Indecent Exposure: A True Story of Hollywood and Wall Street (Collins Business Essentials)

Book Description

When the head of Columbia Pictures, David Begelman, got caught forging Cliff Robertson's name on a $10,000 check, it seemed, at first, like a simple case of embezzlement. It wasn't. The incident was the tip of the iceberg, the first hint of a scandal that shook Hollywood and rattled Wall Street. Soon powerful studio executives were engulfed in controversy; careers derailed; reputations died; and a ruthless, take-no-prisoners corporate power struggle for the world-famous Hollywood dream factory began.

First published in 1982, this now classic story of greed and lies in Tinseltown appears here with a stunning final chapter on Begelman's post-Columbia career as he continued to dazzle and defraud . . . until his last hours in a Hollywood hotel room, where his story dramatically and poignantly would end.

Customer Reviews:

The Ultimate Study in Greed and Hubris.......2007-04-05

I bought this book when it first came out and have reread it every year or so. Tends to be a bit long and sometimes slow, but it's great. Buy a used copy, or check at the library.

Being from the Washington D.C. area I kept constantly asking why someone didn't leak this to the press and blow the whole compiristy.

The only comparable book is "The Great Salad Oil Swindle"

Domino Effect.......2004-04-08

David Begelman, powerful head of a studio thinks he is above the law, until an actor by the name of Cliff Robertson exposes him. This book is a well written tale of immorality in a town known for it's lack of scruples. Hollywood insiders should not be surprised at this tale, but I was. The check Begelman forged was for a small amount. The man made more than that in a month. The book exposes the reasons why a man who had it all, would choose to commit such a crime and fall from grace. I was quite disappointed by Robertson's treatment by Hollywood's hierarchy when he was the victim, not Begelman. But it proves just how far studios will go to protect the bottom line. I read this book when it was first published years ago and I'm reading it again. The list of books I will read more than once is a short one. I highly recommend it.

Good Coverage of Major Scandal!.......2003-11-30

This book gives details of David Begelman the head man at
Columbia Pictures getting caught forging Cliff Robertson's name
on a check. Robertson had won an Oscar for his role in Charly.
As a result of Begelman getting caught Roberetson would suffer
mightily at the hands of the powerful in Hollywood.Cliff Robertson wound up being blacklisted as a result of this scandal.This scandal would send shockwaves from Hollywood to
Wall Street.You are given a complete coverage of this event in
this excellent book.You are given good coverage of some of the
individuals who were involved in this scandal.David Begelman's demise is also given coverage in this book.This is an excellent book on this event. Read it. You will not be dissapointed.

Cliff Robertson is the true star of this story........1998-06-06

David Begelman would never have been exposed as the crook he was without the dogged, principled determination of Cliff Robertson to get to the bottom of corruption at the top levels of Hollywood. This excellent book documents Robertson's heroic efforts to get at the truth -- for which he was blackballed by the Hollywood establishment for years. Cliff once said to me: "Of all the things in my life I'm proud of -- if I'm proud at all -- it's not winning the best actor Oscar or Emmy; it's my part in bringing down that crook Begelman."

But perhaps the book is most valuable for its exposure of the top echelon of Hollywood -- people with lots of money and no taste; people who know nothing whatever about movies. And could care less. I hope this book is reprinted soon. It is timeless.

A fascinating study of the real powers of Tinseltown........1997-11-27

First things first. This book only gets an "8" becuase I realize some people could care less about studio executives in Hollywood(unless their name is Julia Phillips or Steven Speilberg, both of whom make appearences in the book) but it truly is a ten. It is truly an amazing tale: what starts out as a theft of less then a $100, 000 becomes a battle for corporate power. David Begelman, the man behind the scandal, isn't even the main character of the book. It's Alan Hirschfield trying, desperately, to do the responible business decisions he was hired to do and is one of only a few major players in this detailed history to remain a completely sympathetic person by story's end. Indecent Exposure is truly is one of great true life American Dramas I have ever read. (Review by Michael Goodman)

