Moguls

The Lives and Times of Hollywood Film Pioneers Nicholas and Joseph Schenck

By: Michael Benson, Craig Singer

Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby

Groundbreaking pioneers of the Hollywood Dream Factory, Joseph and Nicholas Schenck may not have been household names like the Warner brothers or Louis B. Mayer, but they were infinitely more powerful, influential—and ruthless. A pair of Russian immigrants with giant ambitions, the Schencks turned their small nickelodeon business in New York's Bowery into a partnership with Loew's movie theaters and a controlling interest in three major studios: MGM, 20th Century Fox, and United Artists. They painted the silver screen silver, laid the foundations for the all-powerful studio system, and ruled a global movie empire from their Gatsby-sized mansions on the East and West coasts. The Schencks had become moguls.

Their story is the stuff of legends-and their scandals are among the greatest stories Hollywood never told. This riveting, behind-the-scenes account reveals many surprising truths.

From the earliest days of silent films and the swinging era of the Roaring Twenties, through the Golden Age of the studio system and the patriotic call of WWII, to the Red Scare paranoia of the McCarthy years, the history of the Schenck brothers is the story of Hollywood itself—and the enduring power of the American Dream. Moguls is a must-listen for film fans, history buffs, and anyone who loves the movies.

©2024 Michael Benson and Craig Singer (P)2024 Tantor

Hollywood pioneer moguls you never heard of

As Hollywood grew from silents to talkies, from an amusement into a global business, brothers Joseph and Nicolas played a central role in- even as they worked to stay behind the scenes. So while there have been lots of books about those who ran MGM, Fox , Universal and other studios this is the first to put the spotlight on the real bosses, the powerful money men and ultimate power players most of those visible moguls called the bosses. These powerful bosses were immigrants who fought and scratched their way from the era of Nickelodeon’s to the glamour of the first blockbuster movies. Joe Schneck discovered Marilyn Monroe but stayed in the shadows as she became a star. For fans of Hollywood history this book is full of eye popping tales, and insights that will change your view of the old moguls you thought invented movies. The first part has a lot of dry information but then a lot of delicious storytelling rolls out the red carpet and leaves the reader on the front row of the real story of old Hollywood.