Movies Books

This book is very interesting, part cookbook part Hollywood scandles.

Laurie Jacobson delves into some of Tinsletowns most interesting stories.
From the murder trial of Spade Cooley (who killed his second wife in the 1940's) to the untimly death of the orginal Edna Turnblat (Divine) Lauie Jacobson tells about the scandals and then shows a recipe connected to that person (After talking about Roman Polanski she shares a recipe for the nachos he at before fleeing to Europe during his rape trial.)

A very interesting book.

I fortuitously fell into this little gem the day after xmas.....a belated "BEST" present to myself.
While I already own Jacobson's two other books and hold her in high regard, this book proves that she is only getting better as a film historian and writer.
She assumes a slick, quasi-cinema noir persona in her narrative and mixes in a Sandra Lee-like easy 'recipe' that takes a not too subtle slam at each of the scandals/stories she relates. The vanity of the 'dish' (aka scandal/tragedy/hard luck story) only enhances the general readability of this book. This is a novel approach that makes an already interesting product even more appealing. I kept thinking that the author did a terrific job with the material she was presenting.
Aside from the kidding around, this book is really rather fair and factual. The author knows her stuff and relies on knowledgeable sources to substantiate or refute claims made in the book.
My only criticism of this book is that I wish it had been longer and had covered some other stories that I find interesting and want to know more about. Hopefully there will be a follow-up to this book which will do that.
Anyway, this is a very good read and worth the $ and time spent reading it.

I had so much fun reading this book! The stories are great and Miss Jacobson clears up a lot of false Hollywood rumors. The best part about this book is that it includes chapters about some forgotten stars like Carole Landis, Dorothy Kilgallen, and Lupe Velez. Anyone who is a fan of classic Hollywood and loves juicy gossip will want this book.

I love Laurie Jacobson's books and this one is the best yet!!! I love her "juicy little tidbits" about the stars of yesteryear. The stories are very entertaining and I love the fact that she also included recipes to match the stories. A very clever thing to do!!! It's almost like 2 books in one, a gossipy book and a cookbook! I hope she continues to research Hollywood and to write wonderful books about the stars!!!! My only complaint---it's not long enough!!! I am ready for a "Dishing Hollywood II".

I highly recommend Dishing Hollywood The Real Scoop on Tinseltown's Most Notorious Scandals. Laurie Jacobson really knows her stuff and serves up heaping portions of scandal and intrigue of Hollywood's most notorious stars. I have read all of the author's books and Dishing Hollywood is Jacobson at her best. Jacobson brilliantly spins tale after sordid tale, "sprinkles" famous film quotes throughout each chapter and "tops" off with a recipe of the star's favorite dish (or, in some cases, their last meal!). Dishing Hollywood is a tasty treat, and I can't wait for Jacobson's next book!

this book is great.Very happy to included this one in my collection.Already have a tattoo planed of bride of frankenstein.

I'm in agreement with another reviewer that mentioned the book could have been better written. That being said, it is well worth the price for all the fantastic paintings and drawings. A must for every fan of horror and sci-fi art.

Even without text, this book would've earned 4 stars, just for the impressiveness of Gogos' work. Within this book are large, crystal-clear repros of his most famous monster cover paintings, as well as samples of his illustration work.
The only setback for this book is its lack of depth in the text. It seems that whoever was sent to interview Basil didn't ask too many questions, didn't want to really know too much about him except for his general acheivements, and didn't ask him for a demonstration of how he works. Among all of the great pics, some candid ones of the artist would've been nice, most notably a pic of his studio.
Still, the images are so rich in color and character. Worth it!

