I say “accidental” in my headline because I had no idea this book existed and just stumbled on it in the book listings. I also had no idea Pat Mahoney existed, for that matter! But he was one of those press agents whose job was to be invisible to the public. Anyway, this guy handled at various times Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Lee Marvin (!!!) and probably most memorably, Frank Sinatra. And…he’s still alive and in his 90’s. I can only assume he wrote this book after all his clients passed away because it’s a very inside look at some very screwed up people, with Marvin causing the most chaos but also coming off as the most sympathetic, as he was dealing a lot of PTSD from the war that was never properly treated in those days. There’s a lot here for everyone. We don’t get to know much about Mahoney, but we don’t need to…he wisely takes a back seat to the stars while giving us enough background on himself so we understand the situations. Highly recommended if you love old Hollywood dirt and the way things worked when the studio system went down and all the superstars had to fend for themselves when it came to publicity. Burt Lancaster having Burger King for dinner? Sure, why not…

What a remarkable book and easily is one of the most mesmerizing reads I’ve ever relished. It made me LMAO, shed some tears and I couldn’t resist reading portions of it to my wife. I can’t stop thinking about the riveting stories and insights into the complex lives of a constellation of Hollywood superstars and Mahaoney’s revelations about their star crossed tapestry. I have purchased more than 10 copies to give to friends who as I did, grew up in the 60s and 70s in Hollywood’s heyday transitioning from the Big Screen to television. Mr. Mahoney was a visionary – as well as a consummately class act. His restraint in depicting the foibles of the great stars he helped publicize is admirable, even if on one occasion he could not resist calling one mega-star an “a-hole.” His stories of the fundamental insecurity of certain megastars was especially poignant and his behind the scenes work shaping his clients to qualify for Oscars was pure genius – as best exemplified by his positioning Lee Marvin to beat Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole, Peter Sellers and Anthony Quinn for Best Actor. Deserves Book of the Year in my book!

A highly entertaining and revelatory memoir that reveals how public relations shapes perceptions about public figures. In addition, it shows how popular culture has evolved over the past half century! Mahoney has worked with some of the biggest stars of the era – many of whom (not surprisingly) have since attained iconic status. Someone once wrote that a movie star’s career is based on perception and momentum, but to add to that, a star’s career sometimes needs a gatekeeper to avoid bad (or no) publicity! I would like to thank Jim Mahoney for a job well done (since some of his celebrity clients couldn’t be bothered)! I enjoyed reading about his Hollywood adventures with all of the colorful personalities that he encountered, plus it was fun to read about early to midcentury Los Angeles. Highly recommended!

Really great take on the way it was…great assessment of the present as well . Mahoney was a rock star …