While Herman and Joesph “Joe” Mankiewicz were responsible for much notable output in the film industry, in turn, many works of film and literature have also featured them. Herman almost immediately found success in Hollywood with Dinner at Eight (1933), Pride of the Yankees (1942), and co-writing Citizen Kane (1941). Joe produced The Philadelphia Story (1940), in addition to writing and directing A Letter to Three Wives (1949) and All About Eve (1950).
Though the two brothers were extremely talented, they worked quite differently from one another. One was a spirited screenwriter who struggled with alcoholism throughout his Hollywood career, while the other was a disciplined individual who secured four Academy Awards, in addition to becoming a director and auteur.
Nick Davis’s Competing with Idiots: Herman and Joe Mankiewicz, A Dual Portrait, published by Alfred A. Knopf seamlessly blends the two stories of Herman and Joe together in a compelling and engaging narrative. Well-documented, photographed, and researched, Davis brings together a multitude of sources to depict the stories of these two talents. Combining telegrams, quotes, anecdotes, and more, Davis offers a frank and honest portrayal of these individuals, enlivened by the use of their own words.
Hometowns to Hollywood 