Entertainment Books

This is a wonderful book and I love all the pictures. I am a huge Lucille Ball fan. Have looked through this book more than once. Love it every time!

They say pictures are worth 1000 words, but as far as I'm concerned the book doesn't need words! Some pictures I have NEVER seen before. I LOVE IT!

Bart Andrews and Tom Watson celebrate the career of America's First Lady Of Comedy in this loving tribute. Released in 1980 and still in print today...it's just that good.

This is a wonderful profusely illustrated book on the life of the great star Lucille Ball. One of the few books to look at her full career, not just her television success, it has many rare photos from her exceptionally long film career as well as her pioneering television work. The back cover color photo of a 30ish Lucy is worth the price of the book alone!! One of the top five books to own on this wonderful woman.

Excellent book. Bela Lugosi is one of my favourite horror artists. He has made many films and thanks to this biography we can understand Mr. Lugosi as well as an artist and human being.The pictures are so good.
Can we imagine Bela Lugosi as Jesuschrist and Dracula at the same time ???

"Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers" isn't a biography of the late horror icon. Great biographies on Lugosi have already been done, most notably by Arthur Lennig in "The Immortal Count". Rather, author Gary Don Rhodes takes a different tack. While the book does contain a biography of Lugosi, it only comprises less than forty of the book's 400 plus pages. Rather, Rhodes has tried, and very successfully I might add, to provide lists of everything relating to Lugosi's life and career.

After the bio-section, we get a list of every known Lugosi residence in the United States, complete with address, telephone number, and the years...or often times months...that the actor resided at each spot. One could make quite a trip out of visiting all of Lugosi's former homes in California. We also get a list of all of Lugosi's court appearances for divorces, lawsuits, and bankruptcy petitions. Each goes into incredible detail and allows the reader a rare glimpse into a celebrity's personal life. There is a very detailed account of the lawsuit that Lugosi's son, Bela Jr., brought against Universal Studios when he discovered his fathers likeness being used to sell products such as the old Aurora model kits.

Rhodes next provides a list of every Lugosi film, not only his movies in the U.S., but also those he made in Germany, and his native Hungary before coming to America. Each film includes a list of cast, credits, plot, synopsis, and production notes. While there is obviously a lot more detail included on the films made here, I was quite surprised at the amount of information that Rhodes was able to uncover on Lugosi's foreign credits. It's hard enough sometimes to find out details about silent films made in this country, let alone those made in Germany and Hungary.

Next up we have Lugosi's stage, live, vaudeville, radio, and TV appearances, again with a staggering amount of detail. A selected list of over 500 articles from magazines over the years follows and provides even more details about his career. These articles are culled from magazines like Variety, Famous Monsters of Filmland, FilmFax, and Midnight Marquee.

Still hungry for more? How about a list of Lugosi's most famous quotes, books on the star, articles on merchandising and collecting Lugosi memorabilia, and Lugosi mysteries. Perhaps the most famous mystery surrounding Lugosi is the test film shot for his audition to play the monster in "Frankenstein". Rumors persisted for years that the film existed and it was even advertised for sale but was never produced. Truly one of the Holy Grails in horror history!

"Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers" is a fabulous book because it ISN'T what you thought it would be, i.e. just another biography. Rhodes did a lot of legwork to come up with a treasure chest full of information about a true Hollywood legend.


Reviewed by Tim Janson

In August, 1956, faded horror film star Bela Lugosi died forgotten and penniless in Los Angeles. Five marriages, two bankruptcies, and a slow descent into chemical abuse and career collapse had taken their toll. Considered the ultimate "Dracula" star and actor today, Lugosi had watched his film success peak in the early 1930's. Boris Karloff quickly passed him by as the new King of Hollywood Horror. And poor Bela never recovered from the loss of prestige. Settling for a paltry $3500. to star in "Dracula" for Universal in 1931, Lugosi fumbled through a long line of poor business managers and faulty screen appearances right up until his untimely death. Just one year after his demise, Universal Studios re-packaged their old classic 1930's horror flicks for TV as "Shock Theater". Instantly, teens around the world reveled in the calculated mannerisms of the Hungarian Count. A big new star was born...just after his final curtain. "Lugosi: His Life in Films" reveals every detail. Published in 1996, you won't find this excellent compendium in any store. But you can order it through Amazon. Lovingly written by cinephile Gary Don Rhodes, the book lists every film, event, and appearance of the cinema icon. Bela Lugosi was scheduled to play Dracula in 1944's "House of Frankenstein". He never did. A marvelous photo of him as Jesus Christ(one of many great pics) reveals his true versatility. These rare pictures and historical investigations are all here for the true Lugosi fan. It's astounding that such a comprehensive work is available. Should we be surprised? Maybe not. After all..."There are many things under the sun..."

