Manflower

Manflower follows the life of Benny Lastfein and his journey through the seedy underbelly of Hollywood during the roaring twenties and onwards. 


Benny’s life is loosely based on Abe Kronenberg, an assistant to many top honchos in Hollywood. Like Abe, Benny worked for four major studios—Paramount, MGM, RKO, and Columbia. 


Benny’s path crosses many in the industry, and he rubbed shoulders with Hollywood’s elite. He had the inside scoop on many a star, producer, and director and the debauched lives they led: Mae West, Norma Shearer, Cary Grant, Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, Jane Russell, and Rita Hayworth, to name just a few. 

Along with being Man-Friday to many a Hollywood executive, Benny helped with perfume marketing campaigns specifically developed to bolster films and celebrities. Each perfume was branded according to the star; each contained pheromones meant to drive audiences wild and wanting for more. Successful films and their stars reached the apex of popularity thanks to these sensorial overloads. 


In their quest to find the fountain of youth, many of Benny’s acquaintances dabbled in aphrodisiacs from their perfume business—the secret ingredients derived from the essences from various exotic animals, including the elusive Houbara Bustard. Down this path Benny also ventured, hoping to recapture the narcissistic and hedonistic glory of their heydays, disappearing into the annals of film lore. 


Manflower depicts the volatile lifestyle that comes with the trappings of money, celebrity and fame. The glamour and glitz were as real as the people that lived them. Enjoy! I loved re-reading Abe Kronenberg’s notes and creating this story for you. Also, thanks to Rachel Maddow at MSNBC for posting the story of the Bustard in the first place! 


Dennis Doph, 

Santa Barbara, 

November 2014