First of all...Like so many reviewers before me have said; almost every boy that grew up in the '50s & '60s anxiously collected our 35 cents every month so we could go to the local candy store & buy the latest issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland. This magazine became our bible & 4E Ackerman became our surrogate father. More than 45 years have passed; but I can still remember those magnificent covers as though it were yesterday. Basil Gogos painted the cover of the Gorgo issue which had a blue background & also the Vincent Price issue which had a white background,etc. This Book displays all of Basil Gogos outstanding cover art which graced the cover of FM for so many years. Don't take my word for it...ask Stephen King, Rick Baker, George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, John Landis, Rob Zombie & a host of others..This book is an absolute delight for the senses & like fine art is meant to be treasured,

If you were fortunate to have been born between 1950 and 1970 or so, you're lucky to be a part of a wonderful fraternity. Like me, you are a "monster kid". Monster Kids are the generation that grew up with Shock Theater and campy horror movie hosts, old Aurora model kits, classic Universal horror films on 8MM, and...a fantastic magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland. Famous Monsters was edited by legendary collector and Sci-Fi sage Forrest Ackerman and one of the great attractions throughout the years were the magnificent magazine covers painted by Basil Gogos. From Vanguard Productions comes "The Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos." Basil Gogos has rightfully been called, "The World's Most Famous Monster Artist." His bold, expresionistic use of color is what caught the eye of little ghouls like myself and my friends. Edited by Kerry Gammill and J. David Spurlock and with an introduction by Rob Zombie, the book provides a dazzling display of Gogos' art not only from Famous Monsters, but from many other magazines, books, and films.

In fact, his first professional sale was not a monster, but rather a cover for a western paperback (reprinted in the book) in 1959. Gogos did numerous covers in many different genres including westerns, war, jungle adventures, spicy adventures, and more. Dozens of examples of his work from this period are included. His first cover for Famous Monsters of Filmland appeared on the cover of issue #9 from November, 1960, depicting Vincent Price from "The House of Usher". For the first time, kids who were used to only knowing them from black & white films now saw their monster heroes in bold color thanks to Gogos. In all, Gogos did 48 covers of Famous Monsters and they are among the most popular issues for collectors. Everyone has their favorite Gogos Famous Monster cover...for me it was his rendition of Boris Karloff as the Mummy from issue # 58. The fine detail of the withered, dead-eyed mummy still mesmerizes me. Issue #56 featuring Gogos painting of Karloff as the Frankenstein's monster for the Karloff tribute issue is another favorite. Basil provides valuable insight to his legions of fans by discussing the various paints, styles, and techniques that he's employed over the years.

Gogos would eventually move into doing fine art as well as non-monster commercial illustration including work for many years at a New York advertising agency. But much like the victims of those classic monster films, Gogos found he could not, for long, escape his beloved creatures. The 1990's brought a renewed interest in Gogos' monster art and soon he was back doing new paintings for trading card companies, CD cover art for The Misfits and Rob Zombie, and a whole new generation of monster magazines such as Monsterscene, making him more popular than ever. Gogos even did the concept art for a series of U.S. Postage stamps in 1997 that featured the classic monsters. The book features comments and tributes from such luminaries as Sara Karloff, Ken Kelly, Forrest Ackerman, Roger Corman, and Rick Baker. In all there are over 150 color and 50 black & white illustrations in the 160 page book. For monster kids like myself, who are all "grown up" now, Basil Gogos will always have a special place in our hearts. His Famous Monsters of Filmland covers take us back to a simpler time of true chills and thrills and I can think of no other book that would please a monster fan more than "The Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos." Like many of the books from Vanguard Productions, it is available in several different editions: There is a softcover, a hardcover, and a deluxe hardcover that is signed by Basil Gogos and includes a 16 page bonus folio and comes in a slipcase. The Deluxe, signed, slipcased edition was an instant sell-out and is already selling for big bucks on the collector's market. My highest recommendation!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

A nicely researched and insightful biography of Florence Lawrence, one of the most shadowy yet important figures of early cinema. Many things about Florence's life and career will perhaps always remain vague, but Kelly Brown gives a worthy account of America's "first movie star." It is refreshing to know that Flo is finally getting the recognition she deserves. This book is a must for the true film buff.

