The Mighty Franks: A Memoir

Michael Frank’s memoir THE MIGHTY FRANKS haunted me in the best sense. He has captured his life growing up dominated and transfixed by his aunt Hankie (mostly) and uncle Irving (Corky) in Laurel Canyon. Hankie and Corky are successful Hollywood screenwriters and to say that they are eccentric would be an understatement. A little backtracking. Hank is Michael’s father’s sister and Corky is Michael’s mother’s brother. The fact that they are double-related is only part of the complicated but close relationship these two families share. They live two blocks from each other. The two widowed grandmothers, Huffy, as domineering as they come, and Sylvia, relegated to a smaller room and keeps to herself, live in what they refer to as The Apartment, at the base of the Canyon, together. Hank and Corky do not have any children, and try as she might, she would like to make her nephew her own. Hank calls Michael every day and as she is not one to ring a bell, she simply toots her horn upon arrival, to pick the young boy up, by himself, his brothers are not allowed to accompany them on their many journeys, which include antiquing in Pasadena, afternoon tea at her home, teaching her nephew about the finer things in life, and a morning ritual at her mother’s called The Morning.Young Michael is enamored with his aunt. She is beguiling. Everything from her manner of speech, her appearance, her vast knowledge about literature, decorating, and who she just is. She takes over whatever space they occupy. Michael feels more than special in her presence. Until he doesn’t.In time, Irving plays an equally important role. Michael’s own family has its share of turmoil and he can look to the other house for comfort. As he grows up, he sees things that he knows are not right and when he questions them, he gets nowhere. It often backfires.As much as this book offers a great deal of history about all of the Franks, and oh, how they are mighty, it really is about one woman who steals the show. Hank is controlling and charismatic.  Life can be grand when you are caught up in their world, but when they turn, you want to be in another world, so far away.​Michael shares so much about his world both then and now, upon reflection. This really struck me as he writes about a lesson learned, on his own, from his aunt and uncle, to “sift out the good from the bad”:“In a way I think that may be the essential lesson sustained family life has to impart: you learn to carry on, no matter what, and not wait for people to become what they are incapable of becoming. Either that or you go to live somewhere very far removed from the place you began, and you never, ever go back.”I also completely understand that there are often family members that it is, as Michael says “impossible to break off with them completely, because to break off with them completely was to cut out too much of my past, too much of my life as I knew it and the love that had one, early on, coursed through it.”This book is so much more than madness. There is humor at every turn. Michael’s aunt has a way with words and nicknames for everyone and everything. Whether it is in reference to pop culture “Simon and what-funkel,” when looking upon an item at a shop and immediately declaring it n.g. for “not good,” or my favorite, her complete distaste for anything “mo-derne.”It is also a book about an incredibly interesting family and a particularly fascinating dynamic between a young boy through his teen years as he relates to his aunt and uncle. I didn’t want it to end. I am sure that the author has more to share but what he gave us was one mighty read.

In a memoir, the author's most personal thoughts and recollections are on offer and the result can be very difficult to read. This seems true with Michael Frank's "The Mighty Franks: A Memoir". But what is difficult to read must have been excruciating to actually live through. Frank grew up in Los Angeles in a family so marked by the malevolence of one family member, his aunt Harriet Frank, Jr, whose lifetime of narcissistic behavior terrorised the family for sixty years. Michael Frank doesn't use the word "narcissist" to describe his aunt, but her behavior mimics the narcisstic behavior of several people I know. If you read the book, you may use a different term to describe "Hanky", depending on your experience with such a malevolent person.Michael Frank's aunt and uncle are real people, who have Wikipedia entries. His uncle, Irving Ravetch, and his aunt, Harriet Frank, Jr,(known as "Hanky") were noted screenwriters in the 1950's to 1980's. They worked primarily with director Martin Ritt. (You should read their Wiki entries before reading the book.) Michael was their nephew - a double nephew, at that, because his mother was Irving Ravetch's sister and his father was Harriet Frank's brother. A cozy combination which made for a cozy family unit, whose members lived a few blocks from each other in the Hollywood hills. To make matters even cozier, the two grandmothers shared an apartment after their respective husbands died. Both couples lived in and out of the other's homes, and the Frank's three sons were thought of a surrogate sons for Irving and Hanky, who had no children. However, the Ravetch's, particularly Hanky, seemed to prefer young Michael to his brothers, and, indeed, to anyone other than her husband. She was the "Auntie Mame" to his Patrick and showered him with gifts and attention. But the attention was that of his place in Hanky's world. She was the sun, he was planet circling. He finally rebelled in his late teens but by then Hanky's malevolence to him and the rest of the family continued unabated.Michael Frank's memoir begins when he was a child and continued up through Irving's death in 2010 and to Hanky's continued existence. He spares little of the "true" Hanky Ravetch and her wretched influence in his book. It's a fascinating book, as memoirs often are.

I bought this book because, through many arcane marriages, I am a step cousin of a branch of the Goldsteins (aka Bernhards, they, too, changed their names). There was always a lot of talk about their cousin, Harriet. It's not often one has the chance to read about someone whose name was bandied about frequently and whom I met once. Even my 93 year old mother who has a hard time remembering what day it is knew exactly who I was talking about when I told her about the book.So, it was a shock to find out someone who was mentioned in only the most glowing terms and who was most gracious to me during our very brief meeting might not be the paragon I was always told she was. I must admit to a bit of schadenfreude: certainly there was no one in my family who had achieved anywhere near the heights I was told she had and I would have loved to counter with someone. I was of an age and so dazzled by anyone connected to the movies she could have sucked me in with very little effort, but I was of little interest to her. While this review is more about me than the book, I don't think I could offer objective review. But, god, the memories it brought back.

A fabulously moving - often funny - story of a very unusual family. I read it over one weekend and highly recommend it, particularly to anyone interested in family - who isn't? - and the webs they weave. Like many memoirs it loses some of its power in the final 1/4 or so, but the first 3/4 are knockout - well written, incredibly well observed, and you can picture the author's family - especially his larger-than-life Aunt and Uncle - perfectly. Hiighly recommended.

I loved it because it reminded me of my auntie Erna!

really good condition and good buy! Thanks

Interesting, honest account of one man's formative years

Wow, we all know a Bitch or two, but this book is about an Uber Bitch! A super duper manipulating control freak of a Bitch and the damage she inflicted on all who came within her orbit. I cannot recommend this memoir highly enough. There are certainly some lessons in good behaviour, to be learnt from this!