Agnes Ayres had been in films since 1914, starting out with the Essanay Company in Chicago. After years of being in one and two reelers at Vitagraph, Agnes caught the eye of produce Jesse L. Lasky, who made her a star and as reportedly became his mistress. Agnes rose to stardom at Paramount working with some of the silent era's leading men such as Wallace Reid, Jack Holt, Thomas Meighan and Milton Sills. But her popularity peaked when she was cast opposite Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik, who would go on to become one of her closest friends, as well as the godfather to her only daughter. After her affair with Lasky ended, she signed a contract with Producer's Distributing Corporation (PDC) but they reneged on her three-film contract due to her alleged weight gain, whereupon she sued the company, including its vice-president, the powerful Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille. Although she settled the suit out of court, her career was never the same and after transitioning to now making low budget movies, as well as a decade playing vaudeville shows across the country, she died on Christmas Day in 1940 from a cerebral hemorrhage, at the age of 48, after being ill for some time. This biography follows her life from the backroads of Illinois up to her death, and includes a comprehensive filmography of the nearly 100 movies she made during her lifetime. Louise Carley Lewisson is the author of several books including biographies of actresses Mary Nolan and Martha Mansfield, and is currently working on her next book about the life and career of actress Wanda Hawley. She currently lives in Tampa, Florida.
Agnes Ayres had been in films since 1914, starting out with the Essanay Company in Chicago. After years of being in one and two reelers at Vitagraph, Agnes caught the eye of produce Jesse L. Lasky, who made her a star and as reportedly became his mistress. Agnes rose to stardom at Paramount working with some of the silent era's leading men such as Wallace Reid, Jack Holt, Thomas Meighan and Milton Sills. But her popularity peaked when she was cast opposite Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik, who would go on to become one of her closest friends, as well as the godfather to her only daughter. After her affair with Lasky ended, she signed a contract with Producer's Distributing Corporation (PDC) but they reneged on her three-film contract due to her alleged weight gain, whereupon she sued the company, including its vice-president, the powerful Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille. Although she settled the suit out of court, her career was never the same and after transitioning to now making low budget movies, as well as a decade playing vaudeville shows across the country, she died on Christmas Day in 1940 from a cerebral hemorrhage, at the age of 48, after being ill for some time. This biography follows her life from the backroads of Illinois up to her death, and includes a comprehensive filmography of the nearly 100 movies she made during her lifetime. Louise Carley Lewisson is the author of several books including biographies of actresses Mary Nolan and Martha Mansfield, and is currently working on her next book about the life and career of actress Wanda Hawley. She currently lives in Tampa, Florida.
There are movie-goers, movie fans, and movie lovers. REEL CHANGE III is for all three. For the passively curious to the die-hard deep divers, REEL CHANGE offers looks into and behind the magic of what's on the big and little screen. There are farewells to icons like James Caan and Ray Liotta, X-ray examinations of the inner changes in a business that almost overnight has become dominated by streaming, and retrospective looks at the movies well-remembered (Planet of the Apes, Titanic) as well as those overlooked and unjustly forgotten like those in 1973, a year overstuffed with classics like American Graffiti art house gems like Badlands. After REEL CHANGE III, the next time you park yourself in a theater seat or in front of your TV, your eyes will be a little wider and you'll see a little more. "Bill Mesce Jr. has created another treasure chest of interesting movie and TV articles. The lucky readers who open this third wonderful collection will be entertained and enlightened from beginning to end. What fun!" - Betty Jo Tucker, film critic and award-winning author of Confessions of a Movie Addict, Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick, Cinema Stanzas and Cinema Stanzas Two. "Mesce's essays have the feeling one gets when the lights go down, the big sound comes up and the screen begins to glow. They seamlessly guide you into the world of movies. Facts, insights, stories and reflections from a writer who really knows make the world of movies richer and more fun." - Josh Sapan, Media Executive "One punchy, opinionated, beautifully-crafted essay after another. Mesce might just be the best film writer you've never heard of, and you owe it to yourself to change that."- David Breckman, writer/co-producer, MONK
