Trivia

He tells the story of a young, ambitious writer working for him at United Artists in the ad department. The man constantly complained he was wasting his talents in Hollywood. He really wanted to write novels but could not afford to take the time off. One day, after listening to these complaints, Youngstein devised a plan. He began to withhold extra money from the employee's paycheck. A year later he called man into his office and fired him. He then handed the surprised man a checkbook for a savings account in Mexico and a key to a small bungalow overlooking the ocean. Youngstein told the man to go away and write his novel. The writer's name was Richard Condon, and the dedication in his second novel, 'The Manchurian Candidate,' reads: To Max Youngstein, and not only for reasons of affection and admiration, this book is warmly dedicated.

Max Youngstein was the friend and lover of my aunt Mattie Comfort for over two decades. Mattie was formerly married to Joe Comfort who played bass for Nat King Cole. She was in Cabin in the Sky, Anchors Aweigh and Aladdin's Lamp but Max got her the lounge singer role in Kiss Me Deadly. He met her when she when she worked as a Cigarette Girl on Sunset Blvd. She also was friends with Otto Preminger, Duke Ellington and Darryl Zanuck. Max did not like Otto's explosive manner and told Mattie he had instructions at the studio to report any of Otto's behavior.. Max was a very admired and well loved man. A liberal, he defied the HUAC by hiring black writers to use their names on scripts by blacklisted writers. One writer to do this was named John Killens.