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The best of Sharpe
a hilarious spin of South Africa of days gone by...
Indecent Exposure
Perhaps the funniest book I've ever read!!!!!
Absolutely brillant and funny

Indecent Exposure
Tom Sharpe
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0871131420

Book Description

A blazing satire of South African apartheid, Indecent Exposure is Tom Sharpe's brilliant follow-up to his Riotous Assembly. Once again the setting is Piemburg, the deceptively peaceful looking capital of Zululand, where Kommandant van Heerden, Konstabel Els, and Luitenant Verkramp continue to terrorize true Englishmen and even truer Zulus in their relentless search for a perfect South Africa.

Customer Reviews:

The best of Sharpe.......2005-11-01

Hilarious, extremely funny. This is one of the fiction works that have made me laugh more in my life, including films, comics, or whatever.
I read this book after discovering Sharpe trough Wilt' s saga. One tip: read the african novels first! I have read almost all the books from Sharpe, and I think the two south-african satiras are the best, specially Indecent Exposure.

a hilarious spin of South Africa of days gone by..........2003-10-31

Tom Sharpe's novels, always popular in Britain, are known for being rude spoofs on the political establishment and of the upper echelons of British society. However his earliest works, as in 'Indecent Exposure', the setting is apartheid-era South Africa. His humour is still very baudy, perhaps repetitively so, and his target are the hypocritical, racist white establishment. Some of the language is a bit vulgar, and I imagine some folks might be offended. But Sharpe hits the bulls-eye on his target: the squabbling, pretentious and myoptic white (English/Afrikaan) establishment.

As for the story? Well, it somewhat doesn't matter. Some nonsense about a rural town's police force trying to fight (imagined) communist insurgents using some rather ridiculous means. It's all very slapstick, farcical. Enjoy the book for its now dated (historical) view of South Africa, not for its paper thin story.

Bottom line: a very curious and funny piece of Sharpe's earlier works. Certainly not his best, but he delivers the laughs.

Indecent Exposure.......2000-02-12

This book must be one of the funniest I've ever read. My girlfrind threw me out of bed at four in the morning because I'd apparently been laughing in my sleep after having read the book. The best thing about any of Tom Sharpe's books is that you can read them again and again and still laugh all over again! Superb!

Perhaps the funniest book I've ever read!!!!!.......1999-08-26

What more can I say? Go read it! I read it about 12 years ago or more. It was fantastic. I read it at least once every 2-3 yrs after that and it has never failed to make me laugh again and again. Though Apartheid is dead, the humor is still valid worldwide. Read it as satire or just for its humour. Either way, you'll love it. By the way, dont be put off that its British and thus a bit heavy in the reading department. Its not. Its a great read and you could easily finish reading it in one day unless, of course, you fall off your chair or bed and injure yourself laughing. Believe me, I'm not exaggerating.

Absolutely brillant and funny.......1998-12-07

Tom Sharpe is one of the funniest writers on the planet, and this is his masterpiece. It takes place in the days of southafrican apartheid, and it's weird, wild and wonderful and imposible to explain. For your own good: Read it!

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Indecent Exposure
John Marshall MacDonald
Manufacturer: Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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"A Fun Read"
Nice
Off the HOOOOOOK!
Political Mayhem!

Indecent Exposure (Sepia)
Carmen Green
Manufacturer: Kimani Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1583147098

Customer Reviews:

"A Fun Read".......2006-05-24

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters and the storyline were a trip. The intimate scenes were not that spicy, considering Ms. Price-Thompson being a co-writer of this book...and we KNOW how spicy her novels can be.

Nice.......2006-04-14

This was a good book. It took me a while to get into, but I did enjoy it. Julian is running for mayor, with his best friend Kelly by hisside he sure to win. Kelly and Julian have benn bf for years. Kelly secretly loves Julian and wants him.

Kelly introduces Julian to a friend of hers namd Raja. RAja is beautiful, but she hides where she comes from. She adores the glamour life and Julian.

