Power and Panache: Superagent Sue Mengers’s Rise and Fall

Jesus Christ, how dead is VANITY FAIR? Another article about this uber bitchy agent from the 70s? We've seen the documentary and Bette Midler in a caftan playing her. No one cares anymore.

Brian Kellow’s 2015 book bio of Mengers (Can I Go Now?), is a really terrific beautifully written book. I had a copy and only read it after getting bored with Streisand’s autobio. Highly recommend the Kallow bio of Sue Mengers.

I think I’m going to give it a go, r2. Sue couldn’t be less relevant now, but in guessing there are some great stories in the book?

Yes, R3, and Sue’s story is the best of them all.

Is the JLaw biopic anywhere near a release date?

The VF article is fun, at least if you haven't already read much about Mengers, but why are they coming out with it now, especially as the Kellow bio, often quoted, was published 10 years ago?

I'd love to be at her dinner party

Funny fact: Sue was good friends with Fran Lebowitz

To R1-VANITY FAIR has been DEAD for YEARS!! After Tina Brown left, VANITY FAIR was O-V-ER!! I remember at least 3 articles on Sue Mengers over the years, not including Nick Dunne's brutal article of his rise& fall in Hollywood.

She was portrayed by Dyan Cannon in The Last of Sheila (a DL film-fave).

Damn, this woman seemed totally despicable. Only by Hollywood would she be embraced, lauded and empowered.

Baby, it’s Sue.

^^^LOVED THAT SHOW-OF COURSE I ADORE BETTE MIDLER^^^

Wasn't sue racist? She wouldn't let Tatum O'Neal attend the wiz premiere with Michael Jackson because it wouldn't look right for her to be seen with "N****r

I just read her Wikipedia it looks like after her retirement in 1988 she had a really good life. Kathy Griffin talks about meeting a lot of interesting people at those parties, mean salons.

I think she’s been trying to replicate those.

Sue Mengers was so larger than life, such a character, I’m shocked she isn't a gay icon. The Dyan Cannon character in “Sheila” doesn’t do her justice. The 1975 60 Minutes interview Sue did with Mike Wallace unfortunately isn’t on YouTube anymore.

How’s this?

She was an awful person.

There was a time when women of a certain religion were notorious for being nasty, demanding cunts, and proudly cunty. Some examples include Leona Helmsley, Barbra, Judge Judy, and Sue. You encountered these types all the time in New York City. They are a thing of the past, mostly, because people stopped taking their shit.

r19 I started working professionally in NYC in the late 90s and these cunts were still all over the place in the Manhattan business world. They were fucking AWFUL. Most of them aged out of the workforce eventually, thank god. I'm not proud of this but it made me think some very ugly thoughts.

Then there was the time she told Faye Dunaway’s agent on the night she won an Oscar for Network—and within hearing of Dunaway, a former client— “Don’t let this little trophy make Faye think she’s a movie star. She’s not. The only movie star in the whole town is Barbra Streisand.”

Caren Zeldie Turner is a prime example of these cunts. This little incident cost her her job as a Port Authority commissioner.

I don’t care how cunty Sue was in order to rise as high as she did. She’s dead and she was hysterical when she was alive. Like Barbra, I didn’t have to come in contact with her.

Didn't she get killed? I thought there was some high profile, powerful woman in Hollywood, an agent or a publicist who was killed on her way home from some awards show a few years ago? Was it Mengers?

There was a time when Jewish women had to be very tough to make it. Ditto for the men. Just remember Trump had to deal with these tough types his whole career. Aside from being a psycho, that makes him hard to deal with if you play by the old rules.

Ryan O'Neal for "The Godfather"? Oy, did she read the book?

[quote]Didn't she get killed? I thought there was some high profile, powerful woman in Hollywood, an agent or a publicist who was killed on her way home from some awards show a few years ago? Was it Mengers?

No, that was Ronni Chasen a publicist, shot during a random burglary, while on her way home from the "Burlesque" premiere. Her brother was exploitation director Larry Cohen.

R25, there's a huge difference between being tough and being a cunt.

R26, now that I read about how close she was to Evans, I have to believe that a lot of Coppola's problems with casting were because she was in the background somewhere pushing Evan's buttons. At one point they even considered Redford! And James Caan was originally considered for Michael. Al Ruddy talked a lot about their difficulties with casting when he did his "Making of" project, but he never once mentioned her name.

Ryan O'Neal would have been totally completely miscast in the Godfather.

R30 so would Redford. If Evans and his "invisible" adviser Sue Mengers had their way the Godfather would have been garbage. Evans didn't even want Puzo and Coppola.

Ryan O'Neal's stardom was before my time, I only knew him as a hot mess who was always drunk and getting in fights. I've never seen his appeal or why he was such a big star in the 70s.

"Ryan O'Neal in The Godfather movie" I would totally go see that movie!!

"LOVE IS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY"

Sue disturbed BOB EVANS during The Godfather? Evans was a huckster. Evans could out Sue Sue in any given minute.

R35 I meant she was trying to influence his casting choices.

[quote]Then there was the time she told Faye Dunaway’s agent on the night she won an Oscar for Network—and within hearing of Dunaway, a former client— “Don’t let this little trophy make Faye think she’s a movie star. She’s not. The only movie star in the whole town is Barbra Streisand.”

