The article discusses the crucial role of managers in Hollywood, highlighting how stars like J.Lo and Eddie Fisher rely on their managers to build and maintain their careers. It provides examples of influential managers such as Milton Blackstone, who discovered and nurtured Eddie Fisher's career before he became a star, and Anna Sosenko, who turned an unknown piano player into the celebrated entertainer Hildegarde. The piece emphasizes how these managers not only manage but also shape their clients' public images and professional growth.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
All high-class VIPs employ serfs, vassals, types who crash around, get the seats, start the applause, aggravate the agents, find the outfits.
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who → employ → outfits
Zoos would term them animal trainers.
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Zoos → term → them
They’re lessers who make the greaters survive.
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greaters → ’re → ?
Even a little talent needs a big manager.
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talent → need → manager
Husbands she dumps, managers she keeps
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she → dump → managers
I can now tell stories only of those who are gone.
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who → tell → those
Now, often, it’s large management companies.
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it → ’ → ?
Take performing artists who came through New York.
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who → take → York
Manager type Milton Blackstone found gangly kid Eddie.
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Blackstone → find → Eddie
He taught Eddie how to dress, how to act.
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He → teach → Eddie
He spoke for Eddie, thought for him, maintained publicity for him during his GI days.
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He → speak → days
Pushed the kid’s recordings, so that week after week Eddie had hit after hit.
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Eddie → push → hit
Then — kaboom! — little Eddie met biggie Elizabeth Taylor Hilton Wilding Todd who next trudged on to Burton and Burton, Warner and Fortensky.
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who → meet → Burton
Seems little Eddie had other parts of his body that also made music.
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that → seem → music
He quickly dumped guru Blackstone.
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He → dump → Blackstone
His career then dumped him.
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career → dump → him
Not grateful Eddie next quick SOS’d Milton Blackstone.
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Blackstone → SOS’d → ?
Once on top again — he severed relations again.
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he → sever → relations
This resulted in an apology deal whereby Eddie had to pay Milton $25,000 yearly for at least 10 years.
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Eddie → result → years
They’d handle potential headliners’ needs and hone their beginning talent.
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They → handle → talent
Plump, gray-haired, 50ish mass of fast-talking dynamite who found a nobody piano player in a Midwest saloon and created her into the queen of supper clubs — Hildegarde.
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who → talk → clubs
No. 1 star and their money went to Anna Sosenko, the queen of the night.
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star → go → night
Anna: “Many have talent — so what?
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Many → have → talent
Someone has to nourish it, keep it going.”
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Someone → have → it
Hildegarde’s hands weren’t attractive so Anna conceived the idea of her client appearing in gloves.
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client → conceive → gloves
Anna taught her to walk off without waiting for applause so as to leave the audience wondering and waiting.
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Anna → teach → audience
“I created the masterpiece,” she said.
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she → create → masterpiece
Singer Hildegarde left us in 2005.
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Hildegarde → leave → 2005
Sosenko lived with her for a quarter of a century.
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Sosenko → live → century
If Hildegarde’s thumbnail polish got scratched, Anna went to the manicurist.
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Anna → scratch → manicurist
Ted Collins created Kate Smith.
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Collins → create → Smith
All then had their own Svengali.
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All → have → Svengali
Elvis had Colonel Parker.
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Elvis → have → Parker
If Elvis had a cold, Colonel Parker sneezed.
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Parker → have → cold
Lou Perry, an ex performer with 40 years experience behind him, started the nightclub comedians Buddy Hackett, Alan King, Dean Martin.
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Perry → start → comedians
He lost all three.
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He → lose → three
Sighed Perry once: “I had Dean’s nose fixed, staked him coffee money and then to stardom.
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nose → sigh → stardom
His wife was sick and he needed work desperately.
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he → need → work
An Atlantic City club owner — my friend — called him.
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owner → call → him
Dean cried real tears.
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Dean → cry → tears
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