Julian has some skeltons that comes out of the closet. His ex fling from collge Victoria. Her husband Alex is running for mayor against Julian. But Victoria and Julian share a child that noone knows about

The questions are will thepublic find out Julian has a secret child with a white woman.

Will the nosey gossip journalist, Natalie ruin Julians career?

Will Kelly tell Julian of her love?

Good book to read on a gloomy day, lunch break, or enjoyment

Off the HOOOOOOK!.......2006-02-28

This book was off the hook! I would suggest to anyone who have not read this book to run to the nearest bookstore, library or neighbor and pick up this one.

Political Mayhem!.......2006-02-26

This book is straight out about the things folks want to keep in the dark when they throw their hats into the world of politics. It was real life story and it was the bomb! This book was filled with drama, misunderstandings and true love. I would rate it a '10' if I could.

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Misdemeanor Man: A Novel and a half
Misdemeanor Man
you gotta love this guy
Funny, rich, and compulsively readable
Excellent New Author

Misdemeanor Man
Dylan Schaffer
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Legal | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1582344604

Amazon.com

Gordon Seegerman is a public defender whose somewhat lackadaisacal attitude toward his job is understandable--misdemeanors don't have the inherent drama of big-time felonies, and the arena in which Seegerman plies his trade is the criminal equivalent of small claims court--jaywalkers, graffiti artists, sidewalk spitters and willy wankers. It's one of the latter--Harold Dunn, arrested for exposing himself to an eight-year-old girl in the women's dressing room of a local department store--whose refusal to cop a plea comes at a very inconvenient time for our hero, conflicting as it does with his real career opportunity--performing with his Barry Manilow tribute band, the Mandys, in front of the Great Man himself.

There's more to Dunn than a dirty raincoat--he's an accountant with a charity called G.O.D., an ex-alcoholic who owes his second chance to the group, especially its founder, a saintly woman whose son, Dunn implies, has set him up as a patsy to cover his own sins, which run to embezzlement, shady real estate deals, and money laundering. That may explain why Dunn's being held in a high security area of the local jail, and why the prosecuting attorney--who happens to be Gordon's former girlfriend--stubbornly refuses a deal of any kind. Then a wealthy stranger bails Dunn out of jail, a witness in his case turns up dead, murder charges are filed against him, and Gordon suddenly has to act like a real lawyer. Schaffer tosses in a few subplots in case this one doesn't catch the reader's interest, but they don't do anything to pick up the pace. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Gordon Seegerman is a reluctant public defender by day, and the wildly enthusiastic lead singer in a Barry Manilow cover band by night. Perfectly content to handle petty cases for the rest of his career, he dreams that Manilow-the real Barry Manilow-will one day show up at his band's gig.

When his boss sticks him with a misdemeanor flasher case, Seegerman thinks, no problem. He'll plead the case, caution his client to keep his trousers zipped, and rush back to rehearsal. No such luck. The flasher is rotting in a maximum security unit, and opposing counsel is the woman who stole, and refuses to return, Seegerman's heart.

When his client vanishes and a key witness winds up dead, Seegerman lands in the legal tangle of his career. His bandmates in tow, he uncovers corruption among his city's most prominent citizens. Like it or not, Seegerman has to act like a real lawyer. And, believe it or not, he's good at it.

A gripping, irreverent legal thriller, Misdemeanor Man will have you on the edge of your seat, routing for the underdog, and believing in the magic of Manilow.

Customer Reviews:

Misdemeanor Man: A Novel and a half.......2007-02-18

This book is so wonderful it falls in my top five most favorite books. Dylan pulls the reader in right away at the beginning and cuts right to the chase. The book remains focused throughout. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what happened with Gordy and his trial and his big gig. Once I got towards the end (last 3 chapters or so) I couldn't read fast enough to find out what was happening. I found myself constantly laughing out loud and gasping. (Although, during the case I would've handled things slightly differently.) The characters are real, they could be you or me and you get attached to them. Not only can I picture them but I've fallen in love with them. There is absolutely no lag time in the book. Everything that happens occurs for a reason and is important. I never found myself going alright already, can I just make it through this chapter and get back to the story. For all you Barry Manilow fans out there, Dylan really hits the nail on the head in Chapter 20 and I really wish this book had been around when I was doing Speech and Debate (Poetry and Prose) when I was in high school. I would have LOVED using the two pages as my prose piece! Read it and you'll understand!

