It was a sleepy Wednesday afternoon. I had just gotten back from a trip to New Orleans the night prior where I spent the flight to and from reading an unfinalized PDF version of a soon-to-be-released new book about the untold legacy of a monumental Hollywood figure: Norman Brokaw.
I tested positive for COVID earlier Wednesday morning, but the symptoms hadn’t fully dragged me into the gutter. So, I cozied up with a hot cup of lemon, ginger, and honey tea, finished the book, and got ready to speak to New York Times bestselling author Joel Brokaw about his new book detailing the legacy and career of his father.
Joel showed up for our interview a few minutes early, which is very refreshing for someone like myself who schedules a lot of interviews, and much like I had learned about his dad through reading the book, he’s not one to make things about himself.
Throughout the book, Joel shares some wonderful stories about how his dad was there in the infancy of television programming. How he was at the restaurant for the introduction of Monroe to Joe DiMaggio, how he helped facilitate Clint Eastwood’s transition from TV to film, how he envisioned a career beyond the Olympic swimming pool for Mark Spitz, how he created a revenue stream for President Gerald Ford when he left the office and how he eventually helped found the Betty Ford Clinic. If you are a fan of Hollywood history, your plate will be full with this book.
Norman’s story is an impressive one. From humble mailroom beginnings at the William Morris Agency (now WME) to being its chairman and CEO, Norman spent more than 60 years doing what he loved. His story includes relationships with some iconic Hollywood names, whether it be Marilyn Monroe (featured on the cover), Elvis, Colonel Tom Parker, Donna Summer…Norman approached them all the same way. With gratitude.
Sure, the accomplishments are impressive. Colossal, in fact. I had a great time learning about all the wonderful things Norman achieved and how he had his hands in so many different aspects of culture that I was unaware of before the book. However, what I took away from the book wasn’t something to be measured in name-dropping.
Joel talks of a large bound book that used to sit in Norman’s office. It was to be the story of Norman’s career, but when you opened the cover all the pages were blank. That’s because Norman wasn’t the type to sell out his former clients’ secrets for his own benefit. He was a protector and he looked after his clients fiercely. Joel even told me that as the preparation for this book began, Norman would comb through the pages to make sure there was nothing damaging to the people he looked after. That says a lot about character.
“It costs nothing to be kind” is a phrase that popped up a few times during my interview with Joel and it’s something I’ll remember.