What was with Sue Mengers and Pauline Kael's obsession with Streisand back in the day? Both bordered on lesbian crushes. Sue basically gave her career up after Streisand dumped her. And Kael's multi-page pan of Funny Lady reeked of a diatribe from a scorned lover.

Anyway, Mengers fucked her client Diana Ross over by telling the director that Streisand would be good for "The Main Event". Ross would have been so much better and we would have been spared the gratuitous ass shots.

Of course, R36, she pushed her clients. Final casting was decided by the director. For instance, no one wanted has-been Brando, but Coppola did and fought for him.

R37, having Streisand as a client was big big big in a way you cannot understand unless you were around and aware in the 1970s. Or the 1960s for that matter. Once Babs left Sue, the others started going too.

[quote][R25], there's a huge difference between being tough and being a cunt.

Old argument about aggressive vs assertive.

Ryan O’Neal in his prime was the epitome of the beautiful blonde stud. Surprisingly he had a sense of humor which elevated him to movie star status.

Did Bette get a Tony nomination for I'll Eat You Last?

No, R39, these cunt were mean and got off on intimidating people with little to no power and needed a job. A friend worked at the Helmsley Palace years ago. The Queen of Mean terrorized her staff.

R38, if I recall correctly, the article mentioned that after Barbra left her, Sue seemed lost and went down hill personally. You're correct, Barbra really was a superstar, perhaps the biggest and the last.

Oh puleeeze, R42. Sue Mengers was not Leona Helmsley. Stop projecting your issues, we see through you.

Dommy Dunne mocked her, and it ended his career!

R38, this video might help them understand.

OMG r22 what a fucking cunt!!

I'll guess that Sue and Barbra fell out over money, specifically whether Sue would get her usual agent's cut since Barbara produced and cast herself. Sue did no work, per se.

They fell out over All Night Long. A rising actress got caught in the middle of their drama and pretty much had her career ruined.

Does Streisand address it in her book? I'm sure the actress wasn't even mentioned, and it was framed as Barbra being the victim.

If I recall correctly Barbra and Sue did fall out over All Night Long but also because Barbra discovered Sue was turning down projects without discussing them with Barbra. It’s all in the book.

R48, you’re nuts. She produced and cast herself?

An agent who turns down viable projects without consulting with the client first deserves to be fired.

Yentl. I read they fell out over this film.

Sorry I left the film name out of my post

Read this:

[quote]She had no qualms about sleeping with clients or would-be clients — at one point, she was known as “F–ker to the Stars,” a nickname she was reportedly fine with —

She was such a pig, how could anyone fuck her?

She cast Dyan Cannon as herself

There was a character in Myra Breckenridge based on Mengers.

She wasn’t that big in 1968 (novel) or 1970 (movie), R57.

It was nice of Babs to time travel back from whatever she was doing in 1902 to pose for OP’s pic.

Why is Vanity Fair reviewing a 10 year old book?

[quote]R49 They fell out over “All Night Long”. A rising actress got caught in the middle of their drama and pretty much had her career ruined.

That little actress was me.

Didn't Loretta Swit play a character based on Mengers in some movie? SOB?

R63, Yes, she was very good in SOB.

What was Sue's quip about the Manson murders and celebrities scared they would be targeted next?

R63, if I’m remembering, right the agent in that movie was played by Shelly Winters.

No, R65. She told scared Streisand, "they're not killing stars, only killing bit players." Sharon Tate was not a star, more like a "starlet."

R66, You're correct. Shelley Winters played the Sue Mengers character. Loretta Swit played a gossip columnist based on Joyce Haber.

In Loretta Swit's obit, The Hollywood reporter said: "She also was hilarious as Polly Reed, a Sue Mengers-type agent, in Blake Edwards‘ satire of Hollywood, S.O.B. (1981)."

Wikipedia says she played "Polly Reed, a Hollywood gossip columnist."

Few people saw that movie, so it’s understandable there’s confusion.

This (lame) trailer introduces Winters as “the agent” and Switt as “the gossip columnist.”

Was Polly Reed supposed to be anything like Rona Barrett?

(I saw the movie when it came out but not since.)

Why do Gay men find a need to constantly celebrate cunts?

Bette was not a cunt!

[quote] Why do Gay men find a need to constantly celebrate cunts?

R74 Why do the wrong people travel?

[quote]Few people saw that movie, so it’s understandable there’s confusion.

EVERYONE saw that movie, if only to see Mary Poppins' ta-tas.

Evans' nickname for her was Mengele.

[quote]R74 Why do Gay men find a need to constantly celebrate cunts?

Why must EVERYTHING be a CUNTEST ? ?

Sue used to have her get-togethers with Candace Bergen and Allie McGraw. Streisand was too big of a star to socialize with them.

Well, plus, I don’t think Babs relished hanging out with truly beautiful women.

Candace Bergen? Allie MacGraw?

OH DEAR

r82 Sue was also friends with Farah Faucet and Jack Nickelson.

[quote]She was such a pig, how could anyone fuck her?

She wasn't that big. Certainly not by modern standards.

She acted like a cokehead. Which she was

To R84-The closeted husband rolled her in flour& aimed for the big wet spot!

What did Gary Morton think of her?

I wonder if all her hunky male clients screwed her, for special attention.