A tale of business genius and personal greed that brings to light not only the way Joseph P. Kennedy made his fortune, but how he forever changed the business of movie-making. Between 1926 and 1930, Kennedy--merciless, electrifying, a visionary--used his talents to position himself as a Hollywood leader. By 1928, at age 40, he was running three studios at once. Biographer Beauchamp writes about the genius behind Kennedy's profiteering and his importance in changing the way Hollywood conducted business. As one of the first nonfamily members to be given access to Kennedy's personal papers, Beauchamp has dug through the files of memos and notes to tell how he made it all happen: how he charmed, cajoled, and bullied; how he juggled various backers--and managed to line his pockets with millions. Beauchamp writes about the movies Kennedy produced and the stars he made, about the jobs lost and the careers ruined.--From publisher description.