Arts and Entertainment Books

The only tragedy about this book is that there are'nt Moore pages. I was truely in awe after every word that I read. This book kept me glued to my seat. I find the career of Sir Ray Moore a perfect analogie of "The Ship of Dreams", The R.M.S. Titanic. As she left port (Peaty Wheatstraw) she was a strong force to be reckoned with, and she was very long too. As The ship of dreams picked up Moore passengers, she gained momentum (Dolemite) until that fateful night where she stoped so suddenly and sank to rock bottom (Disco Godfather). But much like the memory of the mighty Titanic, Rudy Ray Moore will remain hard, in our hearts. "OH DOLEMITE, IM SO HAPPY, IM GONNA TELL EVERYONE DOLEMITE IS COMING HOME"-Queen Bee

This fascinating biography, written by Julian & David Shabazz, chronicles the meteoric rise of one of the world's most influential comedians of the late 1970's, Rudy Ray Moore. The book explores Moore's unerring lust for comic superstardom, a drive that propelled him to the very top of the entertainment scene for much of his adult life. Powered by sharp wit and raw dynamism, Moore created what is arguably the most popular icon of modern folklore: the sassy, street-smart Dolemite, a man whose sexual and fighting prowess have made him the legend of choice for today's black youths. Dolemite is the very embodiment of coolness and style, created by Moore to be a reflection of his own self. The Shabazz siblings also detail Moore's many other characters, from the affable Petey Wheatstraw (or, as he was known to the many pimps and street hustlers of his day, "Mr. Excitment") to the dangerously-menacing Disco Godfather, who mastered the ancient art of karate in order to win back his plundered nightclub. The book also covers Moore's eventual fall into movie obscurity, the end result of a sickening downward spiral that included drugs, hustling and, ultimately, death. Overall, this biography is very well-crafted and contains just the right combination of hard-hitting drama and steamy sexual hijinks, two elements which Rudy Ray Moore not only pioneered but was made famous for.

Just having a listing of the episodes of DORIS DAY'S BEST FRIENDS, the animel-centered series she produced and appeared in back in the 1980s, would be reason enough to purchase this enchantingly obsessed volume. But there are plenty more. I enjoyed seeing McGee scampering through the gardens and byways of Day's multifaceted movie career, mysteriously cut short after the release of THE BALLAD OF JOSIE and WITH SIX YOU GET EGG ROLL. He even has a section detailing the films Day might have made but alas, or in some cases thank God, she wound up not playing in. I never really wanted to see her playing in THE GRADUATE, but some of the other roles offered her she really should have said yes to. Of course there were many other complications in Day's life, and to his credit McGee takes them all on. She had bad luck in husbands, and despite an eternal, and very American optimism, the sunny side of Doris Day we are initially drawn to, there's a darker, sadder, even more melancholy side to her persona as well that's a little harder to access. Thus her appearance at Rock's side in his episode of BEST FRIENDS revealed her in a new avatar, the brave stalwart supporter, nearly an angel, in the time of AIDS, avowing a sexual knowledge she had played with and played behind since the days of ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS.

McGee is also extremely thorough on Day's recording career, a subject on which I was never very well briefed, and now I think I could hold my own end up in any charity competition for knowing how many of Rodgers and Hart's songs Day recorded (plenty, compared to the very few of, say, Cole Porter's) if that was one of the test questions. McGee loves Doris Day, that is for sure, and yet he is surprisingly objective about her talents, judging this or that as a failure or success in its own terms. I never realized, for example, what a mistake JUMBO seems to have been for Doris; its failure, McGee states, precluded Fox from giving her the Maria Von Trapp psrt in the Robert Wise film of SOUND OF MUSIC.

Not simply a biography, but a reference book of Doris' life and her career on records, radio, film and television. This was a much needed book, and is very nicely done. Succinct, thorough and with some nicely rare pictures, although I noticed at least one photo caption which incorrectly identified the year, but that is a small quibble.

Kieslowski changed my life. I watched RED first, then WHITE and Finally BLUE. I've never watched anything that moved me so. So much better than anything that comes out of Hollywood( except for the occasional Shawshank). Ann Insdorf does a great job narrating the DVD--in the 'extras' section of the trilogy. Based on her performance, I bought 'Double Lives'. I enjoyed her personal observations of the master at work. I loved her book. My only complaint is I wanted more analysis of the Trilogy(and the Decalogue). But she gives a fantastic job on the Trilogy DVD set. She's a true scholar of the sage.