This slender volume is fascinating because it finally paints a well-researched picture of the long forgotten Florence Lawrence. I've always been fascinated by her after seeing publicity stills of her from the mid-1900s. She appeared to be warm, charismatic and fascinating. Her greatest tragedy is that none of her films have been shown in eighty years. I have one of her shorts, "Flo's Discipline" which only lasts about twelve minutes but it gives you a hint of how dazzling she was before the cameras. While her cohort, Mary Pickford, went onto a spectacular career that included mind-boggling salaries and a world-famous Hollywood castle, Pickfair, poor Lawrence was living in a small, hotel room, being paid a few dollars a week as an extra at MGM. Her life would make a wonderful movie--and a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of how fleeting fame is, and how fickle is the public when it comes to remaining faithful to the flavor of the month.

Florence Lawrence was an enigma I had always wanted to know about, having been interested in silent films for many years. Information on her was scarce, save for some still photographs in silent movie history books. Kelly Brown really did her homework, in what must have been a difficult task, digging up information about a star whose heyday was almost 90 years ago! Congratulations, Kelly, on a job well done! I can't recommend this book highly enough!

I always enjoy a good biography, especially those of the nearly forgotten silent screen stars. This biography of Florence Lawrence was well researched and had many wonderful photos. The author did a good job with the resources available. Most of the films and people involved in silents are gone now, so the job is doubly difficult. Although pricey, this biography is well worth reading.

Florence Lawrence was "big" before there were movie stars. She was the original "Biograph Girl" before Mary Pickford was given that name by movie fans. After losing her job at Biograph, she was hired by Carl Laemmle's IMP company (later Universal). As a publicity stunt, Laemmle started a rumor that she was dead. Then she made a personal appearance in St. Louis and was mobbed by fans.

Unfortunately she was pretty much out of work in five years. Poor managemet by her husband Harry, as well as a painful injury forced her into bit parts. She was still acting in very small parts into 1938, when she gave up on life and committed suicide.

Kelly Brown has done an incredible research job. Using Florence's surviving correspondence, as well as trade magazine artices and advertisements, she has reconstructed Florence's life. The book has many footnotes noting sources, and there is a very detailed filmography. Instead of a book full of dry facts, Ms. Brown keeps Florence's story interesting. If you are interested in early cinema, or even important women actresses, you should definitely read this book.

Here is Sinatra stripped of everything who leaves me knowing he has deserved my love and admiration all these years. With Sinatra, he drove himself through life going after whatever he wanted and risking the consequences. We get to look at his ups and downs and his prides and his falls. We see him suffer at love and sing about it. We see him finally, after all the aborted tries, finally sink himself into a relationship with his last wife that kept him happy until he died.

Life for Sinatra was all or nothing at all and he did life his way and fell into lots of tender traps and led some into his own tender traps, like one famous movie star I will let you discover on your own.

What so special about Nancy's book is that she is amazingly organized and objective in her account of her father's life. And the CD, well the CD is everything. You get to hear Sinatra on Sinatra, unabashed.

Everyone on the planet needs to buy and read this book to learn what life can be when you go for it all every day!

Kudos to Nancy for a biography well, well done.

This book has excellent pictures with the most vital information for a biography project. A great buy and great read for interested fans of Ol' Blue Eyes.

No wonder this book is so thick- it's filled with numerous photos of Frank Sinatra, his family, and friends over the years. I love looking at these pics, and so will any other Sinatra fan. There is detailed info throughout the book as well. This is one worth having in your collection.

