“Jensen’s fresh, sparkling prose allows Mamoulian to emerge as the type of suave, charming, larger-than-life character so often portrayed in his films. Jensen’s thoughtful use of Mamoulian’s own words in journals and interviews allows this work to serve as the intimate, lively memoir the great director never completed.”—Cynthia Brideson, author of He’s Got Rhythm: The Life and Times of Gene Kelly
“A biographical feat: a multidimensional portrait of a trailblazing director and his turbulent times. Jensen fills his book with resonant details that spark surprising revelations about Mamoulian’s life and career. He conjures such an intimate perspective on Mamoulian’s groundbreaking work, including soundstage marvels like Love Me Tonight and stage milestones like Porgy and Bess, that we feel present at its creation.”—Michael Sragow, contributing writer, Air Mail and Film Comment, and author, Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master
“Jensen generously takes us to the heart of Mamoulian land: his genius, his arrogance—and his absolute refusal to budge on his opinions. Yes, warts and all live here. Where there was brilliance and controversy, there was Mamoulian. In this relentlessly detailed telling of Mamoulian’s life, there is no place for the peerless to hide!”—Marilyn Ann Moss, author of Raoul Walsh: The True Adventures of Hollywood’s Legendary Director