Jim Mahoney was one among Hollywood’s go-to guys. He spent 60+ years in public relations, guiding the general public pictures of Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Steve McQueen, Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Christie Brinkley, Peggy Lee, and a whole lot extra.
He was on the entrance traces when Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped, and was on the social gathering at Peter Lawford’s home the evening Marilyn Monroe died. He was additionally there with the Rat Pack in Las Vegas.
Now age 95, Mahoney has captured all of that in a memoir, Get Mahoney!: A Hollywood Insider’s Memoir. “Get Mahoney!” was the phrase usually used when stars and their handlers knew hassle was brewing and wanted to maintain their names out of the press. Mahoney was good at his job, and often referred to himself as a greater “suppress” agent than press agent.
“It was about ‘taming the lion’ – both the press and the clients themselves,” Mahoney mentioned. That generally concerned making preparations with the authorities and media to maintain the filth neatly swept beneath the carpet.
The total guide is available here.
Mahoney answered some Deadline questions on his lengthy profession within the Hollywood trenches.
DEADLINE: Who was your most tough consumer, and why?
Jim Mahoney – Steve McQueen, no query. At occasions he could possibly be an incredible man, and actually, I’m godfather to one among his youngsters, so there’s no disrespect meant. We helped create his picture of “Mr. Cool” and I helped him get his massive break to maneuver from TV to motion pictures after I was dealing with him, and really helpful Steve to Frank (Sinatra) when Frank was recasting By no means So Few. Steve is likely one of the solely shoppers I ever fired after I had lastly had sufficient. We did a heck of a job ensuring the media and his followers by no means knew how irrational or what a problem he could possibly be – for administrators, producers, studio heads, co-stars, and naturally, for his publicist.
In these days a lot of our work was to “create” information. For instance, I had a producer consumer, Martin (Marty) Ransohoff and his firm, Filmways, (The Americanization of Emily, The Sandpiper). Marty was producing “Cincinnati Kid” in 1965 with McQueen at MGM, the place Marty had a three-picture deal. Over lunch with Marty in the future, I got here up with a column merchandise that complimented three of my shoppers abruptly. The merchandise was that Marty was prepping a remake of the MGM traditional, Boomtown, a Clark Gable/Spencer Tracy buddy film. However the remake would function James Garner, one other consumer of mine, and McQueen, and could be produced by Marty.
It was an ideal trifecta merchandise – no one needed to raise a finger and it might scream headlines. Louella Parsons beloved it as a result of it featured main A-list box-office stars, and plus, she was a sucker for something “Gable.” She ran it because the lead merchandise in her column, one of many greatest within the Hearst newspaper chain. The headline learn, “Garner and McQueen in Remake of MGM Classic ‘Boomtown.’” I went to mattress that evening feeling fairly glad with myself, considering I’d hit one out of the park. About ten o’clock that evening my spouse, Pat, and I have been woke up by the telephone. She answered and mentioned it was Steve. My ego bought to me, and I assumed he’d known as to go with me on my brilliance. He began with, “Who the hell cleared that BS in Parson’s column!”
He continued ranting and after what appeared like an eternity of his raving, I broke in, saying, “I did, you asshole.” He paused for a second, then yelled, “You son-of-a-bitch! You’ll never get it. My name ALWAYS comes first!” and hung up. Irrespective of how massive the merchandise, or how far the attain, he couldn’t see past the truth that Garner’s title was talked about first. It could sound petty, however it was one among a whole lot of comparable nonsensical battles I had with him. I may go on, however you get the purpose.
DEADLINE: Who was your best?
Jim Mahoney – Most likely Bob Newhart. Bob was and stays to this present day an incredible pal. We performed golf at Bel Air Nation Membership and on the Crosby Professional-Am collectively, and our youngsters all went to high school collectively. He’s godfather to my youngest. He was by no means an issue, and he was at all times employed – from his breakout Quantity One/Grammy Award-winning comedy LP, The Button-Down Thoughts of Bob Newhart, to his Las Vegas stand-up engagements and multi-award-winning TV sequence (plural), he was a dream consumer. Our greatest problem with Bob was the iron fist his supervisor wielded. This must be a collaborative enterprise, however all too usually, it’s a contest between the supervisor, the agent, and the PR folks. Typically even the secretary.
