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. The life of a hollywood agent was thought to be fairly staid. She was the highestprofile agent in the business, man or woman. A new biography goes inside hollywoods firstsuperagent to reveal the crazy, brazen fights and lurid. Can i go now, biography of agent sue mengers, by brian. Before there was ovitz or ari, there was sue mengers. During the peak of her clout in the 1970s, the brash barrierbreaker helped popularize the idea of the hollywood superagent. Jack nicholson offered princess margaret cocaine book. According to the article, for over 20 years, mengers invited only. Kellow, who specializes in biographies of accomplished women pauline kael. From left to right, actress faye dunaway, hollywood agent sue mengers, and producer robert evans attend the golden globes at the beverly hilton hotel on jan. In her her blog post about the late agent sue mengers, susan orlean writes, interviewing sue mengers was one of the saddest experiences of my professional life. Mengers, who died in 2011, was the first powerful female agent to infiltrate the hollywood boys club in the 1960s and 1970s.
The book will be released september 8, read an excerpt from its pages below. By the early 70s she was not only the most powerful female agent in hollywood, she. During the peak of her clout in the 1970s, the brash barrierbreaker helped popularize the idea of the hollywood super agent. But brash, straighttalking sue mengers never wanted to be that kind of agent. Superagent sue mengers built careers of film royalty. There was a shift where this really became a business, and the world of mike ovitz was a lot different from the one sue. For three nights, from june 29th to july 1st, theater red and untitled productions are presenting the milwaukee premiere of ill eat you last, a onewoman show based on the reallife antics of hollywood agent sue mengers, whose explosive personality and staggering client list made her a celebrity in her own right. At a 1973 meeting at cma, the hollywood talent agency that later became icm, the companys owner was leading the proceedings when in.
Ruths second marriage was by all accounts far happier than her first. Daniel, the associated press before there was ovitz or ari, there was sue mengers. Click to share on facebook opens in new window click to share on twitter opens in new window. Mengers was the first woman to amass huge power and notoriety for representing alisters like gene hackman, michael caine, candice bergen, ryan oneal, mike nichols, barbra streisand and more. The line was, sue mengers created a family, and ovitz built an empire. New sue mengers biography a colorful glimpse of hollywood. Sue mengers is pure hollywood, said the wunderkind who thought of the idea.
Mengers is the subject of an excellent new biography can i go now. An interview with brian kellow, author of can i go now. 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. The photo above shows sue mengers at a book party for mickey ziffren in 1976. In the 1970s, there wasnt a hollywood agent more successful than sue mengers. The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent by brian kellow. 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. The untold story of hollywoods creative artists agency.
When julia roberts was a nobody to superagent sue mengers. New sue mengers biography a colorful glimpse of hollywood agent. The life of hollywoods first superagent by brian kellow. Superagent mengers mistreated stars, but they loved her. 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. To call sue mengers a character is an understatement, unless the word is written in all caps, followed by. A biography of the greatest agent of one of the greatest periods of american cinema is a book to read. Hollywood talent agent sue mengers and actor jack nicholson, whom she represented, attend a screening of black sunday in 1977. As the representative for many of the major players of the day. The superagent who ruled hollywood with sex and booze. The life of sue mengers, hollywood s first superagent by brian kellow, to be published on september 8, 2015, by viking, an imprint of penguin publishing group, a division of penguin random house.
The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent by brian kellow, to be published on september 8, 2015, by viking, an imprint of penguin publishing group, a. Superagent sue mengers handled some of the hottest stars in. Inside the life of hollywoods first superagent, sue mengers. During the peak of her clout in the 1970s, the brash barrierbreaker helped popularize the idea.
Hollywood super agent sue mengers takes center stage in a. Super agent sue mengers handled some of the hottest stars in hollywood including barbra streisand, ryan oneal, ali macgraw, mick jagger, candice bergen and peter bogdanovich. Kellows book perfectly captures the spirit of a woman who only understood life in terms of alisters vs. Before sue mengers hit the scene in the mid1960s, talent agents remained. The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent. The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent, the biography tells the story of arguably one of the most powerful agents in tinseltown history. Sue mengers, an unapologetically brash talent agent who blazed a path for women in hollywood and represented some of its biggest stars, died oct. What hollywood superagent sue mengers was really like. A life in the dark, turns his attention to sue mengers, hollywoods first female superagent. To call sue mengers a character is an understatement, unless the word is written in. Story of sue mengers, top hollywood agent of the seventies and eighties, and confidant to the top stars and hollywood movers and shakers of the era. Can i go now the life of sue mengers, hollywoods first.
The biographer brian kellow, whose last subject was pauline kael, writes in can i go now. The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent and discuss the book. Brian kellow has the scoop on hollywoods first superagent. In time she became, as fran lebowitz says, capitals sue mengers. Do any other three words better conjure up the enormous energy, creativity and freewheeling social life of hollywood in the 1970s. Mengers is said to have been on good terms with princess margaret, although it is unclear how they first met sue mengers house in hollywood photo. Superstar barbra streisand and hollywood agent sue mengers. Her client roster read like a whos who of the hottest actors and.
Sue mengers biographer talks barbra streisand feud, wild. Her first big addition to her books was actress julie harris, who was primarily a stage performer. The life of sue mengers, hollywoods first superagent by brian kellow, published on september 8, 2015 by viking, an imprint of penguin publishing group, a division of. The big gig isnt the only thing going on in the third ward this weekend. Sue mengers attends the book party for mickey ziffrens a political affair on september 23, 1976, at ziffrens home in malibu, california. Last week i read an obit in the new york times about recently deceased hollywood agent sue mengerss legendary dinner parties.
Sue mengers september 2, 1932 october 15, 2011 was a talent agent for many filmmakers. Hollywoods first female super talent agent with author. A colorful glimpse of hollywood superagent sue mengers. At the height of her power, the legendary talent agent sue mengers. Great tidbits on the making of some of my all time favorite movies and stars from that time. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. In 2011, i was casting around for the subject of my next biography when my literary agent, edward hibbert, suggested sue mengers, the celebrated, groundbreaking hollywood agent of the 1970s and.
The book is comprised of anecdotal stories and celebrity gossip by both her. Superagent sue mengers handled some of the hottest stars in hollywood. Sue mengers, who died four years ago this week, was a brassy, foulmouthed, wisecracking superagent, who hustled her way from the secretarial pool to. The title of the book comes from mengers passiveaggressive way. Sue mengers, far right, with farrah fawcett and ryan oneal at a party at studio 54 in new york in september 1981.
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