THE MAIN EVENT IS A GREAT LOOK AT WHEN THE WWE REALLY TOOK OFF IN POPULARITY. THE WWE WENT TO CABLE TV AND WRESTLING TOOK OFF. IT COVERS ALL THE WRESTLEMANIAS, MEN'S WOMEN'S AND TAG TEAM CHAMPS ALONG WITH ALL THE MANY WRESTLERS WHO HELP MADE THE WWE SO POPULAR BACK IN THE 80'S. FROM ROWDY RODDY, HULKSTER, STUDD AND ANDRE IT'S ALL HERE IN THIS BOOK. MANY OF THE SUPERSTARS ARE GIVEN A 2 OR 3 PAGE DETAILED LOOK AT THEIR CAREER AND WHERE THEY ARE NOW. I WANTED MORE AFTER I READ THIS. I REALLY ENJOYED THE NOSTALGIA IT BROUGHT BACK ESPECIALLY THE MR T AND CYNDY LAUPER HYPE IT BROUGHT BACK IN THE MID 80'S. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL WRESTLING FANS. A GREAT BUY.

Shields' book is really informative and entertaining. It's filled with pictures and stories behind the stories.
It begins with a chronology, encompassing great photos and events for for easy reference.
A great gift for anybody interested in wrestling.

Ive yet to read the whole book, but ive skimmed thru it and bought it right away. The book is an amazing weatlh of info of the WWE in the 80's. They however, do not have any color photos which seems odd. I hope they do a book on wrestling in the 90's as a follow up.

If you have a young fan in your life that doesn't know a lot about the 1980s WWF, this is a perfect little item to give them. The WWE went into detail to try and give a pefect summary of all of the major stars that helped defined the decade, point out major angles and title changes. This book and WWE Legends are two must haves if you're just getting into watching the exciting action that takes place on WWE Programing every Monday, Tuesday and Friday Nights

This is an excellent book!! Andrea Hill is an inspiration to all of us. She understands the mind-set of actors and prepares the reader for the various pitfalls of the acting profession. She covers territory that is often overlooked in most of the "How-To-Make-It" type books. If you want to be an actor, whether you live in New York, L.A. or anywhere in between ... buy this book!

Finally, a book written by an actress turned psychologist who's empathetic and logical. Very insightful and helpful!

Finally, a book for actors written by an actress turned psychologist who's both empathetic and logical!

This book is a one of a kind look at the psychological issues that actors have. As a person who has been persuing acting for 10 years, I believe that this a a very unique and helpful book. Each chapter presents a real life problem and goes on to discuss, analyze and suggest contructive solutions. It has something for everyone from depression due to losing a role, to eating disorders. I personally found the chapter on structure and discipline very motivating.
This book should be in every actors' library. I have not seen anything else like it.

Matt Dudney is not only the son of legendary entertainer Barbara Mandrell, but also a well-trained gourmet chef. This is a great addition to any cookbook collection, with great recipes and insightful behind-the-scenes tales of the Mandrell family. I highly recommend this cookbook!!!

Matthew Dudney did an excellent job with this book. It has lots of great recipes that are easy to follow. It is also a great read. Matthew has included many family stories and pictures about his famous Mandrell family. It has a little bit of everything. I highly recommend this book to everyone whether you are a Mandrell fan or not. Try out some great recipes as well as learn some things about the family and see some great pictures!

