Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story

"Hollywood Be Thy Name"is a well documented, well-written story of the incredible accomplishments of the four Warner brothers, who, from immigrant beginnings, with almost no money and no education, got into the beginnings of movie business. They rose to the incredible challenges that business presented, and gave us, over the years, an amazing number of award-winning stories, pictures, and performances that were a big part of the back-bone of the industry during the golden age of movies and movie studios. It's an inspiring, exciting story of four men with very different personalities and temperaments, who worked together to make Warner Brothers a money making studio that gave us quality pictures. They changed the industry by creating the first talking picture (in conjunction with Western Electric) and mesmerized audiences with this innovation as well as the list of quality pictures that followed. It's also a story of how the four of them worked together until the power they created caused them to lose sight of their family ties in favor of infighting and personal sabotage over that power. The book presents the authentic voices of many of the people who worked for the Warner brothers, and of members of many family members on both sides of what became the great divide. The fictionalized dialog is well within the scope of the personalities involved, and only serves to soften the dramatic facts that form the basis of this book. It's a very human story, and essential reading for anybody interested in the history of the movie industry. I highly recommend it.

This is a hard to put down book! I only learned about it because my husband and I just had a book published unknowingly with the same headline title. Having worked at Warner Bros mainly through the 60s, I found all this background on the brothers extremely interesting and very well written. In fact, I couldn't put it down! I do believe the title of another chapter in their book would have made a better title for their book though: BUILDING THE DREAM, because that is what it really is all about. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in movies since their inception. I have read many books on the subject, and besides our newly published book - which is quite different from this one - this is the most enjoyable and informative one of all. Shirley Lawrence

I read "Hollywood Be Thy Name" with great interest and curiosity. Author, Ms. Cass Warner Sperling has kept her unspoken "promise" made to Grandpa Harry (patriarch of the Warner brothers) at his deathbed when she was a ten year old girl, to convey to others his deep beliefs and ideals. I rate it 5 stars because the story and writing style paints an incredible picture of not just another "rags to riches" story but one of tragedy and great sacrifice leading to an enduring legend of the motion picture industry directly because of the "can do and make it go right" attitudes of the Warners. From the family gold watch (later to be hocked in order to secure payment for the brothers first projector) placed in 1883 into the secret pocket of Benjamin Warner for his immigration to America into New York and the arrival of wife Pearl and children less than a year later, to a realization of a movie empire that had as its motto "Educate, entertain, and enlighten" which is a Hollywood legacy. A must read for movie buffs and those interested in the beginnings of Hollywood. This is a book that has "all the right stuff" for the making of a fascinating mini-series as told by granddaughter Cass and others.Shelley Abate, movie buff and avid reader.

Not simply a biography, Hollywood Be Thy Name is a moving and motivational series of lessons in persistence in the face of great challenges.The reader is left with no doubt that while the Warner Brothers, Harry, Jack, Albert and Sam, made astute business decisions in building their company from its austere begginings in 1907, to the empire that became known as Warner Brothers Studios, the growth and succcess was fueled by an unmistakeable passion for moviemaking. The book is well written by Cass Warner Sperling, grandaughter of Harry Warner and Cork Milner.Hollywood by Thy Name also serves as a moving documentary-a history of early Hollywood. (Thirty two page photo insert).Students of Hollywood history will find the book illuminating. Movie buffs will find it entertaining and those interested in the business side of this business we call "show business" will find it educational.Interviews with Jack Warner Jr. and Ronald Reagan are highlighted but the real stars of "Hollywood Be Thy Name" are the brothers themselves, truly the earliest of the rags to riches stories and whose legend lives on through this book.