Overview

Katharine Hepburn, John Wayne, Lauren Bacall - behind each of these stars was a hidden force: the talent agent. In this first-ever history of Hollywood agents, Tom Kemper mines agency archives to present an insider's view on their tooth-and-claw rise to power during the studio era. It's a tale of ambitious characters, savvy calculation, muckraking, financial ruin, and ultimate triumph, and establishes the agent's vital role in the Hollywood business world. Existing studies characterize agents as a product of the 1950s, but Kemper revises the record to show how agents emerged from the primordial film industry during the late 1920s and carved themselves a permanent niche. Through case studies of key figures like Myron Selznick and Charles Feldman, we see that the agent's character and social relationships functioned within a business structure - a good reputation and powerful connections were his most precious assets. With wit and precision, Kemper locates Hollywood agents at the crossroads of talent and profit, and captures their central and enduring role in the burgeoning film industry.

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9780520257078

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Reviews

[An] original and deeply researched study. Los Angeles Times 20091223 Kemper's work [is] both groundbreaking and valuable... I learned something new in every chapter. Hidden Talent is a fascinating chronicle of the business side of Hollywood. Leonard Maltin, Movie Crazy 20100122 Has there ever been a biographical film entirely about a Hollywood agent? Probably not. Still, some of the figures in Tom Kemper's new book would make lively subjects. Chronicle Of Higher Ed 20100124 An important new perspective on the dynamics of production in the studio era. -- James Lyons Screening The Past 20110616 Well presented and refreshing... Highly recommended. -- J. M. Welsh Choice 20110617 Kemper's witty, engaging prose and skill as a storyteller make the book accessible to a wide audience. -- Eric Hoyt Senses Of Cinema 20091224

[An] original and deeply researched study. --Los Angeles Times Kemper's work [is] both groundbreaking and valuable... I learned something new in every chapter. Hidden Talent is a fascinating chronicle of the business side of Hollywood. --Leonard Maltin, Movie Crazy Has there ever been a biographical film entirely about a Hollywood agent? Probably not. Still, some of the figures in Tom Kemper's new book would make lively subjects. --Chronicle of Higher Ed An important new perspective on the dynamics of production in the studio era. --Screening the Past Well presented and refreshing... Highly recommended. --Choice

[An] original and deeply researched study. --Los Angeles Times Kemper's work [is] both groundbreaking and valuable... I learned something new in every chapter. Hidden Talent is a fascinating chronicle of the business side of Hollywood. --Leonard Maltin, Movie Crazy Has there ever been a biographical film entirely about a Hollywood agent? Probably not. Still, some of the figures in Tom Kemper's new book would make lively subjects. --Chronicle of Higher Ed

Author Information

Tom Kemper is Visiting Lecturer at the University of Southern California, and a teacher at the Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.

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