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bronwynmb's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting book about early Hollywood, scandals, and a murder. I didn't really care for the author supposing who and how the murder was committed, but other than that it was really interesting and well-done.
ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
Narratively well-written, I have to doubt the fact-checking that talks about the geysers of Yosemite. And happening so early in the
The story revolves around three women connected to the murder of Billy Taylor, a major Hollywood player. The author purports to have the definitive answer so that was at least interesting.
The story revolves around three women connected to the murder of Billy Taylor, a major Hollywood player. The author purports to have the definitive answer so that was at least interesting.
shays's review against another edition
4.0
More than just following the suspects and witnesses involves with Taylor’s murder, Mann portrays the tense public atmosphere into which the scandal of Taylor’s murder erupted.read more
johnnygamble's review against another edition
3.0
Wasn't crazy about how it was written, (shows how hard it is to write like Erik Larson) but the subjects were very interesting, and his solution well argued
jlmb's review against another edition
3.0
I read Mann's biography of William Haines and so was looking forward to reading his take on the unsolved William Desmond Taylor murder. Hmmm. This book starts out saying the unsolved murder is the focus, but it really isn't.
Instead, the book is about Zukor and his attempts to remain in control of the movie industry. It's about the vertical integration of the industry by a few players. It's about their fight with the FTC who claimed anti-trust laws were being violated. It's about the movie industry's attempts to head off government censorship by hiring William Hayes and creating their own censorship board. It's about several scandals of the early twenties that precipitated calls for censorship by the same groups that had just successfully passed the prohibition of alcohol.
Mann "solves" the crime in literally the last few pages of the 400+ page book. The solution reads like an afterthought. "Oh right, the main objective of the book is supposed to be solving the murder of Taylor! I better throw this explanation in, here in the final chapter of the book." It was very unsatisfying. A vastly superior book about Taylor's murder is Sidney Kirkpatrick's novel A Cast of Killers. I suggest go reading that if you are at all interested in the mystery of Taylor's death.
This book was still interesting to me because I learned a lot about how the Hayes office came into being. I don't know why the development of censorship in the movie industry wasn't marketed as being the main theme of the book.
Instead, the book is about Zukor and his attempts to remain in control of the movie industry. It's about the vertical integration of the industry by a few players. It's about their fight with the FTC who claimed anti-trust laws were being violated. It's about the movie industry's attempts to head off government censorship by hiring William Hayes and creating their own censorship board. It's about several scandals of the early twenties that precipitated calls for censorship by the same groups that had just successfully passed the prohibition of alcohol.
Mann "solves" the crime in literally the last few pages of the 400+ page book. The solution reads like an afterthought. "Oh right, the main objective of the book is supposed to be solving the murder of Taylor! I better throw this explanation in, here in the final chapter of the book." It was very unsatisfying. A vastly superior book about Taylor's murder is Sidney Kirkpatrick's novel A Cast of Killers. I suggest go reading that if you are at all interested in the mystery of Taylor's death.
This book was still interesting to me because I learned a lot about how the Hayes office came into being. I don't know why the development of censorship in the movie industry wasn't marketed as being the main theme of the book.
jhenke6229's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0