The Fixer
Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn
by Josh Young and Manfred Westphal
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Book Presentation:
A riveting tell-all biography that delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood’s most infamous private detective and “fixer” to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files.
During the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age, one man lorded over the city’s lurid underbelly of forbidden sin and celebrity scandal like no other: Fred Otash. An ex-Marine turned L.A.P.D. vice cop, Otash became the most sought-after private detective and fixer to the stars by specializing in the dark arts that would soon dominate the entertainment industry.
Otash was notorious for bugging the homes, offices, and playpens of movie stars, kingmakers, and powerful politicians, employing then state-of-the-art methods of electronic surveillance and wiretapping for a who’s who list of clients for whom he’d do “anything short of murder.” He lied to federal authorities to protect Frank Sinatra from criminal liability; recorded Rock Hudson’s coming out confession to his estranged wife; moved in with Judy Garland to help her get sober; taped President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s tragic love affairs with the greatest sex symbol of all time, and listened to Marilyn Monroe die.
Based on Otash’s never-before-seen investigative files and personal archives, The Fixer takes readers inside the sensational and nefarious world of the man whose life inspired the private eye characters portrayed by Jack Nicholson in Chinatown and Russell Crowe in LA Confidential.
About the authors:
Manfred Westphal is a former corporate communications and public relations executive who has spent the last twenty-five years spearheading story-driven media campaigns for some of the most recognized entertainment brands in the world. He began his career working in development at Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros. Television, where in 1990 he began collaborating with legendary Hollywood private detective Fred Otash to tell his extraordinary life story before his untimely death in 1992.Josh Young has written five New York Times bestsellers, two additional Los Angeles Times bestsellers, four books that were made into feature documentaries, eighteen books that have been ranked No. 1 in their category on Amazon, and two novels. For more information, please visit joshyoungauthor.com.
Press Reviews:
"A fast-paced, fascinating tell-all that’s a previously untold account of the seamy side of Hollywood, politics, and mob activity." ―Library Journal, starred review
"A colorful biography...those eager for a peek into classic Hollywood scandals will be well satisfied."―Publisher's Weekly
"A breathless exposé of Hollywood’s bad old days...Good reading for James Ellroy aficionados."―Kirkus Reviews
"[A] tantalizing and tawdry tale...reminiscent of golden-age crime stories."
―Shelf Awareness
"This thrilling biography, based on personal archives and investigation files, tells not only the story of Otash and how he became the most powerful man in Hollywood's shadows, but also charts the beginning of a celebrity culture still raging today." ―Town and Country
"Hollywood fans, let this be the one if you're planning a summer with your nose in a book."―The Eagle Times
"The Fixer is a fascinating read that is almost like looking in someone’s medicine cabinet—you know you’re not supposed to but curiosity gets the better of you."―New York Journal of Books
> On a related topic:
Scandals, Secrets and Swansongs (2021)
How Hollywood Stars Lived, Worked, and Died
Hollywood at Play (2017)
The Lives of the Stars Between Takes
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