It didnt take sue long to realize the mess that william morris was in and in her new position, she had only limited power to fix. Sue mengers took over the boys club of hollywood and did something groundbreaking. With the dooropening help of some of mengers longtime friends including the literary agent boaty boatwright a mengers pal from their new york days, kellow gathered an. Sue mengers, who has died aged 79, became the most powerful agent in hollywood in the early 1970s, promoting the film careers of alist stars like. The biographer brian kellow, whose last subject was pauline kael, writes in can i go now. Bette midler on smoking for sue mengers role the cigarettes nearly killed me. Set in the 1950s and based on real events, this taut, visceral play takes a compelling look at worldfamous artist mark rothko at the pinnacle of his creative powers as he takes on a new and mysterious student. Morgan spurlock to direct biopic of hollywood superagent. In ill eat you last, bette midler reads the phone book, to great laughter and applause. Before sue mengers hit the scene in the mid1960s, talent agents remained quietly in the background. Sue mengers was born on september 2, 1932 in hamburg, germany.
The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent ebook. Susans 2017 oscar predictions feb 22, 2017 susan grangers predictions for the 89th academy awards. Morgan spurlock puts superagent sue mengers on screen. The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent. Superagent sue mengers handled some of the hottest stars in hollywood including barbra streisand, ryan oneal, ali macgraw, mick jagger, candice bergen and peter bogdanovich. New sue mengers biography a colorful glimpse of hollywood agent.
Interesting, she had little motivation in gathering new talent. Hollywood agents estate sale displays star power the. Dominick dunne and sue mengers should have been great friends. Thr reports that spurlock has signed up to helm a biopic about famed hollywood superagent sue mengers, based on the book. It incorporates data on films released between 2012 and 2017, including factors like. According to a chapter about mengers in the late paul rosenfields book the club. These awards honor women and men who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. Jun 29, 2016 morgan spurlock puts superagent sue mengers on screen. We hope amy poehler goes through with her plans to play recently deceased l. Scroll down to get to know sue mengers in just 20 quotes.
Sue mengers died in midoctober at her home, a short walk from the beverly hills hotel, surrounded by three of her close friends, ali macgraw, joanna poitier, and boaty boatwright. When sue mengers was dunne with dominick nick harvill. Rachel brosnahan and alex borstein lend their fasttalking. It doesnt explain what made sue mengers a great agent, if indeed she was. As such, it was simply an oversight that we failed to mention the contretemps between sue mengers and dominick dunne in mondays post twinkle, twinkle super star. Aug 21, 2015 the biographer brian kellow, whose last subject was pauline kael, writes in can i go now. Sue mengers was the brassy, bawdy hollywood superagent with a long list of famous clients including gene hackman, cybill shepherd, ali macgraw, michael caine, and most notably barbra streisand. Mengers is the subject of an excellent new biography can i go now. A riveting biography of a powerful woman that charts show business as it evolved from new york city in the 1950s through hollywood in the early 1980s, can i go now. But she never really put any effort into finding new talent to develop. This book explains why agents are loathed and distrusted by actors, studio heads and other agents. Hollywood agents estate sale displays star power the new.
In the book she details her courageous efforts to teach forbidden western classics during the iranian revolution. From the 1950s through the 1980s, sue mengers 19322011 represented some of. When sue mengers was dunne with dominick nick harvill libraries. To call sue mengers a character is an understatement, unless the word is written in all caps, followed by an exclamation point and modified by an expletive. June 5, 2012 a report in the media decoder column on monday about items to be auctioned from the estate of the hollywood agent sue mengers described incorrectly the shape of her signature tinted glasses, two pairs of which are to be sold. When julia roberts was a nobody to superagent sue mengers. Napoli, brooklyn sep 06, 2016 a reflective and soulful book.
Evoking her famed 1975 interview with mike wallace, mengers relates how she was able to. Posted on august 4, 2012 october 5, 2018 categories gore vidal tags elvis presley, george plimpton, gore vidal, jason epstein, michael jackson, peter bogdanovich, sue mengers, truman capote. February 24 march 5, 2017 fairfield county professional premiere. An interview with brian kellow, author of can i go now. Weve got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. Aug 27, 2015 clark collis, entertainment weekly with his new book can i go now.
The plays predatory name comes from a book sue wanted to write. Brain kellow has written the definitive biography of sue mengers, and its a fun book. The first day i met him, he told me all about his substance abuse, and how he dropped acid, and how he was a real asshole in hollywood, why he made all of these enemies, and he ruined his career because he was a drunk on the set, and he offended sue mengers. A chat with sue mengers, the other place, dogfight, other desert cities. Vanity fair editor in chief graydon carter announced this morning that legendary hollywood agent sue mengers died saturday night at her beverly hills home after a number of small strokes. To call sue mengers a character is an understatement, unless the word is written in allcaps. The new season features two tonynominated musicals, a tonywinning play, the world premiere of a center theatre group commission and the american premiere of an exciting new work.
This particular phone book belongs to hollywood agent sue mengers, and contains only the names of the famous, the nearfamous, or the oncefamous who were mengers clients or party guests, or the celebrities she wanted to be her clients or party guests. He is currently cowriting, directing and producing the untitled film about hollywood superagent sue mengers based on brian kellows bestselling biography can i go now. This particular phone book belongs to hollywood agent sue mengers, and contains only the names of the famous, the nearfamous, or the oncefamous who were mengers clients or party guests, or the celebrities she wanted to be her clients. A chat with sue mengers which opened at the booth theatre on april 24, 20 for 85 performances. With lou gehrig, babe ruth, kirk gibson, bob costas. On halloween 2017, simpson hit rock bottom, and, with the intervention of. The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent as want to read. She died on october 15, 2011 in beverly hills, california, usa.