Misdemeanor Man.......2006-08-27

"For a guy who isn't me, Schaffer can really write."
--Kinky Friedman

I have no idea how you get a better recommendation than that. Not even at gunpoint. One of the back cover blurbs calls it "thrilling, funny and heartrending in turn," which is also true. Schaffer does them all equally well. Real people, too, not cutout characters. Depth. Insight. He happens to be a lawyer, and the best of the bunch are very able communicators, so he brings that to the book as well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

And, since we're talking about the first book in what I hope will be a long-running series, let me add this. Some authors of series tend to work from a little timeline of what will happen to their main characters. Book one gets this, book two gets that, etc. They stretch it out so thinly that what can carry only a book or two lasts for ten or twenty. Then they fill the silences with two-dimensional stereotypes and weak one-liners. Schaffer doesn't do that. He blasts you will both barrels, empties his mind, and assumes he'll come up with something else next year. He has no idea how much I appreciate that. This is simply excellent. Plus, I have the sequel on my shelf (unread) and you don't, so nanny nanny boo boo.

Finally, I'll probably go to my grave hating Barry Manilow, but I genuinely enjoy watching Schaffer defend the guy. Talk about an unwinnable case...

you gotta love this guy.......2006-04-23

Gordy Seegerman is definitely an "everyman" we can feel for...especially if you love whodunits - and music (whether or not Barry Manilow is your favorite singer). Dylan Schaffer's writing is wonderfully witty, his characters unique, and his storytelling will have you turning pages eagerly, usually with a smile on your face. The sequel "I Right the Wrongs" follows up and doesn't disappoint!

Funny, rich, and compulsively readable.......2005-08-07

I'm not a huge fan of legal mysteries, but Schaffer doesn't write your average courtroom potboiler.

First of all, this book is funny as hell. Gordy is a great character, a perfect combination of pathos and humor, and I was rooting for him from the first chapter on.

The lawyer aspects engaged me more than I would have expected---being a lawyer himself, Schaffer takes us through a trial that is both realistic and fascinating. This isn't TV melodrama; this is the real deal, described by a pro in layman's terms with a smattering of sarcastic wit.

But beyond being a funny, compelling book, Misdemeanor Man also has real heart. Gordy's family life and romantic life are just as important to the reader as the against-all-odds case he must win, as is his affinity for Barry Manilow.

It's a testament to Schaffer's writing that I actually revisted some of Manilow's greatets hits after reading the book. Sure, I may have downloaded them from a file-sharing network on Kazaa, but even the fact that I'm giving the guy a shot should be worth something.

The sequel is going on my to-be-read pile, and Schaffer is now on my must-read list.

If you like the Fletch series by Gregory McDonald, or the funny caper novels of Westlake, check this book out.

Excellent New Author.......2004-12-21

I picked up this book while browsing in a local book store, and I was hooked from Page 1. The characters are so true-to-life that I felt like I had to say good-bye to co-workers and friends when I finished the last page. This author is equal in every way, and a little better in some ways, than John Grisham. I am very excited to see that Mr. Schaffer has written a sequel to Misdemeanor Man. I have read the excerpt, and once again I am hooked; doomed to not wash a dish or a load of laundry once I start Book #2 until its completion.

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Overview of shift in law and legal attitude toward nudity.

Recreational Nudity and the Law

Manufacturer: Dr Leisure
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Nudity: A Cultural Anatomy (Dress, Body, Culture)

ASIN: 1887471014

Book Description

A collection of 101 abstracts of cases dealing with recreational nudity and how they were handled in the legal system.