MR. DUDNEY HAS COMPILED DELICIOUS RECIPES ALONG WITH HEARTWARMING AND HUMOROUS STORIES ABOUT HIS FAMOUS FAMILY. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN READING ABOUT THE MANDRELL FAMILY, BECAUSE OF THE WHOLESOME REPUTATION THEY HAVE ALWAYS HAD. THIS BOOK PORTRAYS THE CLOSENESS OF THE FAMILY THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN APPARENT TO ALL THEIR MANY FANS.THE AUTHOR OBVIOUSLY PUT MUCH THOUGHT, TIME, AND EFFORT INTO PRODUCING SUCH A FINE COOKBOOK. IT WILL MAKE A BEAUTIFUL WEDDING OR SHOWER GIFT. I CONSIDER THIS AN OUTSTANDING AND MOST UNIQUE COOKBOOK.

I have enjoyed reading the book as well as all the terrific recipes. I think it was a great idea to put a story in with the recipes. It seems more personable than just a regular cookbook.

This is by far my favorite Marilyn book ever! There are so many photos, that you don't have to face that anxiety of looking at the last one! This is a several sitting book, even if you are just using it as a coffee table book..

I found this book to be a very special one on Marilyn Monroe and her "platonic" relationship with a special fan/friend. This book spans an eight year relationship with the author. You get a "back-seat" view of how Monroe's personality was, whether it was happy, gloomy, or sad during their "friendship" period. I truly enjoyed reading this book. It should be considered a "must read" and "must have" copy for for all Monroe's fans' and buffs' libraries alike. As the previous reader stated, this book was written from a perspective of someone being very close to Miss Monroe; somewhat placing this as a "unique" and interesting bit of MM reading. Lastly, the author gives the reader a "touching" bit of his own soul, when he describes his very last meeting with Miss Monroe before leaving for California.

If you can get this book, get it. Mr. Haspiel was a teenager when he met Marilyn and he stuck with her. His information is first hand, as opposed to authors who cash in on researched material. James Haspiel is the source writers went to for their magazine articles and such, and his book is wonderful. He even has pictures of Marilyn, proudly displayed, without make-up on.

This book is a revealing account of Mr. Haspiels friendship/relationship with Marilyn Monroe ("Mazzie" as he affectionately calls her) during the last 8 years of her life. Not just another historical perspective of Miss Monroe's life, the book is written from the viewpoint of someone who was obviously quite close to Miss Monroe as the many photo's and documents substantiate. The candid revelations and thoughts concerning the author's and Miss Monroe's friendship is what makes this book unique. A highly recommended book especially for those interested in a more personal account of the life of Marilyn Monroe.

Big Mac truly saved Baseball along with Sammy Sosa back in the summer of 1998. He was a Great Hitter all through His career&He deserves his place in cooperstown. this Book is a solid Read.MCgwire was always bad from his Days in Oakland through the End in St Louis. Big Mac is the truth&he should be a Hall of Famer easily.

Mark McGwire, the only person to hit 70 homeruns in a single season. He did this in his last season of profesional base ball in 1998 on the St. Louis Cardinals. He was on the Oakland A's for 12 years and was on the St. Louis Cardinals for 4 years. He played first base. He bats right and throws roght also. he is 6'4", just like my dad. Mark weighs about 250 pounds. Born October 1, 1963 in California. McGwire went to the University on Southern California. He was Oaklands first draft pick.(tenth over all). Throughtout the 1998 season the nation watched Mcgwire to see if he would break the 62 home runs in a season. Indead he did and everybody congradulated him. But best of all. His best friend and fan, Sammy Sosa. Many people said he took steroroids, but i do not belive that and neither does this author.

Mark started off as a rookie in 1986. He was drafted to the Oakland A's. When Mark was a kid he actually hated baseball and loved golf, but his parent's told him they really wanted him to play baseball so Mark finally agreed and at his first at bat he hit a home run. When Mark was in his teenage years he was asked to join the California All-star team and he hit a ball into Mexico. It just happened to be that they were playing on the border of California and Mexico. In high school he had to quit the team he was playing on because of a knee injury but Mark was so good in baseball he was awarded a scholarship. In Mark's professional years he is probably going to be most famous for hitting 62, home runs but when he started he was horrible .Mark said it was a slump but the media thought different but after he starting hitting well, he was right. It was a slump. I really enjoyed reading the book Mark McGwire because it was very interesting and exciting I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book is a an excellent re-cap of Mark McGwire's career and a thorough look at his head to head competition with Sammy Sosa. The writer does a very good job of portraying McGwire as hero to both parents and children. A perfect book for anyone interested in this fine baseball player.

this book is amazing for anyone who wants to see what it was like for maroon5 to tour for 4 years. a great book for any fan!