I recall a chance once we secured his first look as a visitor on The David Letterman Present. We have been informed by his supervisor, “No way. Letterman will chew Bob up!” We needed to respect administration, and on reflection I ought to have talked to Bob about it instantly. However I don’t know if that may have modified something anyway, his supervisor was very influential. We needed to flip it down. In later years, when Bob finally guested on the present, David proved to be an enormous fan. He couldn’t have been extra respectful and gracious. Bob was (and is) a groundbreaking expertise and a real gentleman, and any comic, David Letterman or in any other case, would respect that. In all honesty, Bob most likely had a more durable time placing up with me that I ever did with him. He gave me a really variety quote for the quilt of my guide.
DEADLINE: What was the largest scandal you coated up?
Jim Mahoney – The primary that involves thoughts was an disagreeable episode whereas we have been dealing with a very fashionable husband and spouse musical duo who shared a meteoric recording profession and later a vastly profitable tv present. There was an incident involving a “third party” and a collector gun displayed in a case at their house, however for any extra element I’m afraid you’ll must learn the guide… It was a problem retaining that out one of many columns. However we did.
DEADLINE: Is the leisure press extra gullible or much less gullible than earlier than?
Jim Mahoney – I don’t suppose I’d use the phrase “gullible.” However the press within the outdated days have been positively extra cooperative and prepared to look previous the occasional indiscretion for everybody’s mutual profit. It wasn’t that we have been pulling the wool over their eyes, however we had a working relationship with them, a give-and-take, if you’ll.
Now, with TMZ and the entire movie star media retailers as of late, it looks as if the press is extra targeted on catching somebody doing one thing illicit and being the primary to run with it. The stress wasn’t as excessive and the cash so giant again then. In my day we bought loads accomplished, but in addition appeared to have plenty of enjoyable doing it. I’m certain they’re nonetheless having enjoyable on the market and perhaps I’m simply too far eliminated as of late, however it does appear at occasions that the present media and leisure enterprise take themselves a bit too critically. As one among my favourite shoppers (George C. Scott) used to say, “All we’re really doing here is playing make believe.” We’re not curing most cancers.
DEADLINE: How did your manner of doing enterprise change through the years?
Jim Mahoney – When beginning out at MGM, crucial break or “hit” you would get was for the names of your shoppers to seem in nationwide columns like Hedda Hopper, Walter Winchell, Earl Wilson, Louella Parsons, and the Herald Categorical’ Harrison Carrol, who I labored for as a stringer for a pair years. There have been additionally native columnists, like Shirly Eder (Detroit Free Press), Herb Caen (San Francisco Chronicle) and Cindy Adams (New York Submit). They have been vastly influential, and all people learn them. They might make or break a film debut. Creativity at all times counted, however you additionally wanted a way of timing, and a “gut instinct” about what was information. Relationships by no means harm… They might show vital. There was the LA Occasions Calendar part, Individuals journal, TV Information, Rolling Stone, USA Immediately… Main breaks and covers have been vastly influential on peoples’ tastes and habits. Ultimately, columns gave solution to tv, and the appearance of “60 Minutes,” CNN’s “Larry King Live,” “Entertainment Tonight,”“Extra,” the community morning exhibits, and, after all, a Barbara Walter’s particular was big. Now it’s social media, and I don’t presume to know a lot about that, besides that it’s essential. Luckily, there are actually professionals specializing in these issues.
DEADLINE: Inform us how cigars with Fidel Castro occurred?
Jim Mahoney – My firm was representing what, on the time, was the largest tour operator on the planet, and I used to be invited on a visit for a few of their prime brokers to tour the Caribbean and go to a number of the priciest areas to see their operation. To begin it off, for example, our first evening was at Mar-a-Lago. We stopped at St. Barts, St. Thomas, and some different locations, and at last landed in Havana, the place we’d been invited to what was previously the Presidential Palace belonging to Batista (now the Museum of Revolution), the place Castro could be talking that night.
