THE BROTHERS MANKIEWICZ Hope, Heartbreak, and Hollywood Classics

If you've heard about this dual biography of two Hollywood icons, be assured that Jonathan Davis's narration is everything a fan could ask for. Brother Herb cowrote CITIZEN KANE with Orson Welles. Brother Joe wrote, produced, and directed ALL ABOUT EVE and a string of other old favorites--then burned out making CLEOPATRA, the studio system's most notorious disaster. They weren't a team, and they didn't collaborate, but together theirs is filmmaking's essential story--the story of writing, producing, directing--and Davis narrates it with vigor and a sense of real involvement. Subtle and expressive, he captures the distinctive character of a voice, rather than just its familiar sound. A high point here is listening to someone talk like Bette Davis, without imitating her. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2020]