The book delightfully displayed wonderful memories through photographs of the bands musical tour. I enjoyed the message each member of the band wrote, not wordy which I prefer but insightful. The photography is very good and the pictures are a treasure in itself. You will be very pleased with this book.

this book is a must have for every m5 fan. it chronicles, in photography, the band's three year tour from small venues to soldout arenas. the book measures 6.5' by 9', and each picture is a full-sized page. it's a behind the scenes, in front of the scenes, at breakfast and long after midnight ~america to europe & back~ photo-diary of their lives for the last 3 years. also included is a page or two that each of the guys wrote for us.

I had the Pleasure of Meeting all 5 members of Maroon 5 at a Book Signing here in California last week and they could not have been nicer! They were Very Friendly, were on Time(unheard of for a band this big) and happily chatted and posed for photos with fans! These Guys Really appreciate their fans! The Book is Beautiful, packed with HUNDREDS of Photos from their last concert tour which lasted 3 years in support of their cd songs about jane. What is fascinating about the book and the band itself is that before songs about jane came out, these guys were just a struggling band playing in small clubs and colleges(hard to beleive but true). So the book actually gives you a rare glimpse of a band right before they became huge and you the reader get to witness this and view how fame and fortune changes the band and judging from the Book signing, fame and fortune hasnt changed these guys at all. When songs about jane became a huge seller, many people in the media called maroon 5 an "overnight sensation", The guys must laugh at this because the overnight sensations was like 10 years in the making! These guys worked their butts off to achieve the success that they now have and its nice and refreshing to see that they are still down to earth and they havent forgotten who got them to this point. The book in alot of ways is a tribute to their fans so GO BUY IT!

I've been "in love" with Matt, if I can call him that... ever since I first saw him and watched his first movie. He is truly gorges, talented, and brillant!!!!!!! I just want to thank him in this liture for being the most beauitful, talented and GORGES person I've ever seen, heard, read, or watched before!!!

I enjoyed this informative book on Matt Damon. He is a talented actor (not to mention good looking), and I've always loved watching his movies.

Without a doubt, Matt Damon is one of the most exciting new faces to have recently entered the Hollywood scene. This book does a terrific job of balancing the cultural influences that created Mr. Damon's charming sensibility, with an insider's take at Matt's past, present and future projects. Whether you are shopping for an adoring child, or you find yourself strangley curious about this rising new star, I whole-heartedly reccomend this "perfect" summer read.

I think Matt Damon is a great influence on young adults. Any one who can write like him, act like him, and be so all together charming has my vote! Yeah, Leo's cute, but his head is way up in the clouds! And he can't write like Matt!! I loved this book, I also bought Golden Boy;a biography and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck;on and off screen I recomend them all!!

I have followed Timothy Bradstreet's artistic progression since his collaboration with Tim Truman on Dragon Chiang. He has a style and an intrepretation of his subjects that is unrivaled and unequaled by the popular artists that glut the market today. Maximum Black shows the progression and graphic expressionism of his world. This is a world that everyone should be able to become immersed in, to lose your soul only to have it renewed and hopefully expanded. Discover Mr. Bradstreet and experience Maximum Black you will not be disappointed.

This is a fascinating work,definitely worth placing a special order for. How can beings so threatening be so beautiful? Bradstreet combines, in all his work, a sense of both easy grace and very real menace. The tattoos adorning his characters are as integral a part of them as the pelt markings of a leopard or tiger are to those animals: they are patterns of both power and beauty. Now,if we can ever get to see Red Sky Diary...!

Every illustration seemed to jump out and strangle you. Every image is beautiful, scary, erotic and exotic. The techniques used by the artist are great, with wonderful exactness and precision, but somehow out of control at the same time. The reading is quite interesting as well. Especially interesting are the sketches.

I have met Tim Bradstreet, and he like his work are simply amazing. His book, Maximum Black issimply outstanding. His use of the basic black and white create touching, erotic, and images that strike awe in the viewer. Overall, his book is only a piece of what mastery the man has over the pencil, pen, and ink!