There are movie-goers, movie fans, and movie lovers. REEL CHANGE III is for all three. For the passively curious to the die-hard deep divers, REEL CHANGE offers looks into and behind the magic of what's on the big and little screen. There are farewells to icons like James Caan and Ray Liotta, X-ray examinations of the inner changes in a business that almost overnight has become dominated by streaming, and retrospective looks at the movies well-remembered (Planet of the Apes, Titanic) as well as those overlooked and unjustly forgotten like those in 1973, a year overstuffed with classics like American Graffiti art house gems like Badlands. After REEL CHANGE III, the next time you park yourself in a theater seat or in front of your TV, your eyes will be a little wider and you'll see a little more. "Bill Mesce Jr. has created another treasure chest of interesting movie and TV articles. The lucky readers who open this third wonderful collection will be entertained and enlightened from beginning to end. What fun!" - Betty Jo Tucker, film critic and award-winning author of Confessions of a Movie Addict, Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick, Cinema Stanzas and Cinema Stanzas Two. "Mesce's essays have the feeling one gets when the lights go down, the big sound comes up and the screen begins to glow. They seamlessly guide you into the world of movies. Facts, insights, stories and reflections from a writer who really knows make the world of movies richer and more fun." - Josh Sapan, Media Executive "One punchy, opinionated, beautifully-crafted essay after another. Mesce might just be the best film writer you've never heard of, and you owe it to yourself to change that."- David Breckman, writer/co-producer, MONK
Lon Davis was one lucky young film buff. Growing up in Southern California in the 1970s, he was able to spend quality time with some of the celebrated residents of the Motion Picture Country Home in Los Angeles. His great-uncle, a screenwriter and bit player since the movies' earliest days, looked forward to Lon's visits; so did silent film comedienne Babe London and original Stooge Larry Fine. Blessed with exceptional recall and the ability to bring those memories vividly to life, Lon shares anecdotes that are, by turns, comical, touching, and tragic. They are also true, right down to the smallest detail. As he matured, Lon became acquainted with other members of the silent film community (including the Oscar-winning historian Kevin Brownlow) and chronicles their stories as well. And finally, Lon reveals an intensely personal account of falling in love with his best friend while searching for the elusive grave of the legendary W.C. Fields. As movie producer Pancho Kohner writes in the foreword: "Stumbling into Film History is more than a book; it's an unforgettable adventure through the golden age of cinema, with the best guide you could ask for." Lon Davis is an author, editor, documentarian, and lecturer on film history. His first published book was Silent Lives:100 Biographies of the Silent Film Era (2008). He and his wife, Debra Davis (née LaCoe), co-authored King of the Movies: Francis X. Bushman (2009), and Ma and Pa Kettle on Film (2021). In addition to editing two hundred academic books on the performing arts, Lon and Debra released two volumes of essays: Stooges Among Us (2008) and CHASE! A Tribute to the Keystone Cops (2020). Debra also published a roman à clef entitled Flirtation Act: The Story of a Boy, a Girl, and Vaudeville (2016). Lon and Debra's documentary film This is Francis X. Bushman (2021) is available on Blu-ray from Flicker Alley. Lon's latest book, Stumbling Into Film History, is comprised of newly written and revised essays detailing his experiences with various denizens of early Hollywood. "Lon Davis, Champion of the Silent Cinema."-Thomas Gladysz, Founding Director of the Louise Brooks Society
