The Brothers Warner: The Intimate Story of a Hollywood Studio Family Dynasty

by Cass Warner Sperling

The BROTHERS WARNER, formerly titled "Hollywood Be Thy The Warner Brothers Story", is the definitive family biography and intimate portrait of the four legendary Warner brothers. It unfolds and is told through the eyes of Harry Warner's granddaughter, Cass Warner Sperling and in the voices of others who knew them.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Film, History

361 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can you how this all started: I am a big fan of TV’s show Yellowstone. A major character is Rip, played by Cole Hauser. After some on-line investigating, I learned that Hauser is from the world famous Hollywood family, The Warner Brothers. His mother (Cass Warner Sperling) is the grandaughter (making Cole a great- grandson) of one of the brothers in the Warner family. Also, very recently in the news, there was mention of the most expensive house in Beverly Hills being sold: The David Geffen House. This house recently bought by Jeff Bezos, is the OLD Jack WARNER house (one of the brothers and head of Warner Brothers Studios in its last days. ) The Warner Brother studios produced the first “TALKIE”, movie with sound, and remained a family company until the 1960’s. So, what does this have to do with this book? It’s all true, but it’s not in this book; it’s simply background information: a place to start. The book is about a FAMILY, a family of immigrants, who came to America with dreams. The patriarch of this family warned the brothers that they must always stick together. That was his advice and his mandate. The story is about them. This is not a book about “Hollywood stars”, though a few pop up now and then. The modern day information just makes it all more exciting!

[Laurie V · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an OK book. It reads almost like a novel with imaginary scenes and made-up dialogue that supposedly took place between the brothers. There's some good information about the Warner family dynamics and the section about how Jack double-crossed his brothers to become president of the Warner Brothers empire was well done. Jack does not come off well in this book. I'm wary to believe everything I've read though, since this particular book was written by Harry's granddaughter and Harry and Jack were notorious for their fights. There has to be a little bias.

There is a good amount of material on the Warners' rise to fame, but once they actually get there, the book goes downhill. Entire decades of film making are glossed over in a few chapters. I feel like I didn't learn much about the Warners' business after they were the first to introduce films with sound. I think this book was meant to be a family memoir more than anything else. In that respect, the book is a good read. But if you're looking for information outside of how Harry thought Jack's second wife was a whore, you won't get a lot out of it.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warners made my favorite movies and cartoons. For a time Warners had my favorite performer, James Cagney, under contract. I cannot imagine life without Warner Brothers movies, more specifically, Cagney movies. I've watched most of his movies and have read a handful of books by and about him so even though I knew his dislike for Jack Warner I decided to give this a go because it came highly recommended from a film history buff. At page 33 I thought this was written too much like a novel and a glorified the Warner family and business beginnings more than I believed or cared for. I was advised to stick with it and by page 76 I was hooked. The book is well paced like a movie and gives a moving insight to the family, the business and the horrible excuse for a human being that was named Jack Warner.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Hollywood history books. It does a great job covering the Warner family and their rise in the film industry.

A great reflective quote applicable to life and ambition from Harry Warner:

“Sometimes a definite pattern of life, whatever its apparent advantages, can be a potent danger to man’s advancement . . . The sun will not wait, nor will the world. Empires, religions, and great industrial establishments alike have toppled into oblivion for lack of elasticity to move with changing times. And a man who holds to a set pattern, who fails to realize that a blend of initiative and tenacity is indispensable, wakes one morning to find himself out of step with an era which has long since passed him by. Hardening of the intellectual arteries is a dangerous element, both to its possessor and to humanity at large. Petrified trees maintain the status quo, but they build no houses.” Page 310

[Kirby Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

350 pages and not one mention of them being thrown in the water tower.

The main thing to keep in mind is that this was written by the children and grandchildren of the subjects, so with that it comes with some inherent biases. It does a good job of telling the decades long story, without getting lost in the weeds. While they do discuss some of the warts, there are surely more that go undisclosed.

[Betty Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The brother s Warner

I love any book about history the book had lots of black and White pitcher it also Read about the family history and it Read about how the brothers worked to getter and how the family at the end felld a part

[Ian Kloester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit of a nutter for hollywood fodder, but I lapped this one up.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about the history of Warner Brothers, specifically the Warner brothers Sam, Harry, Abe, and Jack. The first part of the book was very inspiring about how the brothers came from nothing, a family of immigrants from Poland-Russia, and were able to build a successful company. The second part of the book was disappointing to find out how success drove the brothers apart--specifically how Jack Warner became a mean and greedy person. His treatment of other people, including his brothers and son, was very disturbing. Also mentioned that several Central Casting extras died during the filming of a flood scene in the 1929 film Noah's Ark.

[Sharon Bengel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good story that deserved a better book. Both the italics and the "other voices" we're unnecessary. Weave all the interviews and viewpoints into the story. It was reasonably balanced though given the enmity between Harry and Jack. Very poor editing too with lots of errors and conflicting info. Bought this after we toured the studios and backlot. It cost half the price of one tour ticket. The tour was worth every penny. The book was not. An unbiased, professional telling of this tale would be truly fascinating.

[Cheryl Gould · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not great writing but a great story. I didn't know much of anything about the rise of the big studios and certainly nothing about this fascinating family that played such a big role in the movie industry. It does seem rather one sided in it's telling from the perspective of the elder Harry Warner's granddaughter but presumably is balanced with the additions of Jack Warners son.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun Hollywood book. You name it, the Warner Brothers did it. They put together the first talkie with Al Jolson. Interesting stuff.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a 4 except for the fact that it's essentially historical fiction.