Outstanding biographyy of Norman Brokaw who was CEO and Chairman of the William Morris Agency in the nineties. Riveting story of his work and relationships with the Hollywood performers. One of the most interesting and knowledgeable biographies I have ever read A great holiday gift.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I didn't know anything about movie and entertainment titan Norman Brokaw until I started this book written by Norman's youngest son. I found the book to be extremely engaging as the author tells the history of his father from the stories he remembers his father telling as well as interviews he did with people who knew Norman. There is quite a bit about Norman's personal life but the book really shines when it tells stories of Norman dealing with his famous clients, which included Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley among so many others. He was a flawed man but also a good man who cared tremendously about his clients and business colleagues. Some of the stories are quite humorous and/or sweet. Still this was a different time which I found tremendously fascinating. I will complain about one thing: The title. Marilyn is one short chapter in this book. Yes, he drove her to some auditions and meetings but I think this was a truly misleading title.

The Hollywood agent is one of the most widely “known” but completely unknown figures in the entertainment industry. Everyone has an agent, but the public has no idea who they are and only a vague idea of what they do. If pressed to provide the name of any agent, most movie fans couldn’t. Others might mention William Morris, the founder of the agency that bore his name, who died in 1935. Norman Brokaw, the CEO of the William Morris Agency for several years, was one of Hollywood’s most successful talent agents. However, most people do not know who he was (or mistakenly think he was related to the newscaster, Tom Brokaw). Nearly a decade after Norman’s death, his son, Joel Brokaw, has written “Driving Marilyn,” a book about Norman’s life and career. Despite some flaws, the book is an illuminating look at a little-understood aspect of the entertainment industry and one of its best practitioners.

“Driving Marilyn” was never intended as a comprehensive biography of Norman Brokaw. Late in his life, Norman decided to write a personal memoir and enlisted the help of his son Joel. Unfortunately, by that time, Norman increasingly had dementia, and his memory was unreliable. Although Joel recorded several interviews with his father, most of the material was useless because of Norman’s memory difficulties. Further, in Norman’s younger years, he was reluctant to provide many details about his famous clients, especially to pass on anything negative. So, after Norman died in 2016, Joel spent several years interviewing his father’s friends, clients, and family members. Joel’s detailed research and his own childhood memories form the basis of “Driving Marilyn.” The book is a hybrid: partly a biography of Norman Brokaw and partly a series of anecdotes about the celebrities he represented.

Norman Brokaw came from a showbiz family. His mother and uncle, Johnny Hyde, emigrated to the United States as children from what’s now Ukraine as part of a family acrobatic dance troupe. Later, Johnny turned to the business side of the entertainment industry, becoming an agent at William Morris. In 1943, when Norman was 15, Johnny got him a job in the William Morris mailroom. Later, Norman became a junior agent while still in his early 20s.

Norman got his big break in 1949 when he was named to start a new television department at the agency. Norman soon made several decisions that were instrumental in molding the TV industry into the form that flourished for decades. First, he realized that the future of television lay in the episodic series. He soon matched familiar character actors with behind-the-camera personnel used to cranking out B-movies on a tight production schedule. The results were popular series like “Racket Squad” and “My Little Margie.” He also put together some variety series like “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and “The Show of Shows” with Sid Caesar. Once these series became popular, Norman could convince a few A-listers like Loretta Young to headline their own shows. Norman’s popularity, client list, and industry prestige grew from there.

For me, the best parts of “Driving Marilyn” are Joel Brokaw’s business insights at scattered parts of the book. He shows what Norman did over the years to become so successful. Part of Norman’s success resulted from using simple common sense, like being caring and honest. But Joel also gives specific examples of when Norman went above and beyond, such as the time he flew cross-country to give his client, Donna Summer, a personalized gift when she was in a fragile emotional state.

While I would have preferred seeing the material about the business side of Norman’s life gathered in one part of “Driving Marilyn,” Joel employs a more scattershot approach. “Driving Marilyn” is a 200-page book comprising 28 chapters, including dozens of celebrity photographs. Many of these chapters are brief anecdote-filled discussions about some of Norman’s best-known clients, including Elvis Presley, Natalie Wood, Kim Novak, Danny Thomas, and Tony Orlando. Joel includes chapters about Mark Spitz and Gerald Ford, who represented groundbreaking forays by William Morris outside the traditional entertainment industry. (Norman became friendly with Gerald and Betty Ford and was a significant contributor to the Betty Ford Clinic.)

