King Cohn

The Lfie and Times of Hollywood Mogul Harry Cohn

By: Bob Thomas

Narrated by: John Landis

Harry Cohn was the cofounder and president of Columbia Pictures, which he ran from the 1930s through 1950s, producing such classics as It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and All the King's Men.

Cohn—who abhorred personal publicity—left no writings, made no speeches, and rarely submitted to interviews. Despite this, acclaimed biographer Bob Thomas brilliantly illuminates the life of the powerful but elusive studio head in King Cohn: The Life and Times of Hollywood Mogul Harry Cohn. Thomas details the studio head's rise from a New York City song-plugger to a Poverty Row impresario, highlighting his reign as one of the most powerful men in Hollywood during the golden era of the studio system.

©2003 Bob Thomas (P)2003 Phoenix Books, Inc.

King Cohn

I loved it. A friend recommended it. I love old movies and I'm a fan of celebrities and there bio's this book was entertaining with out being trashy. I even listened to it twice.thanks I plan to get more from this author too.

A Thin Bio

The late Bob Thomas is no Jeanine Basinger and here gives a light once-over to the life of Columbia Pictures founder Harry Cohn. Not an in-depth examination of Cohn, this book is more a collection of vignettes and war stories, light on detail and over before you know it. The narrator mispronounces many pedestrian words and proper names alike, which is jarring, and he has a nasal delivery. A good producer might have prevented the mispronunciations with some careful prep. Disappointing.

Very limited

I was hoping for a nuanced biography of the tyrannical mogul. Instead, I got a series of anecdotes with descriptions of successful Columbia movies thrown in. A lot of important details were skipped in order to paint a favorable picture.