Lon Davis was one lucky young film buff. Growing up in Southern California in the 1970s, he was able to spend quality time with some of the celebrated residents of the Motion Picture Country Home in Los Angeles. His great-uncle, a screenwriter and bit player since the movies' earliest days, looked forward to Lon's visits; so did silent film comedienne Babe London and original Stooge Larry Fine. Blessed with exceptional recall and the ability to bring those memories vividly to life, Lon shares anecdotes that are, by turns, comical, touching, and tragic. They are also true, right down to the smallest detail. As he matured, Lon became acquainted with other members of the silent film community (including the Oscar-winning historian Kevin Brownlow) and chronicles their stories as well. And finally, Lon reveals an intensely personal account of falling in love with his best friend while searching for the elusive grave of the legendary W.C. Fields. As movie producer Pancho Kohner writes in the foreword: "Stumbling into Film History is more than a book; it's an unforgettable adventure through the golden age of cinema, with the best guide you could ask for." Lon Davis is an author, editor, documentarian, and lecturer on film history. His first published book was Silent Lives:100 Biographies of the Silent Film Era (2008). He and his wife, Debra Davis (née LaCoe), co-authored King of the Movies: Francis X. Bushman (2009), and Ma and Pa Kettle on Film (2021). In addition to editing two hundred academic books on the performing arts, Lon and Debra released two volumes of essays: Stooges Among Us (2008) and CHASE! A Tribute to the Keystone Cops (2020). Debra also published a roman à clef entitled Flirtation Act: The Story of a Boy, a Girl, and Vaudeville (2016). Lon and Debra's documentary film This is Francis X. Bushman (2021) is available on Blu-ray from Flicker Alley. Lon's latest book, Stumbling Into Film History, is comprised of newly written and revised essays detailing his experiences with various denizens of early Hollywood. "Lon Davis, Champion of the Silent Cinema."-Thomas Gladysz, Founding Director of the Louise Brooks Society
If you're not old enough to remember Falstaff on The Fred Allen Show, perhaps you recall Fred Flintstone from The Flintstones, that modern stoneage family. Both boisterous voices - and more - came from the talented mouth of Alan Reed, one of the greatest actors ever to light up radio, television and films. This is his story, published for the first time, complete with rare photos and credit list.
This perceptive, entertaining book celebrates a century of genre films, everything from comedies and musicals to war pictures, sports sagas, horror movies, science fiction, and film noir. Richly illustrated, it moves with ease from analysis of theme and style to consideration of historical context, social significance, and production background. Film historian James Stratton writes in a vivid, conversational style that will appeal to students, film buffs, and general readers. One of the book's special features is that it brings fresh insight to such familiar titles as Swing Time, Gilda, Air Force One, and Batman Begins while introducing readers to lesser-known, equally rewarding treasures like Five Came Back, The Hitch-Hiker, Prime Cut, Eight Below, and Let Me In. Panoramic in scope, this highly informative account weighs the contributions of stars, directors, writers, cinematographers, and all the various other studio artists and technicians who have shaped the film genres still popular today. James Stratton has written several books about films and filmmakers and lives in southern California.
This perceptive, entertaining book celebrates a century of genre films, everything from comedies and musicals to war pictures, sports sagas, horror movies, science fiction, and film noir. Richly illustrated, it moves with ease from analysis of theme and style to consideration of historical context, social significance, and production background. Film historian James Stratton writes in a vivid, conversational style that will appeal to students, film buffs, and general readers. One of the book's special features is that it brings fresh insight to such familiar titles as Swing Time, Gilda, Air Force One, and Batman Begins while introducing readers to lesser-known, equally rewarding treasures like Five Came Back, The Hitch-Hiker, Prime Cut, Eight Below, and Let Me In. Panoramic in scope, this highly informative account weighs the contributions of stars, directors, writers, cinematographers, and all the various other studio artists and technicians who have shaped the film genres still popular today. James Stratton has written several books about films and filmmakers and lives in southern California.
Mae West is one of the true icons of show business, enjoying success on stage and in movies. She created her character, wrote her own dialog, and understood self-promotion. An innately talented entertainer, Mae began working on stage as a small child and was still pursuing creative endeavors in the last year of her life. This book concentrates on her movie work, and although she only made 12 movies, they are what we have to represent her work. Her best movies were edgy and challenging along with being entertaining, and have lived on as classics. ABOUT THE AUTHORJames L. Neibaur is a film historian and scholar who has written over 35 books and hundreds of articles, essays, and reviews for various film magazines and website blogs.
