BURT KEARNS is an author, journalist, colorful podcast guest and, as noted by Vanity Fair, a “show business and pop culture savant.” Previous to the publication of the Lawrence Tierney biography, his book, The Show Won’t Go On: The Most Shocking, Bizarre and Historic Deaths of Performers Onstage, was written with Jeff Abraham and published in 2019 by Chicago Review Press. The work received acclaim from sources as varied as National Public Radio, the Daily Mail and Jerusalem Post. Kearns is also author of the controversial memoir, Tabloid Baby (TV Guide: “Hilariously scandalous”; SeekBooks: “As much high-octane entertainment as any Hollywood exposé”; Maury Povich: “The Bible”), and a regular contributor to the literary pop culture website, Legsville.com.
His latest book, Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel will be published on April 2, 2024, and is now available for pre-order. Shemp! The Biography of The Three Stooges’ Shemp Howard, The Face of Film Comedy, will also be be published in 2024, both by Applause Theatre & Cinema Books.
Kearns is perhaps best known as an award-winning television and motion picture producer, director and writer. In 2023, he is a creator and executive producer of Breaking the Ice, a sports docuseries premiering on WEtv and ALLBLK streaming in July. A former Emmy-winning New York City television newswriter and producer, he helped develop the “tabloid television” genre before moving on to Hollywood to write and produce dozens of nonfiction television series and specials, including Who Do You Believe?, Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, All The Presidents' Movies with Martin Sheen, HBO’s America Undercover, and Kardashian: The Man Who Saved OJ Simpson. He also produced the nonfiction comedy film High There and documentaries Death of A Beatle, Bin Laden's Escape and The Secret History of The Other Hollywood; and directed and produced the nonfiction films Basketball Man, The Seventh Python and Telethon. Along with two-time Academy Award® winner Albert S. Ruddy, he wrote and produced the 20th Century Fox feature film, Cloud 9, starring Burt Reynolds.
DECEMBER 2023: New facets of Lawrence Tiermney’s life and career are left to explore, as the promotion continues with a first anniversary appearance on Eric Todd’s popular podcast, This Week in Charles Bronson.
13 FEBRUARY 2023: with super book agent and Renaissance Man LEE SOBEL of the Lee Sobel Literary Agency, the one industry professional who recognized the importance of a book about Lawrence Tierney - and then made it happen.
12 FEBRUARY 2023: In Marine Park, Brooklyn, with Lawrence Tierney’s Brooklyn crew from the 1980s (Donald McManamon and Tierney’s cousins Eddie & Danny Leahy), whose memories and stories featured prominently in the book.
16 DECEMBER 2022: BURT KEARNS with Jeff Mantor of the Larry Edmunds Bookshop, signing copies at the screening at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, launching the new book. Screenwriter-producer Larry Karaszewski hosted a Q&A with the author between screenings of Born to Kill and Shakedown.
6 DEC 2022: BURT KEARNS with JEFF MANTOR of the LARRY EDMUNDS BOOKSHOP on Hollywood Blvd., with Tierney memorabilia, in advance of the Larry Edmunds-American Cinematheque screening and book signing at Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre on December 16.
