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

Crime writer Benson (Gangsters vs. Nazis) and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Singer profile the Russian Jewish immigrant brothers Joseph Schenck (1876–1961) and Nicholas Schenck (1880–1969), who were executives in the studio system at MGM, 20th Century Fox, and United Artists. They worked in entertainment for much of their lives, beginning as nickelodeon and vaudeville entrepreneurs in New York; later, Nicholas remained on the East Coast to manage the Loew’s theater enterprise (which had acquired MGM) while Joseph worked in California as a producer. Even with their congruent careers, the brothers’ personalities and personal lives diverged. Joseph wed Norma Talmadge (becoming Buster Keaton’s brother-in-law), paid Fatty Arbuckle’s legal fees during a scandal, romped through successive romances, helped launch the career of Marilyn Monroe, and was convicted of tax evasion. Meanwhile, his lower-profile brother raised a family. The book also shows how the Schencks helped establish the Academy Awards, fought Nazi designs on and mob extortion of the studios, waffled during the Red Scare, and remained skeptical of television despite their innovative early careers.