Mae West is one of the true icons of show business, enjoying success on stage and in movies. She created her character, wrote her own dialog, and understood self-promotion. An innately talented entertainer, Mae began working on stage as a small child and was still pursuing creative endeavors in the last year of her life. This book concentrates on her movie work, and although she only made 12 movies, they are what we have to represent her work. Her best movies were edgy and challenging along with being entertaining, and have lived on as classics. ABOUT THE AUTHORJames L. Neibaur is a film historian and scholar who has written over 35 books and hundreds of articles, essays, and reviews for various film magazines and website blogs.
Mom, Dad, Me, and Classic TV is an insider's view into the world of Classic Television as seen through the eyes of the son of producer Harry Ackerman and actress Elinor Donahue. What was it like growing up in the days of Classic Television? In Mom, Dad, Me, and Classic TV, author Peter Kyran Ackerman provides the reader with his view growing up during the period of Classic Television Shows as one of the sons of a couple who are indelibly connected to the genre. Peter's father was Harry Ackerman the Executive Producer of the classic shows Bewitched, The Flying Nun, Gidget, Dennis the Menace, Hazel, and more. Additionally, he helped nurture other shows early on in their development including I Love Lucy. His mother, Elinor Donahue, was an actress on Father Knows Best, The Andy Griffith Show, The Odd Couple, and Pretty Woman, among others. Their son, Peter, was a regular visitor to many of the shows his parents worked on. As a true insider, he shares stories about what it was like on the sets, who he met, and what he heard at home about the shows and actors. This book is a must-read for fans of Classic Television!
Mom, Dad, Me, and Classic TV is an insider's view into the world of Classic Television as seen through the eyes of the son of producer Harry Ackerman and actress Elinor Donahue. What was it like growing up in the days of Classic Television? In Mom, Dad, Me, and Classic TV, author Peter Kyran Ackerman provides the reader with his view growing up during the period of Classic Television Shows as one of the sons of a couple who are indelibly connected to the genre. Peter's father was Harry Ackerman the Executive Producer of the classic shows Bewitched, The Flying Nun, Gidget, Dennis the Menace, Hazel, and more. Additionally, he helped nurture other shows early on in their development including I Love Lucy. His mother, Elinor Donahue, was an actress on Father Knows Best, The Andy Griffith Show, The Odd Couple, and Pretty Woman, among others. Their son, Peter, was a regular visitor to many of the shows his parents worked on. As a true insider, he shares stories about what it was like on the sets, who he met, and what he heard at home about the shows and actors. This book is a must-read for fans of Classic Television!
* A complete production history of this fascinating program, including memories and quotes from Richard Carlson, Frederic Ziv, and others.* A complete episode guide listing in extreme detail, all 117 episodes in production order, including dates they were filmed, complete cast lists, where each scene was filmed on location throughout California, and other pieces of trivia so detailed it'll make your head swim.* Reprints of story ideas and suggestions that just never fleshed out into a feasible television episode.* Internal correspondence between Philbrick and the television producer so you can see first hand exactly what kind of involvement the real Philbrick had with the production of this series.* Background information about Philbrick's book, including reprints of book reviews, and Philbrick's opinions about how his involvement with the F.B.I. founded the book, and how the book changed his life.* Brief critical essays about other Anti-Communist films including RED PLANET MARS (1952), I WAS A COMMUNIST FOR THE F.B.I. (1951), and INVASION U.S.A. (1951) to name a few, and their influence and comparison with the I LED THREE LIVES series.* Plus much, much more!
For people familiar with Dolores Fuller only through her work and professional association with notorious 1950s film director Edward D. Wood, Jr., Hollywood, Ed Wood, and Me (A Fuller Life) will provide readers with a surprising revelation: throughout her career, Dolores has proven her talent and versatility in numerous facets of the entertainment industry. From fashion model, dancer, and actress to renowned songwriter and talent manager, she has done it all.In her autobiography, Dolores speaks honestly and with candor about her many triumphs, professional disappointments, and personal tragedies she has endured. Her remarkable story takes you on an unforgettable journey through her virtual partnership with Ed Wood during the making of his early films; her painful discovery of Wood's transvestitism; their eventual break-up; her songwriting for Elvis Presley; her discovery and nurturing of Johnny Rivers; and her heart-breaking experience with Tanya Tucker. Finally, Dolores reveals her true feelings towards Sarah Jessica Parker's unflattering performance of her in Tim Burton's Ed Wood (1994).Filled with fascinating and humorous anecdotes about the many famous people she has known throughout her long career, Dolores' autobiography reveals the informative and highly entertaining story of her fuller life.
