For over fifty years Irving Paul Lazar (known to the world at large as 'Swifty') reigned supreme as the agent and deal-maker extraordinaire on both coasts, a tiny, fast-talking, gravel-voiced powerhouse who elevated chutzpah to a philosophy of life. Here, at last, is the long-awaited book by one of show business' s most notorious, beloved, and legendary figures, the man who elevated the deal to an art form. Lazar shares vivid anecdotes and details fo the past as he recounts his move to Hollywood, his interactions with studio moguls, his war service, and his emergence in book publishing. Irving Paul Lazar, known to the world as Swifty, reigned supreme as the agent and deal-maker extraordinaire on both coasts. In this long-awaited book from one of show business's most notorious, beloved, and legendary figures, learn of the life behind the man who elevated the deal to an art form. "About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.īook Description Paperback. Lazar tells in vivid anecdotes the story of how he made his move on Hollywood, of his dealings with studio moguls, of his war service, of his gradual emergence as a force in book publishing, where he invented the instant seven-figure deal, often selling for vast sums of money unwritten books by authors who weren't his clients. He got his start as an agent by dealing with the gangsters who ran New York's speakeasies and eventually became one of the most influential players in the city's thriving jazz scene. Here is a show business classic, the story of how a bright, scrappy, tiny, tough kid rose from poverty in the streets of Brooklyn to fame and fortune through sheer guts, wit, and pugnacity. Swifty is Lazar's own story, in his own words, the fruit of over ten years of effort to capture himself in writing before it was too late (he died in 1993, in his eighties). Witty, acerbic, irascible, Irving Lazar was - quite literally - a legend in his own lifetime, and stories about him were traded back and forth by his friends (and enemies) for decades. Lazar's friends and clients included almost every star of the screen, stage, and celebrity worlds - as well as many distinguished authors and such political figures as Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon.
Lazar's annual Oscar party became an event that threatened to outshine the awards ceremony itself, and his deals made headlines. For over fifty years Irving Paul Lazar (known to the world at large as "Swifty") reigned supreme as the agent and deal-maker extraordinaire on both coasts, a tiny, fast-talking, gravel-voiced powerhouse who elevated chutzpah to a philosophy of life.
In fact, during a 1987 announcement of a reunion tour called “Together Again,” Sinatra chided a reporter for using “that stupid phrase.Here, at last, is the long-awaited book by one of show business's most notorious, beloved, and legendary figures, the man who elevated the deal to an art form. Reportedly, this incarnation of the gang simply referred to themselves as “ the Clan,” not the Rat Pack.
The group consisted of his closest cronies, the ones who are most associated with the term “Rat Pack” today-Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. We got them,” Bacall once said.įollowing Bogie's death in 1957, Sinatra became the de facto leader, spiritual and otherwise. And woe betide anyone who attacked one of our members. “You had to stay up late and get drunk, and all our members were against the P.T.A. They even assigned themselves titles: Sinatra was the Pack Master, Bacall was the Den Mother, Garland was Vice President, her husband and manager Sid Luft was the Cage Master, Lazar was Treasurer and Recording Secretary, and Bogart was in charge of PR-though Stephen Bogart said his father’s role was more akin to “spiritual leader.” They found it hilarious, and when she repeated the phrase a few days later, it stuck.Īs one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, the Rat Pack had its own coat of arms (a rat gnawing on a human hand) and its own motto (“Never rat on a rat”). “You look like a goddamn rat pack,” she told the disheveled group. Originally, the group centered around Humphrey Bogart and his pals: Judy Garland, David Niven, Angie Dickinson, talent agent Swifty Lazar, restaurateur Mike Romanoff, and, of course, Frank Sinatra.Īccording to Stephen Bogart, son of Humphrey and Lauren Bacall, the term originated when his mother walked in on his father and the rest of the group during a particularly drunken weekend in Las Vegas. But the phrase didn’t originally refer to the group of guys most people think it does-and actually, it wasn’t even a group of all guys. More than half a century after their heyday, the term "Rat Pack" still conjures up images of Frank, Sammy, and Dean.
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