I have been an enormous follower and keeper of Kieslowki's work since a fateful afternoon when I stumbled upon a showing of "Blue" several years ago. This of course came to a bittersweet juncture when K died in 1997. Regardless, this book accurately captures the the development of this extraordinary director... and writer. Insdorff presented some interesting insights in her writing amidst some oversights: the car in Blue was a Puegeott, not BMW, and no mentioning of "Blue's" Julie's accident interruption in court in "White". Although Kieslowki's beginnings and earlier works like his string of documentaries and "Decalogue" are crutcial to his foundation as an outstandingly brilliant director as showcased in the Three Colors trilogy, I wished more expoundment was made on the his final three works which is truly poetry in images.

I have loved reading biographys for as long as I can remember, they were my first introduction to serious reading. I had heard of Douglas Fairbans Sr.since my childhood days but all I really knew about him was that he was a famous actor who got his start in silent films. A very dear friend of mine got me interested in silent movies several years ago and had some of Dougs' movies, most of them were silent movies but she also had some of his later sound movies. I bought this book mainly out of curiosity and I'm so glad I did because I enjoyed it from the very first page to the last, it was never boring and I was sorry when I reached the last page, I wanted it go on and on. I found it far more interesting than any biography or autobiography I have ever read . I was amazed at the versatility of the man, he was so much more than just a "movie actor". He loved writing as much as he did acting and started writing short stories while still in his teens. His love of writing continued right up until his death. and his stories were published in various popular magazines. Doug got his acting start on Broadway and after appearing in many flops finally became a star on Broadway. From there he went into movies and soon learned that he preferred making movies to performing on the stage because he could do more and reach a much larger audience with movies. He wasn't satisfied in merely starring in movies, he had to learn everything about the making of them, and later wrote most of his own scripts and formed a movie studio in partnership with his wife Mary Pickford, his good friend Charlie Chaplain, and the legendery D.W. Griffith, they named the studio United Artists. He was a great believer in physical fitness and wrote many articles on the subject for various publications. His atheletic prowess was unsurpassed by any other film actor, he could do things others would never even think of doing, he was truly a superb athelete. In spite of his healthy lifestyle Fairbanks had one bad habit that probably contributed to his early death from a heart attack. This was back in the days before the dangers of cigarette smoking was known by the general public, and Doug was a very heavy smoker, on the average of two to three packs a day. I could go on and on about the man and about this fascinating and unique book. It was brilliantly put together by the curator of the Douglas Fairbanks Museum in Austin, Texas, Keri Leigh. She and the museum staff obviously put many long hours into finding, selecting and compiling the very best of Fairbanks' written works, and I recommend it very highly to anyone who likes biography, or is just interested in movie history.

This is a beautiful and unique book which I'm sure would appeal not only to fans of silent screen legend, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., but also to the general reader with various interests. Fairbanks himself had many interests, skills and talents reaching far beyond those of his acting and film-making career, and this charming book reveals some of these other facets of the Fairbanks personality. This book is, in fact, a collection of written works by Douglas Fairbanks which were first published in the period 1912 to the mid 1930s, ranging from a short story, magazine articles on various topics, interviews and even a few personal notes and letters; even lyrics for a song. All these items are from the Douglas Fairbanks Sr Museum in Austin, Texas, and the museum's curator, Keri Leigh, along with other dedicated Fairbanks fans who have volunteered their time and efforts, have put together this miscellany of Fairbanks' written work to show today's public that Fairbanks was far more than the action-adventure screen hero of the 1920s.

This book begins by revealing Fairbanks' interest in storytelling and writing, with his 1912 short story which is a light-hearted adventure-comedy not unlike many of the films he would star in just a few years later. But his popularity as a screen hero from 1915 onwards did not curb his passion for writing, as the remaining articles in this book reveal. Not only did he enjoy sharing with the public his behind-the-scenes adventures and ideas about the growing film industry in Hollywood, but he generously revealed his deeper thoughts and feelings, such as life style and personal development philosophies which have only become fashionable in recent years of our time. Reading his thoughts penned in the late 1910s and 1920s, it becomes obvious that Fairbanks was a pioneer and visionary, not only in his career as actor and film producer, but also in his personal life with an outlook and wisdom far beyond his time. Furthermore, his writing retains a certain old-fashioned elegance and tone, while also revealing his energetic, positive mentality and sense of humour, making each item - long or short - a pleasure to read and like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, they come together to make a more complete picture of the real Doug Fairbanks. The layout and presentation of "In His Own Words" are also a pleasure to behold, and rare photos and further information on Fairbanks and his work are also included. As an introduction and guide throughout the book, Museum Curator Keri Leigh has penned an excellent foreword which helps to appreciate the contents even more, and further in-depth information is available at the Douglas Fairbanks Sr Museum's website. As a complement to other Fairbanks-authored books still popular today (such as "Laugh and Live" 1917) or on its own as a special compilation, this book reveals Douglas Fairbanks better than any biography could, and is definitely a must-have for fans, as well as a worthwhile read for many others.