Many people equate their nude recreation experience with being in the biblical paradise known as the Garden of Eden. There is a freedom that comes with being nude with your family and friends on some ocean beach that many believe is as close as one can get to that mythical place on Earth.

Not everyone accepts simple nudity as innocuous and innocent. Laws have even made it illegal!

The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden by Masaccio (1401-28) seems like an appropriate image for those people prosecuted for being nude. This compilation reads like an anthology of short stories developed about the general theme of being nude in a recreational setting.

Some of the stories seem a bit implausible. Others are down right funny. Some are titillating. While others are nothing short of bazar.

The thing that makes this book all the more interesting is that the tales are all true. Each "story" is an abstract of an actual case that has been heard in court.

Taken collectively the stories reveal how nudity in a recreational setting has evolved over the years from 1934 to 1995.

Customer Reviews:

Overview of shift in law and legal attitude toward nudity........1997-09-21

It is facinating to read the details of the 101 cases covered by Gill in Recreational Nudity and the Law. In the early days (1934) people were convicted of "outraging public decency" for being nude inside a building! Today nudity at the beach is becoming more commonplace and the legal attitude mixed.

One thing for sure is that more often than not it is OK for a woman to appear at the beach top free. This freedom has not come without the considerable effort of a lot of women who took the time to stand up for their rights. Cases dealing with this aspect of the woman's movement are included in this text.

A fun read that yeilds some interesting insights into the human condition. Highly recommended by Dr. Leisure for anyone concerned about the trends in the acceptance of public nudity in this country. Most importantly Gill just presents the facts and leaves the interpretation of those facts regarding trends up to the reader.

Dr. Leisure sees some very positive trends in this area. Make up your own

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Indecent exposure
Susan Quist
Manufacturer: Walker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0802704417

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Belly Up The Callapse of the Penn Square Bank -What Indecent Exposure did for Hollywood Belly Up does for American banking
Phillip L. *SIGNED/INSCRIBED by author!* Zweig
Manufacturer: Crown Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0S9KE

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INDECENT EXPOSURE
DAVID MCCLINTICK
Manufacturer: Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S5XA54

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INDECENT EXPOSURE
McCLINTICK DAVID
Manufacturer: WILLIAM MORROW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PGR8HC

Amazon.com

A dozen years in the making, Dizikes' work, which won the 1993 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism, is a milestone achievement. He begins his chronicle in the early 19th century, tracing the expansion of opera in the United States while exploring its influences at the hands of politics, war and immigration. The staging of "The Bohemian Girl" in 1844, writes Dizikes, marked the birth of modern opera in the U.S. He fills out his research with rich detail about the singers, conductors, composers, patrons and fans who collectively have shepherded opera into every corner of the country--from large urban centers to rural backwaters.

Book Description

America has had a love affair with opera in all its forms since it was first performed here in colonial times. This lively and handsomely illustrated book- the first comprehensive cultural and social history of musical theater in the United States-includes vignettes of productions, personalities, audiences, and theaters throughout the country from 1735 to the present day.

Amateur Operatics: A Social and Cultural History (Studies in Popular Culture)

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Amateur Operatics: A Social and Cultural History (Studies in Popular Culture)
John Lowerson
Manufacturer: Manchester University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0719051975
Release Date: 2005-09-15

Book Description

Since the late nineteenth century, amateur operatics groups have played a major role in extending musical theater from the commercial stage into the lives of local communities. In a potent mixture of operettas, Grand Opera and Broadway musicals, amateur operatics provided an important avenue for public self-expression and gender definition. This major new study examines this fascinating outlet for the expression of popular taste.

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OPERA IN AMERICA A Cultural History
John DIZIKES
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OS0FKI

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Opera in America A Cultural History
Dizikes John
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UIRI3Y

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Opera in America: A Cultural History
John Dizikes
Manufacturer: Yale Univ Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBXKHM

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Opera in America: A Cultural History
John Dizikes
Manufacturer: Yale University Press c1993
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ONH1LO

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