So I’m sitting there listening to Castro converse, which was in Spanish (I don’t perceive a phrase) so I excused myself to the foyer, which was like an enormous reception corridor crammed with stunning work. I requested a guard (closely armed guards have been in all places) if it might be alright to smoke a cigar whereas I loved the paintings. I bear in mind his response was, “Sir, you’re in Cuba, you can smoke a cigar in church in this country…”. I laughed and turned to gentle up and take a stroll. Twenty minutes or so later I heard voices behind me and turned to see Fidel himself approaching me alongside along with his entourage. In excellent English he requested me, “Is that one of our cigars?” I mentioned, “Yes” and he requested me which of them I like greatest… Satirically, I’d been in a cigar retailer earlier that day and realized from the shop proprietor that whereas most individuals thought Castro smoked Cohiba, el Presedente really loved an unique model known as Trinidad and that they made a particular cigar particularly for him. Beneath stress and staring one of many world’s most infamous Communist dictators within the eye, when he requested me, “Which of our cigars do you like the best,” I froze and went completely clean. All I may muster was, “The ones you smoke…” He knew I used to be touring with the tour group after which he very graciously turned to one among his handlers and informed him to have a few containers of his greatest for me to take with me once we left the next day.
DEADLINE: Did you will have a go-to nightclub or restaurant that assured you’d get a consumer some press?
Jim Mahoney – To get press, sure, there was at all times the “hot spots” of our day… At varied occasions it was Romanoff’s in Beverly Hills, or Martoni’s, Mocambo, Ciro’s, or the Villa Capri in Hollywood, or one of many locations owned by a number of the stars themselves, like Puccini’s (Sinatra) or Dino’s Lodge (Dean Martin’s). In fact the most effective was Chasen’s. There was at all times paparazzi hanging out in entrance, in order that was an computerized rating.
Conversely, we had a number of hole-in-the-walls the place I knew they’d be secure from prying eyes… A few of these hide-outs have been Chez Jay in Santa Monica (nonetheless there), when hardly anybody lived west of Sepulveda, the Vacation Home (now Geoffrey’s) in Malibu, and the La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes. It had stunning rooms and a view of glittering lights all the way in which up the coast. I might recommend shoppers go to these locations each time I knew they wished to be discreet. There’s a narrative within the guide about after I as soon as caught Gary Cooper sitting at Martoni’s in Hollywood one evening with Anita Ekberg (not his spouse). I requested him if I may have a phrase with him privately and I subtly urged he go away and discover a quieter place to “dine.” He actually requested me, “Where the hell can I go and not be recognized?” This occurred earlier than my PR company days. On the time, I used to be press (working for the Herald Categorical) and will have written about it in my column, however Cooper was an All-American main man. In these days, you simply didn’t spoil a man’s profession like that. It was a part of that “give and take.” We developed a rapport after that and have become excellent mates and golf buddies. He was an incredible man.
DEADLINE: Inform us about your relationship with Paul Wasserman, your small business accomplice.
Jim Mahoney – Wasso was sophisticated. There have been two Paul Wasserman’s, perhaps three, and even 4… There was the Paul all of us met within the ’60s, the black swimsuit, skinny black tie, very strait-laced and conservative man. He got here from a strict L.A. Jewish upbringing. I employed him when he was an Related Press (AP) film reporter, and an excellent one. He got here to work for me and we complemented one another. He was quickly dealing with motion pictures for Jack Nicholson (Straightforward Rider and 5 Straightforward Items), hanging out with the quick crowd, and representing lots of them.
A short while later, he was dealing with a number of the greatest motion pictures and documentaries ever (Star Wars and The Final Waltz) and the largest recording artists within the business, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and finally U2 and dozens extra.
He was good as lots of his shoppers, and the media will attest and everybody beloved him – particularly his quirky humorousness. There’s a real story about him tenting outdoors Mick Jagger’s lodge room all evening as soon as with Bob Hilburn (LA Occasions pop music critic) to carry Jagger to his phrase to do a sit-down with the reporter.
Jagger finally needed to go away the room, and he did the interview… And Hilburn by no means forgot it. Wasso was very old-school and didn’t again right down to his shoppers when he didn’t must. He had demons, although, and he fell into some very unhealthy habits and laborious occasions. He had a drug downside. However he additionally had very loyal and deep friendships. When that drug downside landed him within the hospital whereas he was on the highway with a consumer, I flew to New Orleans to see him. The medical doctors mentioned he most likely wouldn’t be alive after I arrived, however I went anyway. After I bought there two of his closest mates/shoppers have been standing vigil outdoors his hospital room – Lou Adler and Jack Nicholson.
