LOS ANGELES, March 7, 2011 — Producer J. Herbert Klein believes in giving back, and has established International FA Publishing to honor the people who gave him his big breaks — by capturing their inspiring stories for posterity. "Ronald Reagan gave me my start in the movie business, and Howard Hughes put me in charge of a major production," Klein remarked recently, "and I want to make sure these American heroes get their due."
In early February 2011, International FA Publishing released RONALD REAGAN'S ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE: HOW HOLLYWOOD PREPARED AMERICA'S 40TH PRESIDENT FOR THE WORLD STAGE. John Shaffner, Chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, has deemed it a "great book," and John Tenuto, of reaganrecord.com, has called its emphasis on Reagan's movie career "entertaining, enjoyable, and a unique contribution to a neglected era."
Klein decided to write a book about Ronald Reagan — his superior officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII – to pay homage to the man who recognized his potential and gave him opportunities to shine. "Ronald Reagan was the most upbeat person I've ever met," Klein recalls. "He knew how to inspire people to reach for the stars."
Klein encountered his next major influence during the mid-1950s, when he met renowned aviator, inventor, and movie mogul Howard Hughes – at the time, one of the world's richest, most powerful people. Hughes agreed to finance what turned out to be his last motion picture — DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL — and Klein produced the movie, now considered a film noir classic.
The Howard Hughes that Klein knew was decisive, reasonable, and personable — nothing like the tortured soul portrayed in numerous movies and books. To set the record straight, Klein will feature the "real" Howard Hughes in two upcoming publications.
During the summer of 2011, International FA Publishing will release THE MAKING OF DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL: BEHIND THE SCENES DURING HOWARD HUGHES' LAST MOVIE. The book will offer an insider's perspective on Howard Hughes, as well as the movie's Oscar-winning cast and crew. It will also explore Hughes' long-standing fascination with Zsa Zsa Gabor – and reveal why her performance in DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL was her finest film work.
Klein also intends to pen a book about the secret business partnership of Howard Hughes and leading-man-turned-inventor Jon Hall. The book — INVISIBLE PARTNERS: HOWARD HUGHES, JON HALL, AND THE PERPETUAL MOTION MACHINE — will detail the two men's collaborations on a variety of radical inventions, including a steam-powered car, a water engine, and a camera lens capable of capturing the invisible on film.
Klein writes about Ronald Reagan, Howard Hughes, and Jon Hall in his 2010 memoir, ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD: AN ONLY-IN-AMERICA STORY OF PRESIDENTS, TYCOONS, MOVIE STARS, AND ALIENS, available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Road-Hollywood-Only-America-Presidents/dp/1453777369/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299211010&sr=1-1
CONTACT:
Julie Johnson, International Film Arts
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Phone: 310-607-4957; Website:
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