This scrapbook is a real treat to any true SINATRA fan.It is full of pictures of everybody who was important in his life from his parents to collaborators like arrangers NELSON RIDDLE; all his wifes from NANCY to BARBARA;the legendary LOUIS B. MAYER etc.Better than most biographies because it is based on facts not rumours.The early pictures from his beginnings are alone worth the price.I was fortunate enough to get this book at the third of it's price and i went through it very fast because once you open it, you simply can't take your hands out of it.If FRANK became the singer of the past century, it's not by accident, he worked hard at it.I was particulary touched by his loyalty to his true friends.FRANK SINATRA is a mirror of his country. He was the son of immigrants who lived the AMERICAN dream to the fullest.Where is the AMERICAN dream today now that it's last legend is gone?Let's not complain too much ,because everything that FRANK SINATRA ever recorded is now available on cd.Nostalgia when you think of it is a very good thing.SATURDAY is not the loneliest night of the week anymore thanks to the chairman of the board.If you are not already a fan, this book should do the trick.

I had to get this book after seeing how low the price came down.The original price was 40 dollars. Nancy Sinatra's book on her Father has everything in here.I couldn't believe Frank weighted 13and a half pounds when he was born on December 12,1915.The Doctor ripped and scarred his ear,check,and neck,plus puncturing his eardrum.Frank wasn't breathing,so his grandmother Rose held the baby under cold running water until he gasped his first breath and cried.This book is like a Diary.It goes from year to year,sometimes month to month.All of Franks movies,records,concerts,TV shows,songs,and the name of the songwriters are in here,plus hundreds of pictures,starting with Frank's baby photo, ending with a touching family photo taken in 1996.There's a wonderfull picture of Marilyn Monroe taken with Dean Martin sitting ringside at the Sands..All of the stars are in here,and family pictures we've never seen before.If you are a Frank Sinatra fan,you have to get this Book.Its huge,and the pictures are fantastic.

The author has a website I believe at cozybooks dot com and anyone who has appreciated reading the book might leave the author a note there. The other reviews have captured the impact of reading this book. It's so vividly clear that I too can imagine a new film with the likes of our favorite actresses - Jodie Foster and cameos for Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, etc.

Janice Brooks Young's historical novel leads me to think, as many of us are today, about the meaning of war and peace in a climate of global conflict.* I'm reflecting on humankind's inability to live peacefully, not to mention equitably, within the limits of earth's resources.

This novel is based on substantial research into WW II Sumatran internment camps for women. I'm not a historian so I can't comment on how closely it portrays living there. But I do intend to take my own advice this Thanksgiving week; let me think not only about my comfy life in America 2007 compared to theirs. I continue to think of ways other than misguided war and accompanying atrocities that we can create a just world where generosity of spirit is valued and domination and cruelty are not.

* This book like the Iraq war is profoundly disturbing.

I read this book years ago, loved it and have for years wanted to read it again. However, I could not remember the title or the author. I searched every used book store I came across and finally found it again recently and was thrilled. It is a wonderful story of courageous women. It is a must read for any WW2 history buff. As someone else stated, I, too, wish Steven Spielburg would make it into a movie. This story comes alive and the characters are so real that I found myself forgetting that I was reading a novel. I was there, living this story with the characters. I could not put the book down. This is one of the best books I have ever read and I will guard my new copy closely. I do not want to ever lose it again!

This book gives an excellent "feel" of women under stress and in appalling conditions in an internment camp during WWII. The characters are very realistically portrayed, and the book contained a great deal of historical fact. I found this book hard to put down. My only regret is that I cannot find a copy of the movie, "Silent Cries", based on Ms. Brooks novel.If you can find the book, buy it. You won't be disappointed.
'

I read this book about 10 years ago and it was one of the few stories that would pop into my head over time. I always wondered what happened to this book----2 weeks ago, I found the book in an old box and reread it with just as much enjoyment as I did 10 years ago. I NEVER reread books! But this story was just so vivid in detail, I couldn't put it down. Now that I know it is out of print, I will make sure it goes with my treasured (small) collection of books I want to pass down to my daughter. If you can get a copy, worth the read and my copy is a worn, yellowed hand me down--wish I could have see the movie they made! As other reviewers wrote, this is a book that you really get attached to the characters. The ending just left you wanting to know more about woman who went through this experience!

