This is one of my favorite movie star biographies. Gloria Swanson was a major star during the silent era, and she worked with greats like Charlie ChapThis is one of my favorite movie star biographies. Gloria Swanson was a major star during the silent era, and she worked with greats like Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille, and Erich von Stroheim. She was married several times, had a famous affair with Joseph Kennedy, and concieved several children. Her career failed when talkies came, but triumphed again in 1950 with Sunset Boulevard, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. Through her success, she kept a level head and a great work ethic.
Before reading this book, I had only a mild interest in her, as I was unimpressed with many of the silent films she starred in, but her personality shines through so brightly in this book, it is impossible not to like her. She was no great beauty, but what she lacked there she made up for with intelligence and wit.
The length of Swanson's autobiography is intimidating, but each page is a treat....more
I was really stunned by how candid this book was, and how wonderful. Carol Burnett is so endearing, and she's talented too! This book is a treat to reI was really stunned by how candid this book was, and how wonderful. Carol Burnett is so endearing, and she's talented too! This book is a treat to read.
Burnett is probably best known for her television show where she performed in various skits with a talented cast. One might not realize just how shy she was as a kid, or that she never dreamed of being a movie star until college. However, it is all here in this autobiography, a charming and personal account of a life filled with entertaining characters. We learn about Nanny, the woman who raised Carol and her younger sister Chrissy. We find out about Carol's alcoholic parents Jody and Louise, very different people and different influences on Burnett's life. There are many stories of growing up, school, various jobs, and family, each incredibly relatable and great fun to read. It is hard to put this book down. It is written to constantly leave the reader wanting more and never disappointing.
It is obvious that Burnett has a great love for her childhood although she wasn't always the most popular or the richest. She is an ordinary woman with a life that anyone can latch onto. The only disappointment is that it is so short. Burnett skips talking about her famous tv show as well as the marriage that brought her the three children she wrote the book for. It leaves the reader wanting more. Perhaps there will be a sequel one day; it will no doubt be as good as the first....more
I've loved Wynton Marsalis ever since I heard him speak about Louis Armstrong on Ken Burns' Jazz documentary. This book is a celebration of music and I've loved Wynton Marsalis ever since I heard him speak about Louis Armstrong on Ken Burns' Jazz documentary. This book is a celebration of music and advice for young people who want to become involved with it. His intelligence shines through. ...more
This is a must-have for any Smothers Brothers fan. Bianculli does an excellent job of taking us through their lives pre-fame including details about tThis is a must-have for any Smothers Brothers fan. Bianculli does an excellent job of taking us through their lives pre-fame including details about their upbringing and lives in high school. He gives lots of details on a show the boys did where Tom played an angel (I have to get my hands on that show!). And of course, quite a lot of information about The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the guests, the writers, and the struggles to stay on the air. The author did extensive research and interviews, so there are lots of opinions here, and lots of funny stories. It was a joy to read, and I would do so again....more
Esther Williams was Hollywood's one and only movie mermaid, a swimming star who made relatively few movies considering her lasting fame. This is the sEsther Williams was Hollywood's one and only movie mermaid, a swimming star who made relatively few movies considering her lasting fame. This is the story of her life, from humble beginnings with parents who struggled during the Depression to career ambitions to be a buyer at I. Magnin and her subsequent movie stardom and marriages. Williams is refreshingly candid about it all and does not hesitate to complain about people she worked with. This is not to say she is snarky about it, but when a co-worker (Johnny Weismuller) constantly sexually harassed her, and when film directors asked her to perform dangerous stunts, she wrote about it. Her life was not the fluff that her movies were, but she had a good grasp on her shortcomings and her reflections are perceptive and entertaining....more
If you don't know anything about Katharine Hepburn, this is not the best place to start. If you are familiar with her work and know a little bit aboutIf you don't know anything about Katharine Hepburn, this is not the best place to start. If you are familiar with her work and know a little bit about her background though, this book is a treasure. Hepburn is a legendary actress. Her career spanned decades and her performances make a lasting impression on the viewer. Part of what makes her so memorable is her attitude, uncompromising and strong, but also vulnerable.
A. Scott Berg came into contact with Hepburn through other projects but quickly became her friend. She hosted him at her house in Fenwick many times and the two became close over two decades. His memories and astute observations about who Hepburn really was underneath the star persona are invaluable. The fact that he shares them here to a public eager to feel they know the celebrities they admire is wonderful and satisfying.
I read this with the Silver Screen Book Club....more
Carol Burnett is a lovely woman. After reading her first book, I was excited to find out she had written another. This one filled in a few of the blanCarol Burnett is a lovely woman. After reading her first book, I was excited to find out she had written another. This one filled in a few of the blanks from what occurred after the last one, and it sheds some more light into the funny things that happened on the set of the Carol Burnett Show. It is written in short chapters, each one its own short story, many with great laughs toward the end. Many of them come from question and answer sessions she had touring following her hit television show. Burnett has a way of finding humor in everyday life, and that talent is on display here. Although the format might seem shallow, as a whole, this book gives insight into Burnett's personality and it is no wonder she is still well-loved after her heyday. It is a quick and delightful read. ...more
This book is amusing, but nothing to read twice. Fisher bounces from subject to subject, all of it laced with her trademark sense of humor, which makeThis book is amusing, but nothing to read twice. Fisher bounces from subject to subject, all of it laced with her trademark sense of humor, which makes for easy reading. Sometimes it is difficult to decipher which anecdotes are facts and which are just jokes, but if you're reading this book for a concrete biography, you're reading the wrong book.
There are a lot of funny stories, especially those about Fisher's mother Debbie Reynolds who has good intentions, but comes off as a very eccentric woman. You can tell there is a lot of love between mother and daughter, if not quite adoration. ...more
This book is divided into three sections. The first is the true autobiography portion and the most enjoyable. The chapters are short, and the voice isThis book is divided into three sections. The first is the true autobiography portion and the most enjoyable. The chapters are short, and the voice is enthusiastic and pleasant. Chapter 21 will be of particular interest to book lovers, as it is about Keller's love of books and which moved her the most. She describes her passion well. "In a word, literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disfranchised... They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness."
"But in college there is no time to commune with one's thoughts. One goes to college to learn, it seems, not to think."
"Many scholars forget, it seems to me, that our enjoyment of the great works of literature depends more upon the depth of our sympathy than upon our understanding."
Not all of it is a delight to read though. The second section is all letters and is amusing for a while, but it gets repetative and tedious. This is more like an appendix than an actual piece of the story. The third portion is like an abridged biography, and much of the information contained in it can be found in Keller's own words in the first section.
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