Rating: 3 stars
Raised in the unassuming neighborhood of Williamsburg Brooklyn, Irwin Yablans shared very close, roach infested quarters with his parents and two siblings: younger brother Frank and sister Cynthia.
Born during the depression young Irwin's formative years were filled with many historical mile stones, while his academic experience was less than stellar.
After dropping out of school at age 16, Yablans took a much loathed entry level position in the garment business, eventually trading it in for a back-breaking laborious job at the naval yard pouring molten metal into molds. Finally reaching his limit Irwin joined the military in the hopes of getting away from it all for a while. Upon his return he called a family friend who worked for Warner Bros., scoring a job as an assistant booker for theaters.
Climbing the ranks, Irwin is eventually put in direct competition with his younger brother, and that's when things really heat up. By the time Frank is named president of Paramount, ego reigns supreme and blood bonds no longer hold any sway.
In The Man Who Created Halloween, Irwin Yablans gives the reader an inside view of the movie business as he experienced it; perfectly illustrating how each disappointment and setback was instrumental in setting him on a course for making movie history, while gaining invaluable knowledge and experience along the way.
Entering the industry during a transitory time, Yablans relates the devastating lows and the pulse pounding highs that come with being in the business. But, as is the way of Hollywood, success comes with a price and Yablans is no stranger to big egos, double dealing and double crossing, as well as the hardest lesson of them all: there is no loyalty in the movie business—not even from your own brother.
Having worn many hats from sales executive to producer, to partner in his own company—Compass International Pictures—Irwin Yablans tells his tale the way only a true insider can.
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Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 9, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1478105268