After leaving our partnership and going out on his personal, in some unspecified time in the future he cracked. He began “conning” mates and even some shoppers into schemes he’d concocted to make himself the form of cash he thought he deserved – nearer to the form of cash his shoppers all made. It was a Ponzi scheme. He was promoting shares to a nonexistent firm set as much as gather percentages of his consumer’s movies (most notably Nicholson’s Batman) with none of his shoppers’ information, and promising big returns. He was finally caught and went to jail for it. He died a damaged man. It was very unhappy. I by no means knew about his drug issues, or perhaps I used to be too busy to note (or didn’t need to see it).
However in some unspecified time in the future, he cleaned up and later turned an enormous AA devotee. He went to a number of conferences each day and helped lots of people get off medication themselves after he’d lastly gotten himself clear. At his funeral, a handful of them informed the room that if it hadn’t been for Wasso, they wouldn’t be alive in the present day. That spoke volumes in regards to the man and reminded many people what an incredible man he actually was. It was very wholesome to listen to it. He lived a tremendous however very troubled life. I want I’d have recognized and will have helped him extra. I used to be one of many few (that I do know of) who visited him in jail, and after I did, I requested him why he by no means tried to promote me on any of his cons. He informed me, “You’d have known I was full of shit”. We each laughed. I assure you he had a very good guide inside him too… most likely higher than mine.
DEADLINE: Inform us a Sinatra story we haven’t heard.
Jim Mahoney – Most likely probably the most attention-grabbing is Chapter One within the guide, I name it “Taken.” I’m going into higher element within the guide, however for now, it opens with me receiving a telephone name telling me that Frank Jr. had been kidnapped from a Lake Tahoe lodge the place he’d been performing. There was a horrible snowstorm and Reno was as near Tahoe as we may get, and we have been led to consider Jr. should nonetheless in Tahoe. Frank was on his solution to the Mapes lodge in Reno, the place he was establishing camp, and wished me to fulfill him there to attend for the abductors to name. We have been in that lodge room for days. Frank was a consumer, however had additionally develop into an in depth pal, and his son had been kidnapped. He designated me as the purpose individual to reply all calls. The FBI have been out and in of the room continually, establishing surveillance and recording units, and I used to be doing every thing I may to maintain Frank calm – which was no simple job. Telephone calls from everybody you possibly can think about have been coming in providing assist. However these form of gestures have been, for probably the most half, losing time and phone-line area for when and if the abductors would name.
At one level, I answered a name and the voice on the opposite finish mentioned, “The Director would like to speak to Mr. Sinatra,” which struck a chord with me, realizing how massive of a nationwide crime story this had develop into. I had J. Edgar Hoover’s workplace on the road. As I positioned the decision on maintain and began down the corridor in the direction of the place Frank was, the opposite telephone rang so I picked it up and requested who was calling. The voice on the opposite finish mentioned, “Just tell him it’s Momo… he’ll know who it is.” Anybody who knew something in these says knew “Momo” was Sam Giancana, probably the most highly effective and feared mob boss within the nation. I requested him to carry as properly, and went on to Frank, and informed him “Line one is J. Edgar Hoover and the other is Giancana,” after which, “Who do you want first?” “I’ll talk to Momo,” Frank mentioned, “Tell Hoover I’ll call him back.” The chapter goes on to speak in regards to the kidnapper’s eventual name, gathering the money for the ransom money, and “the drop”.
DEADLINE: In the event you may return and alter a narrative that’s been oft-repeated and isn’t true, what wouldn’t it be?
