there was a distinct imbalance in that the number of pages allotted per movie vastly increased between early films and later.
June 12, 2025
This is probably one of the best books I have read about writing in early Hollywood and the Mankiewicz brothers were magical. I loved reading about Herman's humor and friendships, as well as Joe's ambition and his womanizing. Brings it all to life!
April 2, 2020
One of the best biographies I've ever read. If you love the golden age of Hollywood this is a MUST READ.
May 5, 2020
Terrific - now can't wait for David Fincher's Mank.
July 17, 2020
Fairly interesting biography. Hollywood stuff.
July 23, 2020
Review to follow.
July 26, 2020
A great look into the life two legendary screenwriters.
December 12, 2020
For movie buffs
If you're a fan of old Hollywood and/or the movie business, it's a fun, well-written book. You won't be disappointed.
If you're a fan of old Hollywood and/or the movie business, it's a fun, well-written book. You won't be disappointed.
April 9, 2021
Fascinating look at these two Hollywood powerhouses. I read it to enrich my understanding of "Mank," the film. The research is outstanding and the stories often defy reality. Amazing lives.
February 24, 2022
If you love the movies, particularly those from the golden age of cinema, this book will give you a lot of the back stories of the writers, producers, directors, and actors of those great films.
April 2, 2022
Excellent
July 29, 2022
The story of 2 creative, intellectually & verbally gifted yet flawed brothers, driven idealists who contributed to some of the most significant, influential films of the 20th century.
September 21, 2022
Great biography of these brilliant brothers. The chapter on the making of the film “Cleopatra” and the mishaps that occurred is laugh out loud funny.
September 25, 2022
Outstanding book! A must-read for everyone interested in this era of film history! Sydney Ladensohn Stern is one of the best, and her book should be required reading for students of film!
May 9, 2020
If you’re interested in Hollywood history, the lives of the Mankiewicz brothers cover a lot of it. Reading details about every one of the movies can be a little tedious, but the insider look at the biz is fascinating. The brothers were undeniably brilliant, and both left their marks on the movies and each other.
Recommended only for those who are interested in the golden age of Hollywood.
Recommended only for those who are interested in the golden age of Hollywood.
August 14, 2024
I cannot recommend this book more highly. If you have *any* interest in art, film, history, sex, or beautifully wrought psychological portraits, you must read this book. What an unbelievable sleeper! I can't believe this book is not more prominent. I know it won a number of awards, but I'm shock this book failed to win more acclaim. This is, alongside John Julius Norwich's Normans in the South, the best nonfiction book I've ever read. I liked it better than The Power Broker and other classics.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews