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the Cliff Roberston scandal

Posted: April 25th, 2007, 11:58 am
by filmlover
If you would like to read an excellent expose of Hollywood's business ethics, "Indecent Exposure" by David McClintick should be on your list. It details how actor Cliff Robertson discovered that his former agent, David Begelman (and then became Columbia studio chief), had forged Robertson's name on a $10,000 check. It rocked Hollywood at the time and the subsequent investigation backfired on Robertson because he was blacklisted due to daring to go up against the powers-that-be. It's must reading!

Posted: April 27th, 2007, 1:52 am
by metsfan
Wow, thanks for sharing that info! It surely does sound interesting. I'm dying to read these:

Who The Hell's In It?-Peter Bogdanovich
Of Gods And Monsters-John T. Soister
Finchy: A Drunkard, A Womanizer, A Genious-Yolande Finch
Dangerous Men
From Caligary To Hitler
From Caligary To Casablanca

I've ordered two books of Eddie Cantor. One is his autobiography "Take My Life" and the other is "As I Remember Them"(Jack Benny, W.C. Fields, Bea Lillie, Groucho Marx, Al Jolson, Will Rogers, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, George Jessel, James Cagney, Red Skelton, Jimmy Durante, Fanny Brice, Danny Kaye and many other great stars of show business).

Once I get the books I'll post anything that sticks out. Mr. Cantor was a funny and noble man so it should be interesting how he perceived those around him.

Posted: June 3rd, 2007, 2:31 pm
by MikeBSG
"Who the Hell's In It" is a very good book, but a very sad book. The interview with John Wayne is terrific. It shows a side of Wayne I didn't realize existed. However, the book is not really a book of interviews. There are some interviews, but it is mostly Bogdanovich remembring his relationships with various actors.

Most of them, even the young ones like River Phoenix, have died, and after a bit, that became nearly overwhelming for me. Still, I am very glad I've read the book, but just be advised.

Posted: June 9th, 2007, 2:01 am
by metsfan
Thanks for the review, Mike. I saw a discussion with the author on tv and it really got me interested in the book. Mr. Bogdanovich seemed genuine in his conversation which makes the book more plausible.

Re: the Cliff Roberston scandal

Posted: March 3rd, 2009, 8:34 pm
by Professional Tourist
filmlover wrote:If you would like to read an excellent expose of Hollywood's business ethics, "Indecent Exposure" by David McClintick should be on your list. It details how actor Cliff Robertson discovered that his former agent, David Begelman (and then became Columbia studio chief), had forged Robertson's name on a $10,000 check. It rocked Hollywood at the time and the subsequent investigation backfired on Robertson because he was blacklisted due to daring to go up against the powers-that-be. It's must reading!
Ugg, David Begelman. He and Freddie Fields ruined Judy Garland financially during her phenomenal come-back in the early 1960s. [I am a Garland fan.] They just took her to the cleaners, for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Begelman was the worse of the two -- even inventing a phony 'blackmail' situation and advising her to pay off, with the money going to himself. I've been wanting to read this book, but haven't managed so far to bring myself to do it -- I think I'm just too emotionally invested. :(