Legendary film director Robert Wise called the Whistler features, "examples of budgetfilmmaking at its very best." Noted B movie historian Don Miller cited them as, "the bestB pics of the period from Columbia." Famed film critic/historian Leonard Maltin referredto the series as "one of the most unusual- and one of the best mystery series of the30's and 40's. . ."Based on J. Donald Wilson's hit radio suspense program featuring ironic tales ofterror spun by a mysterious host, The Whistler film series consisted of eight motion picturesproduced by Columbia Pictures between 1944 and 1948 starring legendary, AcademyAward-nominated actor, Richard Dix. Although manufactured quickly andcheaply to fill the bottom half of a mandatory double bill, The Whistler films were suspenseful and well made, engendering wide popularity and surprising critical acclaim. Today historians and movie aficionados frequently cite them for their innovation and style-and as early examples of film noir.This is the story of the making of this landmark Columbia series, and the manyextraordinary individuals who pooled their singular talents to make eight lowbudget movies into film classics. Included are rare profiles of 50 Whistler filmmakers:actors, directors, writers, and technicians.
Those Western pulps, where men were dead shots, women were dangerous, and thieving wranglers were lynched until the cows came home. Rediscover three decades of Western pulps in the first documentation of the genre's writers and importance in American popular culture. These short novels featured bad men in need of killing, and more affection between the cowboy and his horse than with women. Pulp authors included Zane Grey, who authored as many as 200 pulps and famed Texas Ranger Captain Manuel T. Gonzaullas. There were more than 165 of these magazines to choose from, such as Ace High Weekly, Zane Grey's Western Story Magazine, and Texas Rangers. "The Pulp Western is a seminal work in the field, filled with fascinating information about the magazines, their contents, their editors and the most popular writers and characters."- J. Randolph Cox for Dime Novel Round-Up
Hopalong Cassidy starred legendary actor William Boyd and Andy Clyde as his sidekick. Rediscover the Old Time Radio series with all the Hopalong Cassidy prose, motion pictures, comic books, and newspaper comic strip stories, as well as full details of the 104 half-hour radio adventures that hold up as well today as when they were first broadcast in 1950-1952. Features include the Mutual, and later CBS, networks series, its background, producers, performers, writers, sponsors, story lines, and merchandising in detail seldom seen. Illustrations include rare advertisements, photographs, and press kits. Foreword by Western author, Loren D. Estleman. 148 pages.Radiogram:Hopalong Cassidy of the Airwaves Rides Again in New BookThose prolific editors at BearManor Media in Albany, GA continue to dazzle OTR fans with books on such diverse and unusual subjects as comic strips on radio, the story of the series Straight Arrow, and biographies of Walter Tetley, Agnes Moorehead and Jerry Colonna, seemingly leaving no stone unturned with regard to golden age of radio.BearManor Media's latest excursion into old-time radio involves a look at one of radio's most beloved cowboys, Hopalong Cassidy. In Jingle of the Silver Spurs: The Hopalong Cassidy Radio Program, 1950-1952, author Bernard A. Drew examines, in depth,the genesis and recording of the radio drama series, which began broadcasting in 1948 and ended in 1950 after which the series went into television. The half-hour western was syndicated through Commodore Productions, and heard mostly on Mutual stations.William Boyd, who had played the silver-haired good guy who dressed in black in a series of films beginning in 1935 with Hop-A-Long Cassidy-reissued later and better known today as Hopalong Cassidy Enters-and ending in 1948 with Strange Gamble, starred in the series with Andy Clyde offered an ideal blend of rangeland crime puzzles and good humor, with Boyd's belly laugh and Clyde's braying wheeze delighting family members young and old.Drew notes that, "Hopalong Cassidy was an iconic character, particularly when Bill Boyd brought him to television in the early 1950s." He also writes that, "The radio show was a small piece of an enormous merchandising effort which included not only films and television shows but new hardcover fiction books, comic books, and every conceivable piece of merchandise a youngster could want - from trading cards to lamps to bed sheets to toy six-guns. There is still a huge Hoppy fan audience who should be curious about another aspect of their hero's career."Drew's book follows screen actor William Boyd's negotiations with Cassidy creator Clarence E. Mulford as well as Boyd's agreement with Commodore Productions. The book also includes a complete Mutual Broad-casting System press kit for the radio show, and provides a complete list of all 104 programs complete with plot description.
Over the years the motion picture career of Jimmy Stewart has been highly praised and well documented. But did you know that he also had an extensive career on the radio? Among the pages of this well researched book, you will read the detailed work of Stewart on the radio. When Stewart lent his talent "on the air," radio was at its prime and was the main source of entertainment in the homes of America and around the world. Stewart was at the heart of all of this. In all, his radio career spanned seven decades. He did comedy with Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Bing Crosby and Mortimer Snerd. He did drama on Lux Radio Theatre, Screen Guild Theater and Suspense. He even brought some of his best films to the listening audience, including Harvey, The Philadelphia Story and Winchester '73.Go back now to those glory days of radio, when your "mind's eye" and a healthy dose of imagination brought you genuine, clean fun and entertainment. Back to a time when glamorous Hollywood stars weren't afraid to have their voices do all the acting for them...no makeup, no costumes, no pictures of any kind. Come back to a time when Jimmy Stewart traveled the airwaves. Enjoy!
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) anthology series created by Rod Serling presented a series of unrelated drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and horror stories that often concluded with a macabre or unexpected twist. The show has survived, and now the original scripts can finally be revealed. The unique scripts by principal writers Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, and Earl Hamner give a rare look into the creative minds behind these imaginative tales: "The Chaser" (1960) by Robert Presnell, Jr."The Trouble With Templeton" (1960) by E. Jack Neuman"Long Distance Call" (1961) by William Idelson"Dead Man's Shoes" (1962) by OCee Ritch"I Dream of Genie" (1963)by John Furia, Jr."Pattern For Doomsday"by Charles Baumont (an unproduced script) Andrew Ramage analyses include a scene by scene commentary and biographical information about these writers.
"Marjorie White" details the life story of an actress of the '20s and '30s, a top starlet of her day, but virtually forgotten today. She was among the most talented of young comediennes of her era, and had she not died tragically at such a young age, on the very verge of top stardom, would have been among the names most highly remembered these years later, as the equal of such silver-screen luminaries as Jean Harlow, Betty Hutton, Martha Raye, and the others who achieved their own fame in that "Golden Age" of stage and cinema.Born in the provinces of Canada, she was an outgoing performer from her earliest childhood, Worked the WWI years with the Winnipeg Kiddies performing troupe, and went on to acclaim on the Vaudeville stage, and made her screen debut in the light musicals of the late 1920s. With but 15 films to her credit, her inborn Joie De Vie and outgoing elan, she easily stole the show and overshadowed even the biggest names to whom she played "second fiddle."Her story in these pages should remind everyone why she deserves to chronicled to performance history and remembered with a warm smile. Sometimes humorous, other times sadly ironic, it should bring to everyone's heart a soft "if only, if only."Gary Olszewski, an avid theater historian, began this book after seeing her play the lead in 1934's "Woman Haters", billed top and above the 3 Stooges, and started with the thought "Who was she, and whatever became of her?" Upon researching her life and career, he embarked on a comprehensive biographical/historical journey of her and her family ancestry, which dates to Scotland"s House of Stuart in the 1600s. Gary is a semi-retired Vietnam veteran, and currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he continues his literary pursuits.
