Growing Up Hollywood: Tales from the Son of a Hollywood Mogul

by Rocky Lang

What really goes on behind the veil of celebrity? Rocky Lang, who grew up in the 90210 as the son of mega-producer and screen disaster master Jennings Lang (Earthquake, the Airport movies and 35 other features), dishes all in his new book, Growing Up Tales from the Son of a Hollywood Mogul. Raised around the likes of Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Walter Matthau and Billy Wilder, Lang serves up—in self-deprecating style—a genuine insider’s collection of bizarre, sometimes ribald, often hilarious and always surprising true tales from the rarefied world of Hollywood, such * Finding himself a pawn in the brutal creative war between Dustin Hoffman and director Sydney Pollack during the making of the classic comedy Tootsie. ! * Spying on Olivia Newton-John being photographed nude in his family’s backyard pool, and the “breast-beating” he endured after getting caught in the act. ! * Discovering the scandal-sheet affair between his dad and screen siren Joan Bennett— along with the truth behind his father getting shot in the crotch by Bennett’s husband. ! * Having Steven Spielberg as an “older brother” before and after the famous filmmaker’s meteoric rise. ! *Being told by his dad that writer Gore Vidal offered to buy young Rocky for $1 million. ! * Learning his mother had slept with Ronald Reagan, plus the outrageous nickname the future U.S. president had given his own sexual prowess.

178 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2014

About the author

ROCKY LANG BIOGRAPHY

Rocky Lang has been involved in the motion picture and television business all his life. He has produced, written, and directed motion pictures, documentaries, television shows, movies-of-the-weeks, and mini-series. Among his feature credits, he produced Ridley Scott’s White Squall, starring Jeff Bridges. Mr. Lang recently executive produced You Can’t Take My Daughter for Lifetime Television. His previous films, there were Girl Fight and Racing For Time.


Mr. Lang is the author of nine books, How I Broke Into Hollywood, published by Regan Books/Harper-Collins, Growing Up Hollywood, HLPI Books, and his new book, the Theater/Library Association’s Richard Wall Special Jury Prize Award Winning bestseller, Letters From Hollywood, published by Abrams Books which won the 2019 Richard Wall Memorial Award Special Jury Prize for an exemplary work.

Rocky Lang is also the author of a series of empowering books aimed at children with diabetes. His book Lara Takes Charge, is in the hands of over 40,000 children, hospitals, and libraries. He also invented the Courage Bag for children with diabetes, purchased and distributed by Travelon and QVC. On May 29, 2008, the American Diabetes Association honored Mr. Lang as Father of the Year for his advocacy for children living with diabetes.


Mr. Lang has served on the Health Education Advisory Board at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and served for five years on the Los Angeles Community Leadership Board and ADA National Youth Strategy Board for the American Diabetes Association. Tennis has been Lang’s passion, and he is a certified professional and a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association.

Mr. Lang lives in Toluca Lake, CA.

Reviews

[John Spiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently watched Albert Brooks' "Real Life," an underrated film that was decades ahead of its time. Near the end of the movie, Brooks holds a meeting with the studio to discuss the status of the reality movie they are filming. Attending by speakerphone is a studio executive, Martin Brand, who interjects that Brooks needs a "big name star" for his reality movie because no one is going to pay for a babysitter, movie tickets and popcorn to see "reality" unless there is a big name star. Brand's voice was seemingly familiar and compelling. When I looked up the credits, Brand was played by some guy I never heard of, Jennings Lang. I google "Jennings Lang" and learned that he was a big deal producer at Universal who was responsible for launching Steven Spielberg's career, among other things.

"Growing Up Hollywood" is a series of vignettes by Rocky Lang, son of Jennings Lang. Some of these stories are amazing. Unlike some books about the "old" Hollywood, Lang names names and shares salient detail. Highly recommended.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, easy read about life as the son of a Hollywood mogul. I wish it had been longer. :)