Jim Mahoney – It’s not one story, per-se, however I might say that the connection between Frank and the mob was normally, and wrongfully, overblown. Nobody would deny that entertainers in these days – and perhaps Frank specifically – needed to have a relationship with the mob. The mob owned the inns and the golf equipment the place they entertained, to not point out the studios the place they labored and the banks that financed them. They needed to work together, however they weren’t shut mates. Uniquely in Frank’s case, he had them to thank for retaining him afloat throughout what he considered “The Dark Ages,” the early Fifties, earlier than From Right here to Eternity, when he couldn’t get arrested. He’d misplaced his Columbia Data recording contract and was taking part in to lower than half-houses in lots of his concert events. Guys like Giancana stored him busy taking part in their golf equipment, just like the Villa Venice in Chicago. The gangsters sought out Frank and Dean and the others excess of the opposite manner round. However Frank was at all times loyal and knew he owed them, like I discussed earlier, when Giancana known as to supply assist with Jr’s kidnapping… Frank properly selected to work carefully with the FBI, however his “friends” have been at all times there providing assist. Frank grew up with plenty of robust guys from his hood. He had childhood mates who grew as much as be actually unhealthy guys… There’s no query, I met plenty of them. However he knew it was greatest to maintain it as personal as he may. He did so many good issues that he’s not credited with. I find out about a lot charity work he did privately that would make up a complete different guide.
DEADLINE: In the event you have been beginning out within the enterprise in the present day, how would you method issues?
Jim Mahoney – In all honesty, I’d lean extra towards administration than PR. Managers had a greater time sharing of their consumer’s success and even partnering of their tasks. At one level within the ’60s I used to be invited to hitch Lou Adler and Pierre Cossette in a administration association (respectively, they have been dealing with the Mamas and the Pap,as and Ann-Margret, not unhealthy). However I felt too assured with my PR enterprise to threat it so I mentioned no. Lots of the folks that, labored for me through the years went on to very profitable careers within the company, studio, and community companies. However for some cause that simply by no means me. I actually beloved what I did, and made a reasonably good dwelling doing it. However if we’re speaking about one thing apart from the leisure business, I couldn’t have gone flawed following my father into his line of labor. He had a profitable constructing and inside adorning enterprise – Gable was his consumer and the way I bought into the enterprise. My dad by no means wished for work, even through the Melancholy. My brother Jay did, and have become a vastly profitable contractor and developer in Newport Seaside.
DEADLINE: In the event you had a time machine and will return to an occasion or yr, what wouldn’t it be and why?
Jim Mahoney – The yr Frank helped me go into enterprise for myself, 1959. It’s exhilarating simply eager about it. I’d been at Rogers & Cowan for years and by no means obtained a rise in wage or a bonus, and I used to be dealing with a few dozen of their greatest shoppers and had simply weathered the Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher break up… It was the “divorce of the century.” I used to be exhausted, but in addition underpaid. I’d approached Warren half-a-dozen occasions a few elevate, and he at all times mentioned, “I’ll talk with Henry”. He by no means did, so in the future I walked into Warren’s workplace and simply give up. I had no plan, however I used to be fed up. That evening I went to dinner at Dino’s Lodge with Dean’s supervisor, Maury Samuels. The restaurant wasn’t an R&C consumer, and Maury (an in depth pal) insisted it’s my first consumer. The subsequent morning I used to be in Frank’s workplace, to not steal him as a consumer (I promised Warren I’d by no means try this) however I felt I owed it to inform him first, since he was the one to encourage me into PR and away from the newspaper enterprise within the first place. He mentioned, “Where are you gonna office?” He knew instantly that I hadn’t even considered that, and I mentioned so. He mentioned, “I’ve got an office at the William Morris Agency that I never use. It’s yours for as long as you want…”. He then known as somebody (to this present day I don’t know who) to say that he wished me to signify the restaurant he owned, Puccini’s, a scorching spot on Beverly Drive (additionally not an R&C consumer). I now had two of the most popular eating places on the town as shoppers… Lastly Frank invited Pat and I to dinner that evening to rejoice. As I used to be leaving his workplace he known as after me and mentioned, “One more thing. Take out ads in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter announcing your new business and location and send me the bill.” I bought house and excitedly informed my spouse Pat what had occurred, and the telephone rang. It was Peter Lawford, who was Frank’s good pal and accomplice in Puccini’s and who’d develop into a great pal of mine. He mentioned “I’ve been trying to tell you forever to go out on your own… I’m without representation so let’s have lunch and talk.” “Where?” I mentioned, and he mentioned, “I’ll see you at Romanoff’s at 1…”
Issues have been taking place quick and it by no means slowed down, for the following 50+ years.
#movie star #celeb
