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THE AGENCY

Name: THE AGENCY
Author: Frank Rose
ISBN: 0-88730-749-3

WILLIAM MORRIS AND THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF SHOW BUSINESS

by Frank Rose ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1995

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Savvy, though uneven, profile of America's oldest talent agency. William Morris began in 1898 as a vaudeville agent, but the German-Jewish immigrant was always receptive to new entertainment technologies that offered opportunities for his clients, whether in motion pictures or radio. Business writer Rose (West of Eden: The End of Innocence at Apple Computer, 1989, etc.) barely skims the years before Morris's death in 1932, and his coverage of the 1930s and early '40s is also sketchy; at times the author gets lost in show-biz anecdotes that have little to do with the William Morris Agency. The narrative kicks into gear with its smart assessment of the changes that swept the entertainment industry in the years following WW II, in particular the rise of television and breakup of the studio system, which left Hollywood vulnerable to the increasing demands of stars who could attract the audience. Led by Abe Lastfogel, the William Morris Agency consolidated its power and made its money by controlling the flow of talent, packaging groups of its clients to create the early television shows and making sure its movie actors were first in line for the juiciest roles. The company was known for its agents' low-key, businesslike demeanor and its family atmosphere; most employees joined straight out of school and stayed until they retired. Rose capably chronicles the stagnation that set in at WMA as financial types like Nat Lefkowitz gained power and the agency grew increasingly corporate, frustrating the people who actually dealt with talent and leading to the very public departures of six key employees in 1991. The book ends abruptly in that year, with no mention of developments since then and no assessment of the agency's prospects for the future. Almost always a lot of fun, although the lack of a coherent narrative thread means that the welter of names and anecdotes sometimes gets bewildering. (16 pages b&w photos, not seen) ($40,000 ad/promo)

Pub Date: July 1, 1995

ISBN: 0-88730-749-3

Page Count: 528

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1995

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.