A member of my book club loved this book so much that she took it upon herself to purchase several copies and require it to be the subject book the next time she hosted the club.

Well, I did not get one of the copies she had so I ordered my own through Amazon. I can't put this book down, it is fascinating! The characters are all unique, each with their own depth. The author has obviously done her research well in order to make the story seem factual. The only thing that I do not like is knowing that I will truly miss these characters after I finish the book!!!

I have never seen such a beautful and colorful calendar. When the day is over you dont want to get rid of it. The nicest day to daya calendar I have ever purchased.

If you love Harry Potter, you will love seeing a new scene every day of 2007.

This calendar is awesome because it has all four years in it, and the pictures are really cool. Sometimes the descriptions are a little off, but that's no big deal. I really like it.

I love the calendar i get excited every day when i go to work to see which picture it will show. I know I might be a dork, but I don't care. Everyone should own a Harry Potter Calendar.

I love this calendar!! With every new day comes a new picture from one of the four movies. Along with the picture is a description and the title of the movie it is from. It is the perfect size for your desk too!

We received this book as a gift when our baby girl was born. I love this book. The verse is very sweet and simple and describes emotions that will be familiar to a young child. The illustrations depict the emotions with enough detail that a child can start to recognize them. Very few children's books these days have illustration this nice. Highly recommended.

LOVE is an unconditional. This book illustrates the differences between like and LOVE. This is a great book to read to children of all ages. The illustrations are marvelous. Even though the choice of roles may be a little gender biased, the story still depicts and models (for parents or caregivers) the art of teaching love.

Great book, easy to read and really lets your child know they are very loved and very special.

I read this to my niece every time she sleeps over..She goes over to the book shelf and picks it out...along with a few others we read before she goes to sleep...Jessalyn is 3 years old..

My favorite line in this elegant volume is when
the regally dressed Mama fox says to her little one,
"I love you any way you feel, no matter what you do."

How many of us wonder, "Will they still love me, even
though I......." fill in your blank?

How many times we PRAY the important people in
our lives will love us unconventionally and how many
times do we deny ourselves the comfort of a
"Yes, ofcourse I will love you any way... no
matter what you do"?

Read this child to the preschooler in your life
AND be sure your teen-aged children (nieces,
nephews, neighbors, passers-by) are listening
as well. Read it often.

Read it to yourself when you are feeling low -
and allow yourself to be embraced by Mama Fox.

It is a less-than-five-minute investment
in contentment, peace and growth in
unconventional love... and hopefully the message
will carry over into the hearts and souls
of the listeners.

Just read what everyone else has written...

She needs to climb out from those piles of ramie/cotton blends and update her book for us!

"If You Ask Me" collects 61 of Libby Gelman-Waxner's (aka Paul Rudnick) comedic movie columns from Premiere Magazine's first 5 years, 1988 until her 5th Anniversary column in 1993. Balancing roles as Assistant buyer in Junior's Activewear, East Side yenta, and "American's most beloved and irresponsible film critic", Libby lambasts movie cliches, aging movie stars, and directors who suffer from Auteur's Syndrome. She swoons over hunky actors and fixates on actresses' coiffures. She keeps us current on the movie-going adventures of her orthodontist husband Josh, perfect daughter Jennifer, tragically single friend Stacey Schiff, and cousin Andrew. Libby is laugh-out-loud funny.

Those who followed Libby's career until the demise of Premiere Magazine in spring 2007 can see how she became the critic we know and love and revisit some long-retired features like "The Libby Awards" and "Letters to Libby". It is amazing and hilarious how seriously some readers took her. Libby's first five years were more manic and plagued with run-on sentences than her later years. This book witnesses the point at which she hit her stride as a critic, about 2 ½ years in, with an article entitled "The Entertainment Factor". Before that, Libby was scattershot and not quite a reviewer.