Twelve Untold Tales of Gary Cooper, Patsy Kelly, Pola Negri, Robert Taylor, Zeppo Marx, Quentin Crisp, The Grapes of Wrath, "Our Gang," Rock Hudson, Soupy Sales, and more. A Work of Non-Fiction by Richard Lamparski Author of the eleven volume Whatever Became of...? series and Hidden Hollywood: Where the Stars Lived, Loved & Died and Manhattan Diary.
Badpuppy MagazineAuthor of the eleven volume Whatever Became of…? series, interviews and stories with and about the great actors and actresses of yesteryear, Richard Lamparski reveals incredible, but true, heretofore untold stories of some of the stellar stars he has met, some of whom became good friends and others who did not. With other 40 illustrations and fascinating stories, Richard kicks some closet doors wide open, reveals the dirt on others, and praises some of the celebrities any gay person of worth will know about to some degree. If you want an intimate look deep inside Hollywood, told with great skill, humor and empathy, add this wonderful book to your "must-read" list. With chapter titles like "The Queen of Sex," "The Absolute Worst Story I know," "A Rainy Afternoon in Beverly Hills," and "Lassie's Master," how could you pass this one by? Hollywood Diary is definitely a keeper!Movie MemoriesYet another great read has come my way with the newly published Hollywood Diary, Twelve Untold Tales by Richard Lamparski (best known for his excellent series of books entitled Whatever Became of…?). Once I started this fascinating 175 page tome, I just couldn't put it down, with its untold tales of the likes of Patsy Kelly, Gary Cooper, Robert Taylor, Mae West, Rock Hudson, Zeppo Marx, Pola Negri, Martin Kosleck, Darla Hood (of Our Gang), Richard Cromwell and a most touching story of the casting of Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath - a choice between Jane Darwell and Beulah Bondi, two of Hollywood's best character actresses ever. There are several "eyebrow lifting" moments here and there, but overall it is always highly entertaining, and illustrated throughout. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to read Mr. Lamparski's companion volume, entitled Manhattan Diary which promises to be another frank and explosive read.
Would Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts be the superstars they are today if they had not been turned down for roles on soap operas?Would Everybody Loves Raymond ever have been created if Ray Romano hadn't been fired from Newsradio?Would the character of Fonzie have become such a pop culture icon in the 1970s if it had been played by Micky Dolenz?How different would Lisa Kudrow's career have turned out if she had not been turned down for a spot on Saturday Night Live?MICKEY ROONEY AS ARCHIE BUNKER and Other TV Casting Almosts answers these questions and many more.Mickey Rooney was producer Norman Lear's first choice for the starring role of Archie Bunker on All in the Family. Worried about the public's reaction to the bigoted character, he turned the role down. Carroll O'Connor was cast and became a star.TV's most famous and infamous casting decisions are explored in MICKEY ROONEY AS ARCHIE BUNKER and Other TV Casting Almosts. You'll read the stories behind the choices that have altered the course of TV history. Inside you'll learn many fun facts including:Katie Holmes was the first choice to play Buffy the Vampire SlayerRosie O'Donnell auditioned for Elaine on SeinfeldGene Hackman was rejected for the part of Mike BradySandra Bullock didn't have the right look for BaywatchLara Flynn Boyle was considered to play Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the CityThe shows are listed alphabetically from According to Jim to Zorro. This book lets you imagine how different your favorite shows could have been.
THE GREATEST SHORT WORKS OF AMASTER OF FANTASYJERRY SOHL (1913-2002) was one of the most successfulscience fiction, fantasy, and mystery writers of his time. A prolificauthor of novels (Costigans Needle, Point Ultimate) and films(Die, Monster, Die! with Boris Karloff ), he is perhaps best-knowntoday for his teleplays for The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, The OuterLimits, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. You hold in your handsthe first-ever collection of this masters scripts and stories!Included in this volume:· Ten classic short tales, including two adapted for the legendary Outer Limits· Two never-seen scripts for The Twilight Zone· An intriguing story treatment for Alfred Hitchcock Presents· A powerful foreword by William F. Nolan· Essay-appreciations from George Clayton Johnson, Richard Matheson, and Marc Scott Zicree· Touching personal tributes from the authors son and daughter, Allan and Jennifer SohlFor fans of classic science fiction, fantasy, and suspense this is a book to savor!
