The Keys to the Kingdom

by Kim Masters

Like one of the movie moguls of old, Michael Eisner is a titan -- feared, powerful, and almost magically successful. After rising through ABC television and Paramount Pictures, he awoke the sleeping giant of Disney and sent it stomping across the entertainment landscape. But since the tragic death of Frank Wells in a helicopter crash in 1994, he has lacked -- for the first time in his career -- a colleague who could temper his personality. The result, writes Kim Masters, has been a slide into a Nixonian paranoia and isolation. In The Keys to the Kingdom, Masters crafts a gripping account of this larger-than-life story of larger-than-life hubris, combining an insightful analysis of power in Hollywood with a vivid, deeply researched narrative that brings the personalities, the enmities, and the corporate mayhem to life.

Genres: Business, Biography, Nonfiction, History

514 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

After twenty years, The Keys to the Kingdom no longer offers much that’s juicy or revelatory (though Steven Spielberg and Sumner Redstone once settled a distribution deal by the flip of a coin). Kim Masters could’ve focused more on either the Eisner biography angle or his and Disney’s woes in the late 90s, as the book is neither fish nor fowl. In retrospect, it’s hard not to remember how much more there is to the saga after the book ends, with Eisner receiving a corporate comeuppance driven by Roy Disney. That’s not a knock, but you walk away from The Keys to the Kingdom feeling half the story is missing.

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting read into the inner workings of the Disney company. Like any other huge corporation there is greed present and one person trying to step on another's toes for credibility. This would make a very fascinating tv documentary. I think I would like to see this story be told visually.

On the flip side, being a huge Disney fan; I think I might just stick to the magical side and not dig too deep into the corporate side so I can still live in a fantasy world when I am there. :)

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads should add a "skimmed" button. Instead I'm using the "read" one.

Disney president, Frank Wells, died in a 1994 helicopter skiing accident on the way back from a day of skiing with industry friends. One of whom was Clint Eastwood. Eastwood chose to sit in the helicopter that did not crash and is still with us today (2021).

A year before Wells' crash, Eisner strolled with Jeffrey Katzenberg through Aspen streets declaring if anything happened to Wells, Katzenberg would step into the role of Disney president.

When a day after Wells' death, Eisner announced without discussion or consultation that he was the new president, Katzenberg was POed and a lawsuit ensued.

Nobody liked or trusted Eisner. Wells was the only person who could wrangle him in and produce reasonable, human behavior. So, Eisner's quick take-over worried a lot of folks.

Katzenberg went on to form DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, so screw you Eisner Bwaaahahaha. (Both are owned by NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast, whatever that means to anyone.)

This book drops a lot of names from Debra Winger to Harvey Weinstein and gives a lot of Hollywood political info. Great for those who care.

** I CARE! ** Debra Winger was a coke addict during the filming of Terms of Endearment and taunted Shirley MacLaine relentlessly. Richard Dreyfuss liked coke too. Bill Murray was a whiney child-tyrant while filming What About Bob.

There's lots more celebrity gossip to be found in this book, but mostly it hits on all the politics of running Disney and other movie companies. These folks are as disgusting as we suspect they are, if Kim Masters is credible and to be believed. Sounds like she is.

[steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

While occasionally mean-spirited, this book does give a comprehensive look into the people and events that formed the 80s Disney juggernaut. It drags quite a bit toward the end as it goes through Katzenberg's trail in intense detail.

Overall, though, it was an interesting read and shares a lot of back-story that went in to many films and TV shows that you've probably seen, completely unaware of the drama going on behind the scenes.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare look deep inside the mouse hole.

[Muffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty interesting rundown on Eisner's rise at Disney, featuring Jeffrey Katzenberg, Mike Ovitz, David Geffen, and others whose names I feel like I've always known but about whom I knew little else. I think Kim Masters is one of the best writers about Hollywood-as-business, period, and it's always a pleasure the way she more or less refuses to offer an opinion about the quality of any TV show or movie, only information about its ratings and so on (at one point describing The Prince of Egypt as a disappointment and Antz as a huge success lololololololol). One habit the book has is going into plenty of detail about various high- and low-level executives at Disney and other media companies, but when referring to Japanese companies just saying "the Japanese" wanted x or "the Japanese" invested in y. It's not so charming.
Otherwise this really is an enjoyable read and can be read as in some ways a sequel to The Kid Stays In The Picture if you care about who ran Paramount. It is pretty dry and took me a while to finish but no hate. Also Frank Wells was an absolutely ridiculous person who died a dumbass's death RIP.

[Barry Linetsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Authored by a contributing editor for Vanity Fair, this book is mostly focused on the personalities of Hollywood movie crowd, while ignoring the actual work these folks do to create value for hundreds of millions of consumers.

The book is well written, easy to read, and does provide lots of stories that seem to be focused on portraying everybody as petty and mean. It's not that the incidents portrayed don't warrant that treatment, along with avarice and greed, but it's not a well-rounded portrayal IMO. There's another side to this story that is completely ignored.

You know what you're getting from the People magazine quote on the back cover: "What will make readers keep turning the pages is the juicy movie star gossip.... Will make Eisner squirm in his mousetrap."

[Amar Pai · Rating 4 out of 5]

DisneyWar and this book cover about the same ground. Both are entertaining, this one maybe is a little better? Eisner is such a loony. Ditto Katzenberg.

Eisner's compensation was obscene, his cronyism objectionable. Mostly the Disney saga convinces me that the idea of an 'independent board' overseeing the CEO is a joke.

Executive compensation is a joke

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't say this book is 'anti-Disney' but it sure gives an honest look at one of the largest turning points in company history. Well researched and written.

[Maggie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth and fascinating accounting of the personalities and politics behind the rise of Disney as the entertainment giant it has become in recent decades. Written engagingly and with respect for the reader, this is less cheap tabloid thrills and more social commentary on the men, notably Eisner, who have shaped media and movies for a generation.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, leaves a sour taste in your mouth about Eisner and Hollywood in general. Eisner's story has it all high stakes power struggles, underhanded backstabbing career moves and high risk start ups. Disney World can be a not so nice place to visit.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history around Disney after Michael Eisner was brought in. It includes the glory days with Frank Wells at his side, to the dark days of Katzenberg leaving and the complete misfire with Ovitz.

[Amy Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! You are left with the feeling, "What a schmuck!" yet you have to admire the man's sheer hubris. Covers the lawsuit with Katzenberg & I believe the demise of Ovitz at Disney. A no-holds-barred tell all!!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for people who like hollywood stories. Tells of Michael Eisner and Jeffery Katzenberg, the fallout between the two, which ultimately led to the founding of Dreamworks.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on the Disney myth but more importantly on the persona of Michael Eisner and just what he put the company through as the self-titled "heir" to Walt Disney himself

[Hardeep · Rating 1 out of 5]

Argh- it was boring! And dated... So I dropped it.

[Glenn Liguori]

X

[Sergio GRANDE · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sometimes laboured biography of the Master of Mauschwitz and his multi-million Dollar feud with his golden retriever, Jeffrey Katzenberg. Still a very enjoyable read.

[Lori Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A should-read company profile for knowledge workers, managers, directors, C-levels, and entrepreneurs.