Of course, Libby's foremost intention was always to entertain. But in those cases when more serious reviewers all got it wrong, which occur like clockwork twice a year, Libby set us straight. Those columns are among her best, and they earned her my respect as a critic. Libby's gossipy wit was also on hand to observe the cinematic transition from the 1980s to 1990s in her column "Making Nice". Her scrutiny of '80s Greed versus "'90s New Niceness", i.e. hypocrisy, is another example of incisive commentary in a deceptively shallow package.

"If You Ask Me" is a wonderfully entertaining volume that no movie buff should be without. Libby could get away with saying what other critics couldn't, because her comments were shrouded in humor. She got even better than this, so it's unfortunate that the other 14 years of Libby are not available as a book. The Introduction refers to this as "Volume 1", so I hope that Paul Rudnick has not completely forgotten about that implication and we can expect the rest of Libby soon. Although the movies are listed under the article titles in the table of contents, an index of movies would have been helpful, as would dates on the articles.

With the demise of Premiere magazine, the time has come to update this hysterical tome and bring every last one of Libby's incisive, razor-sharp observations together into one volume. Surely her devoted fanbase deserves that much...

If you ask me, Libby is the best thing - and sadly often the only thing - worth reading in Premiere. This book is a collection of some of her earlier columns.

I remember picking it up in a bookstore, and reading the part about "Rain Man" and laughing so much I was helplessly bent over and terrified that I would be thrown out or carted away by men in white coats. Luckily, I wasn't.

Hollywood badly needs someone to prick its enormous bubble of egotism, and Libby is always up to the job. Many movie stars are in desperate need of a reality check, a reminder that their hangnails aren't on the same level as say, world peace.

In addition to Libby, we meet her adorable children, Mitchell-Shawn and Jennifer, her friend the terminally single Stacy Schiff, her husband Josh (like Bill Clinton he can balance a budget, then jog over to pick up a bag of donuts), her mother, and her shrink - all of whom contribute columns.

Equally funny if not funnier than Dave Barry at his best, this book is a worthy addition to anyone with a slightly warped sense of humor's shelf.

You'll come for the hysterical observations, but you'll stay for the depth of thought. In reviewing Field of Dreams, for example, in between tart and hysterical observations about Kevin Costner's ambit, we get the incredible telling and onpoint observation that James Earl Jones' character seems oblivious to the fact that baseball was segregated in 1919. Whoa, Libby, you snuck that one in on us. Libby's humor is premised in her unabashed shallowness in movie tastes--she doesn't want to see Calcutta, she wants to see a cut up Patrick Swayze (one of the studs of her era)--and in her understanding of the Hollywood culture that movies reflect. In noting that the jobs women have in movies shift from art gallery director to caterers, she observes that these are great things for Hollywood wives of movie executives to do for "fulfillment" for a month or two, but not the way that the average woman in the real world will be pulling in the bread. Well, she makes that observation in a less heavy handed and much more hilarious way. Libby, forgive me, I lack your craft.

The most important thing about this book is that it is always fun and never self-important. Paul Rudnick, the man behind Libby, had fun with it, and so will you. In Libby fashion, I should note that my adorable mother, Mary Christine Motes, recommended this book to me. Thanks, Mum.

"The Making of the Wizard of Oz: Movie Magic and Studio Power in the Prime of MGM--And the Miracle of Production No 1060" is just downright enthralling. It is an expose' that breaks down the machinery and the machinations of what it took to get a major movie made in the days of the autocratic studio heads. The book offers an entertaining and totally engrossing look at the legendary film. Judy, Ray, Jack, Bert, Margaret, and Toto, too, are all analyzed in this brilliant work. The songwriters, the respective directors, the many other craftsmen, as well as the "little people," in more than the figurative sense, are all here. Vividly embellished with stills from the production, the book's text is just as captivating. The familiar as well as the unfamiliar stories about the production make for a most satisfying read for any "Oz" fan. It is also a good primer for anyone with an interest in pursuing film as a career.