The official biography of the voice of Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound and all things Hanna-Barbera. This first book on master voice actor Daws Butler has been assembled through personal scrapbooks, letters and intimate interviews with family and co-workers. Foreword by Daws' most famous student, Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson).
NBC & MEMY LIFE AS A PAGE IN A BOOK(A MOCK MEMOIR OF MY BIG '80s DAZE WITH THE PEACOCK NETWORK)From May 1984 to December 1985, actor/author/TV producer/singer Herbie J Pilato worked as a Page for NBC-TV in Burbank, California. Many Pages were excited by the frequent showbiz interactions that were accessible and provided by a major TV network facility. Some found work within and outside of the industry. Others found their job only uncovered a depressing, even insulting Hollywood experience. For Herbie J, it was da bomb, as he found himself on the set of Family Ties, The Golden Girls and Wheel of Fortune. He helped to coordinate an affiliates' convention, two press tours, five Bob Hope specials, An All-Star Salute To President Dutch Reagan, the 1984 Democratic Presidential Debates, and the 1984 Emmy Awards. He laughed with established comedians, lunched with network suits, hob-knobbed with celebrities, stuffed envelopes - and passed out tickets to Scrabble - all for a measly $5.20 an hour.It's an experience that he remembers in-depth - and with tongue-in-cheek - in NBC & ME: MY LIFE AS A PAGE IN A BOOK - A MOCK MEMOIR OF MY BIG '80s DAZE WITH THE PEACOCK NETWORK. With NBC & ME, Herbie J (no period after the J - and it's all explained in the book) exposes for the first time the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of his initial TV network tenure. Within these pages (every possible pun intended), Herbie J takes you - the reader - behind closed-doors, down inactive hallways, and inside TV's oldest web of intrigue (that's what they used to call television networks in the old days - webs).NBC & ME offers the fast-track, inside-scoop, close-up-look, and behind-the-scenes peek at my wanna'-be life with the so-called Peacock network - and in the process, becomes the first book to chronicle infamous Page department of NBC (or any other network's Page division, for that matter). In doing so, NBC & ME rides the skirt-tails of past or recent hit television shows like A&E's Airline (which was really Pages on a Plane), Andy Dick's The Assistant, and, of course, Donald Trump's and NBC's very own hit reality show, The Apprentice - as well as the success of NBC's newly-christened Emmy-winning hit comedy, 30 Rock (which features the Peacock net's former Saturday Night Live star/writer Tina Fey and offers periodic appearances by a character who just so happens to be a Page).So, if you're looking for a fun read, NBC & ME: MY LIFE AS A PAGE IN A BOOK fits the bill as, none other than, a real...uhm...page-turner.
One of the most popular and controversial novels of the Twentieth Century was Forever Amber. Kathleen Winsor's story of Restoration England follows the exploits of a beautiful girl named Amber St. Clare who bed-hops her way from country wench to mistress of the King of England. Forever Amber became a cause celebre for the "watchdogs of morality" who attempted to ban the book, which went on to sell millions of copies despite their efforts. When a film version of the novel was announced these same "watchdogs" turned their attention toward Hollywood. Although controversy might sell books and cinema tickets it can also damage reputations and prevent serious works of art from ever being taken seriously. Forever Amber: From Novel to Film hopes to shed a new light on the much maligned movie version of the best selling novel of the Forties and show how misguided censorship can ultimately damage artistic expression.
Vernon Dent.You may not know the name, but you've seen him in countless Three Stooges comedies, usually playing the gruff authority figure. After years of working in the shadows of Moe, Larry, Curly (and Shemp), as well as the great silent film comedian Harry Langdon, Vernon Dent is finally receiving the attention he deserves with this outstanding biography. Written by Bill Cassara (Edgar Kennedy: Master of the Slow Burn), Vernon Dent: Stooge Heavy contains never-before-seen photographs and a massive filmography. Vernon's story is told with the respect it deserves; it is funny, touching, and true. Once read, you'll never forget his name again.
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