This Date In Manka Bros. History – November 13, 1962:
Studio chief Harry Manka’s pet tiger, Mr. Chuckles, escapes from his backyard jungle compound and wanders the streets of Beverly Hills for several hours, attacking some people, before being returned safely.
This Day in Manka Bros History – November 6, 1912:
The Manka brothers move to Max Fowler’s egg farm in Reseda, CA, where they are allowed to use a barn for free to live in and make their movies as long as they tend the chickens (and share the movie profits with Farmer Max).
For studio co-founder Harry Manka’s 90th birthday, the town of his birth (Yambol, Bulgaria) is renamed ‘Mankagrad.’ After his death in 1976, it is renamed ‘Yambol.’
Studio co-founder Simeon Manka’s early research into mapping the human genome is destroyed by his brother Harrybecause it had ‘nothing to do with motion pictures!’ This drives Simeon further into madness.
This Day In Manka Bros. History – August 21, 1950:
Studio boss Harry Manka fires Bette Davis from the film ‘Three Georges’ and throws her off the studio lot for being so ‘Goddamned fucking crazy!’ She was replaced by Rosalind Russell. He later told Life Magazine Bette Davis was the nicest person he ever met.
Vice President Richard Nixon visits Manka Bros. Studios and marvels at Harry Manka’s elaborate executive phone bugging system. He would later use this system to bug his political opponents.