It doesn't matter unduly if you didn't grow up watching MGM's 1939 color movie "The Wizard of Oz" in re-release or on TV. You might think that a "Munchkin" is what used to be called a "doughnut hole." You may think of Judy Garland only as Liza Minnelli's mother, and avoid prewar movies like the plague. Maybe you didn't feel that shock of recognition that "Cora the Coffee Lady" in Maxwell House TV commercials was none other than Margaret Hamilton, the green-faced Wicked Witch of the West.

Of course, if you love "The Wizard of Oz" you've love THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ all the more. I just read this book for the second time (the first upon its initial publication), and was astonished and pleased by how well it has held up. Author Aljean Harmetz has crafted a book relevant not only in terms of one particular "prestige" movie off the Hollywood assembly line; but indeed her insight, research and friendly presentation make the book stand as a metaphor of all Hollywood filmmaking during the height of the Studio Era, ca. 1940. Perhaps the late Irving Thalberg was one of the few Hollywood insiders who could "keep the whole equation of pictures inside his head," but Ms. Harmetz opens up this world for us, and shows us both its realism and its wonder.

We return to an era in which studio moguls were as eccentric and powerful as today's software barons, when studio hands were nonunionized yet intensely loyal to their studios, when no movie studio even thought about a future containing broadcast TV, when movie stars were better known than Presidents or Kings, and when Technicolor would give you any color except the one you wanted. Nonetheless, solving the creative problems inherent in bringing L. Frank Baum's novel "The Wizard of Oz" to the screen was seen as an invigorating set of challenges to be met and conquered.

Back then, MGM had a real "can-do" attitude. So no one had
ever created a moving tornado for a film? After two tries the MGM tech people got it right, and the depiction of that horrendous twister so set the tintype for what a tornado ought to look like that it persists in our collective consciousness today, despite today's ubiquitous video cameras.

There were no tape recorders. How, then, to raise or lower voices artificially for dubbing? This book tells how. What happened when Buddy Ebsen almost died from an allergy to aluminum dust he had worn as the (originally intended) Tin Man? Why was Margaret Hamilton burned severely and ignored, yet Billie Burke turned an ankle and was whisked off the set in a white ambulance? Why did the film need four directors and half a dozen screenwriters, yet was fondly recalled as a labor of love by practically everyone except a prematurely embittered Judy Garland? Was the film the great commercial and critical success you might think it would be? And, by the way, what about those Munchkins' alleged sexual proclivities? Excellent answers provided by excellent research present a fully-formed world view, warts and all.

THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ would be a wonderful companion to the new restored DVD version of the film, which is so crisp you can count the gingham checkers on Dorothy's blue dress (which was actually violet, to fool the Technicolor process). How were the ruby slippers made? What about that poppy field? Read on. Some critics have said that Harmetz's later work is not as excruciatingly well researched as THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ, but I don't care. This book and the movie are not only as much fun as ever, but a great education in the good old/bad old days of the Hollywood "Dream Factory." Don't miss it!

MGM's movie,based on the book by L. Frank Baum,"The Wizard of Oz,"is nearly 70 years old. But its stars, Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton, still shine brightly as ever, and the movie continues to be a particular favorite of young and old.

Aljean Harmetz is the daughter of a woman who worked backstage at MGM. Harmetz's mother worked in the Wardrobe Department; she was able to estimate sewing costs on thousands of costumes, from 1937 to 1951 --including the nearly one thousand needed for "The Wizard of Oz,"alone.

So starting from this birds' eye view, Harmetz is well able to explain how "movie magic and studio power in the prime of MGM" resulted in "the miracle of Production #1060." To that end, she did hundreds of interviews, with actors, singers, songwriters, cameramen, screen writers, costumers, directors, and technicians. She succeeded in bringing the great glory days of MGM, under its sentimental czar L.B. Mayer, to technicolor life.

Harmetz explains how the Emerald City was designed and built; how the cyclone was created. She tells us how Judy Garland's immortal "Over the Rainbow" was nearly lost, as envious, nitpicking producers responded after the film's first screening: "Why does she sing in a barnyard? Take it out!"

The author gives us fine portraits of Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West--"she enjoyed every moment screaming about those slippers." Binnie Barnes, who played the Good Witch Glinda, retiring to her pink and blue dressing room to await her next call. Bert Lahr creating the endearing cowardly lion-- his costume weighed over 50 pounds. "It was like carrying a mattress around with you," he said. And he could only sip liquids once in full makeup. Ray Bolger, the dancer who created the Scarecrow, " I have no bones. I have nothing inside me. It's just the wind holding me up." And Jack Haley who inherited the Tin Woodman's part after an allergic reaction to the aluminum paste makeup, put Buddy Ebsen, first cast for the part, in hospital.

You should find you read these marvelously detailed pages with great enjoyment, and if you're as sentimental a fool as I can sometimes be, even with emotional involvement. If you love the movie, you might want to try to find this book.

The making of the Wizard of Oz is a wonderful book to anyone who has grown to love the Wizard of Oz. You don't even have to be an obsessive fan of the movie like myself to enjoy it. It is extremely well researched. If information is not known the author says it so and does not attempt to recreate history as some nonfiction works do.

Perhaphs what makes the 1939 movie so wonderful is learning all the behind the scenes things that went into making it. This book gives respect and a knew sense of understanding as to what movie making was like in the biggest studio of that time. It is written so that it doesn't need to be read front to back. You can start in the special effects section and finish in the chapter about the script, or the music, or the directors (did you know there were four?).

Did you know that the movie had the work of 10 writers or do you know how the surrender dorothy scene was done? Well, in this book you find out his and thousands more did you know facts to impress friends. I recommend this to anyone who has watched the Wizard of Oz. And if Oz didn't win an academy award for best picture in 1939 than that was because the academy didn't have this book to help choose.

If you're a die hard fan of this classic film then you'll want to read this well-researched "making of" tome. The book is filled with all sorts of wonderful trivia tidbits but most of all it gives an insightful review of those behind the camera in a way I've yet to find in other "OZ" related books. The one and only shortcoming of this book is to be found in the number of pictures, in my opinion there could have been more, otherwise it's a behind the scenes look that most OZ fans won't be disappointed with.

A book of challenging feeling between the lovely couple Maryann, a sensitive girl
and the-have-to-be-with-your-girl Logan are having to `' cool their relationship
for wail'' because Maryann thinks their spending TO MUCH time together. One of
another Ann Marten realistic fiction Baby Sitters Club series book.


by C. Koenig

Mary Anne Likes Logan, But Logan Is Taking Over Her Life. Finally Something Terrible Happens. I Reccomend Bringing Tissues When You Read This Book. But Read It!

It's sad mary anne and logan ended it here, but the book was beautifully written. As you read about the dates Mary Anne was on and how she was describing each environment, you feel like you're there with her. Especially the parts where she goes ice skating with Logan, and when he surprises her with a Valentine's Day dinner with presents after sometime of "cooling off" the relationship. They end up breaking up in the end because Mary Anne feels as though he is controlling and wants things his own way all the time. But will they ever get back together? You'll have to read the next Mary Anne book in the series to figure it out!

Looking back on my youth and teenage years, I used to read BSC religiously. I have all the books that were made from the time I was in 5th grade, up until I graduated high school a few years ago. When I first read Mary-ann vs. Logan, I was shocked because I really didn't think that they'd really do it. I was heartbroken, and happy at the same time. I found this book the other day in a box while I was moving, and in the front flap of the book I marked off each time I read it, and I had marked it a total of 15 times, so that's how good the book was! I recommend it to any BSC fan.

Mary anne wants to break up with Logan because he is taking over his life. For example, they will go out to a movie, the n Logan chooses the movie for them. There is also a part in which Logan becomes rude to Mary Anne.