Besides the celebrity chapters, Joel includes biographical material about his father’s family life. Norman was married three times and had six children (Joel was the third child from the first marriage.) Joel is not a skilled biographer, and his inexperience shows here. The material is sketchy, especially regarding Norman’s last two marriages. After he went to college, Joel had little day-to-day contact with his father and his various stepmothers and step-sisters. Since Norman was reticent to talk about his family, even before his bout with dementia, Joel relies on interviews with multiple family members for much of this material. I think there was enough material there to yield a fascinating, in-depth examination of Norman Brokaw’s personal life, but Joel doesn’t dwell on the subject. Instead, he goes back to celebrity name- and story-dropping.

Some of the most fascinating material in “Driving Marilyn” is Joel’s own childhood experiences, which he relates. He was born in 1954 and remembered much of what he experienced in the 1960s when he had frequent opportunities to meet Norman’s celebrity clients and their acquaintances. Joel describes annual holiday parties, at one of which Aaron Spelling brought a live camel that enthralled the children at the event (the book includes a picture from that party, complete with camel). Joel also recalls seeing Elvis Presley’s Las Vegas show and sitting next to former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. While researching the book, one of his more surreal experiences occurred when he interviewed 93-year-old Robert Wagner about Natalie Wood’s experiences with Norman. Joel remembered Wagner and Wood taking him as a youngster to the circus as Wagner recounted the couple’s frequent dinners with Norman and Joel’s mother.

The title of “Driving Marilyn” refers to Marilyn Monroe, as many readers can probably guess. Norman had an intriguing and historically significant relationship with Monroe. However, Joel only devotes one brief chapter to that part of Norman’s life. Monroe was one of Norman’s first celebrity clients, and he drove her to various dinners and business meetings. But she was not a major star at the time and soon left for another agency. Norman’s uncle, Johnny Hyde, had been Monroe’s mentor and lover before his death in 1950, although he was twice her age. Hyde arranged for Norman to take over Monroe’s representation after his death. As the book recounts, Norman introduced Monroe to baseball star Joe DiMaggio, whom she subsequently married.

One annoying problem with “Driving Marilyn” is Joel’s overly flowery language, which sometimes overwhelms the text. For example, he writes: “We all want logical explanations behind our patterns of behavior and resulting actions. Some of the answers can be so blaringly simple, staring us right in the face, while others are convoluted enigmas that will never be solved.” That passage is a convoluted way of saying nothing.

The life of Norman Brokaw would support a full-length biography, but that book has yet to be written if it ever will be. “Driving Marilyn” is a mediocre biography of the man, thanks to Joel Brokaw’s ornate language, haphazard organization, and, at times, worshipful regard for his father. However, few readers approach this type of book looking for a detailed biography of a somewhat obscure figure in the entertainment industry. Instead, they want details about the various luminaries Norman knew and represented. Joel provides enough of that on page after page to satisfy the curious. (One example I didn’t know: Mark Spitz once met with Steven Spielberg about a potential role in “Jaws.” Spitz didn’t get the minor part of a shark victim because Spielberg knew that killing an Olympic hero in the movie would be too big a distraction for audiences.) “Driving Marilyn” will satisfy most movie fans looking for colorful Hollywood stories and will give them at least some idea of the agent’s role in the production process. The book isn’t a blockbuster but a solid box-office performer.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

I have read a lot of bios from lawyers, agents and casting agents in showbiz recently. This one is about Norman Brokaw who worked himself up from mailboy in the 40s to CEO of talent agency William Morris.
But let´s face it - we are less interested in the people behind the scenes than about their clients. And author Joel Brokaw started off with a big disadvantage: His father did not want to talk about his work when he was younger and in old age, when he was ready to contribute to his biography, he suffered from dementia.
So stories about wildly divergent clients like Donna Summer, Mark Spitz, Gerald Ford or Kim Novak did not dig too deep. All seemed to be nice people who got great representation from Norman and loved him for it.
More behind-the-scene-stories would have been appreciated - whenever they had problems, they phoned Normand and he took care of things but we never found out how.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

First off I want to say that the title is a little misleading. I thought this was going to be a whole book about this man's experience driving Marilyn Monroe. But that is not what you get. You get one small chapter about it. The rest is about the agent and the many clients he had in his lifetime. Though I felt cheated by the misleading title, it really was an interesting read, There are stories about the agent and client relati0nships which many may find interesting. Norman Brokaw represented a lot of famous people when they were first getting their starts in their careers. This is written by his son so a lot of what Norman may have felt is speculation as the son states that Norman was not one to talk bad about his clients.

