King Cohn: The Life and Times of Harry Cohn

"I am the king here. Whoever eats my bread sings my song". (Harry Cohn)."I don't have ulcers - I give them". (Harry Cohn)."I kiss the feet of talent". (Harry Cohn).This is a marvellous and outstanding book that everyone with an interest in Hollywood should read. Once started it is hard to put down! Harry Cohn was the notorious head of Columbia Pictures from 1924 until his death in 1958. It is a remarkable story of the former song plugger who became the feared chief executive of Columbia Pictures during the "Golden Years of Hollywood". Harry Cohn was a very reclusive man who seldom gave interviews so Bob Thomas has done an exceptional job in putting together this account of Cohn's life. He put in hours of efficient research for this book and spoke with many people who knew Cohn and the stars and directors who worked for him.Harry Cohn's brother Jack was the first to go into the film business but Harry soon joined him. Jack was based in New York dealing with the business and financial side and Harry was in charge of film production in Hollywood. There was no love lost between the two brothers and they were constantly arguing with each other. Columbia could not compete on an equal footing with the other major studios such as MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox and initially made cheap westerns and second features to begin with but Cohn was ambitious and wanted to produce more prestigious films. His luck changed when he had the enormous good fortune to persuade director Frank Capra to join Columbia who made a series of first rate quality films for the studio. The Capra films were box office successes (and Oscar winners) and brought in the much needed dollars to expand the studio and purchase important screenplays, and hire other talented writers and directors etc. The name of Columbia then became recognised and its films obtained a wider audience.Columbia did not have a large roster of stars under contract like the major studios so they had to discover new talent and develop their own stars. One of Harry Cohn's discoveries was a dancer named Margarita Cansino - he cast her in a few Columbia features and loaned her out to other studios and then the big build up started. Cohn decided her name should be changed so she became Rita Hayworth and went on to become one of Columbia's top stars.Columbia's biggest box office success in the 40's was the biographical musical "The Jolson Story". This was not an easy film to get off the ground as the New York office were convinced that Jolson was a "has been" whose career was finished and that the American public would not be interested to see a film about his life. Another problem was the casting - James Cagney and Danny Thomas both turned down the leading role and other actors were considered including Jose Ferrer and Richard Conte. Jolson desperately wanted to play himself in the film but in his 60's was obviously too old. The eventual casting of Larry Parks in the role of Jolson was a masterstroke

King Cohn is a flawlessly produced, deftly abridge audiobook about the life and times of Hollywood magnate Harry Cohn detailing is influence and impact on the American film industry in general, and the Columbia Pictures studio in particular. John Landis superbly narrates Bob Thomas' insightful biography of a notoriously gruff and tough studio head, a task made difficult in light of Harry Cohn's aversion to personal publicity, an absence of personal writings, speeches, and reluctance to be interviewed. Nonetheless, Bob Thomas was able to bring this Hollywood mogul to life as he climbed from a New York City song plugger to eventually becoming one of the most powerful men in Hollywood during the golden age of the Hollywood film studio system. King Cohn is a "must" for all students of American cinema and film buffs of those great Columbia Pictures movies that were only made possible by this unique and complex man.

I first became a fan of Columbia Pictures in the 30s. The majestic statue of the lady holding the torch always preceeded my happy minutes of enjoyment featuring The Three Stooges or, perhaps, a Charles Starrett western.Although Columbia Pictures, at the time, didn't quite match the marquee value of a movie made by M-G-M, Twentieth Century Fox or Warner Brothers, they always seemed to suit my taste on those special Saturday afternoons at the Texas Theater in my hometown, Shamrock, Texas.In this very good book, Bob Thomas not only takes us on a memorable tour of the grand old studio during its' beginning years on Poverty Row (Gower Street), he allows us to meet the man whom many referred to as "the meanest man in Hollywood", Harry Cohn. And it's something Harry would never have allowed to happen if he hadn't died back in the 50s.Cohn wasn't as well-known as Mr. Mayer at M-G-M, Mr. Zanuck at Twentieth Century Fox, Howard Hughes at R.K.O. or the Warner Brothers but his story puts all of these better-knowns on the back-burner. I've read books on all of them and it is my honest opinion that "King Cohn" not only outshines his fellow movie moguls, he's bigger in print than those nervous people he had under contract as "stars".The Harry Cohn story would make a terrific movie. Hilarious at times via stories relayed by those who knew him best, it also has tones of sadness as Bob Thomas captures the real King of the Tinseltown Toughies. I first read "King Cohn" in paperback years ago. I literally read it to shreds. Then, I was fortunate enough to find a used hardback edition at a collector's book store in New York and was happy to pay the price. Now, the revised and updated version of Bob Thomas' outstanding contribution to the glory days of Hollywood is even better than ever! You'll want to read and re-read this monumental must.

This was a great book - very detailed with a unbelievable ending. I love the Brown Derby era of Hollywood (of course, the Disney version at MGM is as close as my son and I can get) and this provided interesting stories and lessons. I recommend it highly.

Thomas's "King Cohn" is a piercingly well written account of the life of the Columbia Pictures founder. The definitive work on the intensely private Cohn about whom little is known and practically nothing has been written. Mandatory reading for any true fan of the history and business of Hollywood. The notoriously gruff and tough studio chieftain is brilliantly rendered in what may be Thomas's finest work. "King Cohn" details the mogul's rise from New York City song plugger to Poverty Row impresario to one of the most powerful men in Hollywood during the studio's golden era.Rich with stories of Cohn's legendary brawls with Hollywood luminaries and peppered with candid quotes, "King Cohn" is a captivating read and deserves its place among the great Hollywood biographies.