In this colorful fascinating look at the life and times of one of hollywoods legendary female agent sue mengers 19382011, biographer brian kellow introduces her as a selfpanicker, meaning she was able to take herself less seriously, her behavior funniest to herself. Jen chaney, the washington post the 1970sera agent sue mengers referred to her alist clients and the international celebrities in. Apr 25, 20 as a john logan fan, i may be very biased, but this short, one person play felt like a breathe of fresh air. And based on brian kellow s assessment in his thoroughly researched can i go now. She is best known for her memoir reading lolita in tehran, which remained on the new york times bestseller list for 117 weeks and has been translated into 32 languages. The title of the book comes from mengers passiveaggressive way. Her death came after a number of small strokes and a lifetime of illnesses that would have felled an athlete half her age. Sue mengers september 2, 1932 october 15, 2011 was a talent agent for many filmmakers and actors of the new hollywood generation of the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.
When the oscars began in 1929 to celebrate the motion picture industry, the winner was william wellmans antiwar wings. The idea of doing a book about her came from his agent. To write a book about an agent seemed like a questionable. But kellow initially was ambivalent about writing his book. Early on, simpson describes the book she didnt write. Morgan spurlocks warrior poets has acquired rights to brian kellows bestselling biography can i go now. The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent audible audio.
Morgan spurlock puts superagent sue mengers on screen film. I answer the phone now and people calling think its my husband. At first kellow was skeptical, thinking that there wasnt enough substance in the life of sue mengers to warrant a biography. Youre invited into the glamorous beverly hills home of hollywood superagent sue mengers for an evening of dish and dirty secrets. Sue mengers september 2, 1932 october 15, 2011 was a talent agent for many filmmakers and actors of the new hollywood generation of the. Witty, sarcastic, and willing to show you just how fucked up showbiz can be, this made me want to go back and pair it with tell all, chuck palahniuks book about a fictional starlets demise. The life of hollywoods first superagent by brian kellow. Oct 21, 2011 sue mengers, who has died aged 79, became the most powerful agent in hollywood in the early 1970s, promoting the film careers of alist stars like barbra streisand, candice bergen, faye dunaway. The producer robert evanss book the kid stays in the picture and the film based on it and a biography and a play about the hollywood agent sue mengers brought attention to their woolf. All the inside showbiz details only she can tell and in only the way she can.
Alex borstein and rachel brosnahan star in amy shermanpalladinos the marvelous mrs. Mengers was an influential hollywood talent agent who represented some of the industrys most glamorous stars at the height of their careers, including barbara streisand, cybil shepherd, gene hackman, anthony perkins, and burt. Jen chaney, the washington post the 1970sera agent sue mengers referred to her alist clients and the international celebrities in her glittering circle as twinklies. Meghan markles elephant voiceover has been in the works since 2017.
Graydon carter did what he does best as producer of ill eat you last. New sue mengers biography a colorful glimpse of hollywood. Evans persuaded his new flame, ali macgraw, to leave her agent. On april 24, 20, bette midler opened at the booth theatre on broadway in a onewoman play about mengers, ill eat you last. My last book had been a biography of pauline kael, and i was very keen to follow it up with another biography of a writer, kellow told the committee room. The book is comprised of anecdotal stories and celebrity gossip by both her clients and workmates. Irrepressible and loaded with chutzpah, she became a driving force of creative management associates which later became icm handling the eras preeminent stars. Bette midler on smoking for sue mengers role bootleg betty. Do any other three words better conjure up the enormous energy, creativity and freewheeling social life of hollywood in the 1970s. Apr 26, 2017 the producer robert evanss book the kid stays in the picture and the film based on it and a biography and a play about the hollywood agent sue mengers brought attention to their woolf.
In honor of homer simpsons journey to the mlb hall of fame, this mockumentary interviews players, sportscasters, historians, and springfieldians to recall the greatest corporate softball game ever played as told in homer at the bat. Ill eat you last, in which she played the late megaagent sue mengers to superb effect. From the 1950s through the 1980s, sue mengers 19322011 represented some of the most famous names in show business, including paul newman, joanne woodward, candice bergen, ali mcgraw, ryan oneal, michael caine, gene hackman, elliott gould, and, most notably, superstar barbra streisand. Several years of birth have been published, and while she. Brian kellows book is admirably researched and a great read. But staying in the background was not possible for mengers. He assigned a story on a colorful character, in this instance hollywood uberagent sue mengers, who made careers and created movie stars, and found the perfect writer. All the inside showbiz details only she can tell and in. A biography of the greatest agent of one of the greatest periods of american cinema is a book to read. Morgan spurlock to direct biopic of hollywood superagent sue. Can i go now the life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent ebook. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months. Mengerss ruthless path to success with a client list that included ryan and. Now its the long wharf theater, currently hosting the world premiere of meghan kennedys napoli, brooklyn, coproduced by manhattans roundabout theatre company.
The australian premiere of the play was a new melbourne theatre company production in october 2014, starring miriam margolyes as mengers and directed by dean bryant. Mengers wanted only wanted the alist on her roster and seated at her dinner table. Can i go now the life of sue mengers, hollywoods first. Sue was not a star in the conventional sense, but in her world she was a star. As the representative for many of the major players of the day. Before sue mengers hit the scene in the mid1960s, talent agents remained quietly in.
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