This book was okay but I was expecting something different. The title would have you believe that there is more story to this story than there was so I was kind of disappointed but it was a quick read and an entertaining romp through the entertainment world.

Biography of Norman Brokaw who worked his way up from mail room clerk to CEO & Chairman of the William Morris Agency. Along the way, Norman worked with a host of stars & famous people from Marilyn Monroe & Elvis to Donna Summer & Dick Van Dyke. Known as a man who would do his utmost for his clients, keep their confidences, & never say a bad word about anyone, Norman was a popular & well-respected man. His private life wasn't quite so settled though.

I'd never heard of Norman Brokaw before seeing this book for review but it turned out to be a really interesting read. One of the 'old school' members of Hollywood, Norman Brokaw was notoriously closed-lipped about his experiences & unfortunately many of them were not recorded before he began to show signs of developing dementia. Of those that appear in the book though, I will say that although the book is titled 'Driving Marilyn', Marilyn herself appears very briefly. I was almost disappointed. It's a very readable biography though written with humour by his son, & with a great deal of affection. 4.5 stars (rounded down)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Globe Pequot/Lyons Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Oh this book was SO good! I was so intrigued by this story of all the famous people he drove and his insight on them all. What a great book! Highly recommend.

The life and times of Hollywood agent, Norman Brokaw as related by his son, Joel. Brokaw had an interesting and varied career and rubbed shoulders with many big names. Despite this, I only found the book intermittently interesting.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lyons Press for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
This was a very good biography about Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw written by his son. I had never heard of Norman Brokaw so it was interesting to read about him, and what a big influence he had in Hollywood. He seemed the type of guy that would do anything for you. He started in the mail room and worked his way up to agent. I learned a lot along the way, and visited google a few times to find out more. If you like reading about Old Hollywood, this book is for you. It is well-written, and will keep your interest right from the start.

Joel Brokaw - Foreword by David Geffen, Driving Marilyn The Life and Times of Legendary Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw, Globe Pequot|Lyons Press, October 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Joel Brokaw has woven an absorbing story of his father’s professional and domestic life. While at times giving way to concerns verging on criticism about his father’s domestic conduct Joel Brokaw’s approach is overall generous and understanding, ensuring that the book is fair to the impressive professional whose life as a successful agent to high profile figures becomes a story of a man of substance and big-heartedness towards his clients. This is an engaging and warm story at the same time as one that provides an extraordinary insight into the world of celebrities and their agent.

Norman Brokaw’s story of three marriages, six children, desire to maintain financial control over his family, seeming lack of interest in their day to day lives, and eventual decline into dementia is one thread in this book. As a thread, woven throughout Brokaw’s professional life, it is a gentle reminder that people are not one dimensional rather than making an insistent comparison with the concern that he showed towards his clients. Joel Brokaw’s approach is such a joy, he is honest about his feelings, recognises his father’s virtues, and ensures that his reputation remains intact. In particular, the section about Bill Cosby, for whom Brokaw Senior was agent, is sensitive to the judgments about Cosby, recognises that some people believe that his agent must have known about him, but argues convincingly that this is not necessarily so.

Norman Brokaw’s beginning in the mail room of the William Morris Agency provides an example of the detail and thoughtfulness that goes into this book. Rather than leave it as a hackneyed ‘rags to riches’ event, Brokaw provides background to the way in which the mail room worked to enable senior staff to assess the young people who worked in this capacity. The advent of television, actors’ move from large screen to small screen and vice versa and the expanding role of an agent from collaborating with actors to working with political figures is another thread in the book. In the case of Norman Brokaw, attention is drawn to the ways in which an agent could expand their role to be a much-loved mentor. The latter supported by numerous of Brokaw’s clients, and in David Geffen’s introduction where he is described as a person who nurtured relationships, expecting nothing in return.

Famous figures appear on almost every page, part of the story rather than contrived appearances to demonstrate the author and his father’s own importance. Joel Brokaw ensures that each figure is relevant to the ideas he is voicing about the work of an agent, the circumstances in film, television, and political life. This is part of the charm of this book. It is a story of a sphere in which Brokaw’s father was a major figure but while it is his story, it is also a story of that world.

The acknowledgements are informative, there is an index and endnotes. Together with the accessible writing and the spirit behind the work, Driving Marilyn The Life and Times of Legendary Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw is an engaging and professionally researched tribute.

Joel Brokaw does a great job in writing this, it had me wanting to read about Norman Brokaw. It really brought Norman to life in this book, it was a well written biography and I enjoyed getting to learn about him from Joel Brokaw.