Overview

Norman Brokaw was CEO and Chairman of the William Morris Agency from 1989 to 1997, but his legacy may lie in his ascent from mailroom clerk to agent for some of Hollywood’s most iconic figures of the late 20th Century: Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Elvis (and Colonel Parker), Natalie Wood, Loretta Young, Clint Eastwood, Danny Thomas, Dick Van Dyke, Berry Gordy, Bill Cosby, Donna Summer, Brooke Shields plus many more. Under his guidance, the agency created a television department in the early 1950s, where he persuaded many skeptical Hollywood stars to make the move to the new medium. Under his influence on the late 1970s the agency began representing politicians, most notably among them President Gerald Ford. Much of what came to be known as American popular culture had its epicenter at William Morris, and Norman’s fingerprints can be found on most of it. As actress Kim Novak has said, “I have never known anyone who was so eager, so interested, or so positive.”

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9781493085934

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""...it's a diverting look inside the Hollywood machine."" --Publishers Weekly ""https: //www.publishersweekly.com/9781493085934"" (10/1/2024 12:00:00 AM) ""A fascinating look at an authentic Hollywood influencer, told with affection, honesty, and unprecedented access to the memories of numerous legends."" --Library Journal (10/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

Author Information

Norman Brokaw, born in New York City, started in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency in 1943 at the age of 15. By the 1950s, he encouraged William Morris to get into the television business. He helped create such series as Racket Squad and Public Defender by moving 1950s film stars to television. Brokaw would go on to represent producers of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Dick VanDyke Show, and The Andy GriffithShow. Brokaw was appointed as the president and CEO of the William Morris Agency in 1989. He became its CEO and chairman in 1991, and stepped down on 1997. He died in 2016. Chris Enss is a New YorkTimes bestselling author, a scriptwriter, and comedienne who has written for television, film, and the stage. She lives in Grass Valley, CA.

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