By Sandy Scheller
LA JOLLA, California — A full house of film aficionados packed the JCC Garfield Theater Tuesday evening, Feb. 4, to hear Turner Classic Movies (TCM) featured speaker, Ben Mankiewicz. As he took the stage, he was met with a standing ovation. His warm presence immediately set the tone, and he began by sharing that he had recently spent eight days in the hospital battling sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s immune system overreacting to an infection. The audience instantly responded with empathy, like his Jewish mother, all eager to offer him a comforting hug. Had we known earlier, we would have gladly made him some chicken soup.
Mankiewicz’s presentation included personal stories, including interviews about his Jewish father and his Mormon mother raising two sons to embrace their Jewish heritage. He spoke movingly about his father, Frank Mankiewicz, and shared emotional video footage of his father announcing the death of Robert Kennedy Jr. Ben reflected on how his father’s influential work with top politicians shaped his own life and career.
The event also featured a star-studded lineup on video, with actors such as Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Kathy Bates, and Al Pacino. It felt as though we were in a cozy living room, listening to these actors share intimate stories from their personal lives. One of the most touching moments came during a discussion with Kathy Bates, who expressed regret for not mentioning her mother in her Academy Award acceptance speech. Ben showed footage of her finally acknowledging her mother, and the pause that followed spoke volumes, demonstrating that sometimes actions speak louder than words.
Ben also shared a photo from his wedding, which took place during the first-ever TCM cruise in 2013. On a personal note, I had the privilege of having breakfast with Ben and his father while his future wife was preparing for their ceremony. After the presentation, I was thrilled to show him a photo from that meeting and, to my delight, get a selfie with him—something I had long hoped for. Ben called his wife over and said, “This is where I was while you were getting ready for our wedding.”
Ben was incredibly gracious as he answered questions from the audience. As for his acronym, it stands for “Ben: Be Entertained Now.” As for his last name, the “M” stands for “Mensch.
January 2013 was the first TCM cruise with Ben and his father, Frank Mankiewicz. Frank passed the following year on October 23, 2014.
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Sandy Scheller is a freelance writer based in Chula Vista, California.