Max Kliener was the head of Starlight Studios and the producer of Lady Don't Shoot in New York City during 1938.
Max was using the energy of a Weeping Angel's "kiss" to transmogrify people into his stars and bodyguards. Each transformed person lost their old memories and only lasted up to two weeks, but as the Angel grew in strength, the transformations started lasting shorter and shorter periods of time. He eventually realized that Melody Malone was investigating his sceheme and attempted to have her killed. When that failed, he tried to transform her into a copy of one of his stars, Giddy Semestre, but she kissed him with her hallucinogenic lipstick and he ended up kissing his Weeping Angel instead, which sucked out his life force and turned him to dust. (PROSE: The Angel's Kiss: A Melody Malone Mystery)