This charming book is presented as a children's book, but is suitable for all ages. The large, beautiful illustrations and reproductions coupled with the whimsical text make this imaginative book a delight to look at and read. Small children will appreciate the bright colors of the artworks, and the parents will appreciate the inventive way the author introduces an artist to children - without pretension or difficulty. Any parent wishing to raise culturally educated children should buy this book today! (PS: I say this with experience, both my 3 year old and my 10 year old love this book, but for very different reasons -- and I even catch my husband flipping through it at times)

If you are in early education this book is great for children to see line and patterns. Paul Klee is know for his childlike artwork and it gives children ideas of what to look for in his paintings. The history of his life is also very interesting and that is on the last 2 pages.

Reading this book and being from Central America took me back to the place I came from and remember all the stuff that my Dad and my Uncles used to do. I feel like I was reading part of my life. It made me cry, it made me happy, it made me sad....I think its a great book and I definitely recommend it!

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS THE PEOPLE EVER READ BECAUSE TELLS ALL THE TRUE ABOUT SPANISH PEOPLE HOW HARD WE WORK TO SURVIVE IN LIFE HOW HARD WORKING PEOPLE WE ARE THANKS RENAN FOR REPRESENT OUR CULTURE AUR PEOPLE SO WELL THE WAY YOU DOU THANK YOU ''CUCUY''

I have long recognized the important role Loie Fuller played in 20th century dance, and her impact on turn-of-the-century arts and letters. (Her influence on Mallarmé and Rodin alone would qualify her as worthy of study.) An American who made her greatest impact in Paris, Fuller is most often cited as a brilliant technician for her manipulations of costumes, scenery and especially lighting. But if one examines how other artists (visual and literary) responded to her work, their reactions were far from "technical." There's a good bio of Fuller (by the Currents), and (if you read French) the study "Loie Fuller, Danseuse de l'Art Nouveau" that looks at her influences on visual art. But Garelick's book is the first I've encountered that really examines Fuller's work as a dancer, artist, and filmmaker, and attempts to examine the work's content from several perspectives. This is a thoughtful, well-written study, and I'll forgive Garelick occasionally repeating herself for the insights she offers into Fuller the dancer and artist, and the unique, seminal place she had in the history of modern dance.

A magnificent accomplishment that spans fields, ideas, and phiiosophies and makes for compelling reading. Smart, insightful, funny, wide-ranging.

I found this book in the juvenile biography section of the library, although the information given...doesn't indicate that it might be suitable for teens. In my opinion, both teens and adults could read it with profit. It covers much of the same ground as Bud Kliment's book but goes into a little more detail. All the photos are grouped together in the middle of the book, which is probably a less appealing placement for teens. I didn't like the sans serif typeface; most people find this style of type more difficult to read.

I found this book in the juvenile biography section of the library, although the information given doesn't indicate that it might be suitable for teens. In my opinion, both teens and adults could read it with profit. It covers much of the same ground as Bud Kliment's book but goes into a little more detail. All the photos are grouped together in the middle of the book, which is probably a less appealing placement for teens. I didn't like the sans serif typeface; most people find this style of type more difficult to read.

This book was refreshing because Carman did not dwell on the last few and sad years of Elvis's life. The author presents how he knew Elvis as a person that made tremendous efforts towards inroducing the martial arts to the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s. Before this time, martial arts was not well understood nor appreciated.
I liked the manner in which Carman wrote about Elvis's good qualities, such as his sense of humor and his genuine will to succeed at everything he touched.
Elvis is said to be like no other. Carmen's writing helps the public understand why this is true.

My husband and I just finished reading this book. I have always been an Elvis fan and Wayne Carman shows his love and respect for Elvis Presley in this book. I would recommend that any Elvis fan, karate fan or enthusiast to pick up this book and read it. It is filled with life changing words of wisdom and can help you change your life. Elvis was a fantastic individual and Wayne brings that to life in this book. My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Carman and he is a wonderful man. He writes with knowledge, beauty and love. Read this book, it will change the way you look at life!

If you are a fan, you won't want to miss this extraordinary story of a life-long fan. She lived every Elvis fans' fantasy. It's a book that really pulls at the heart strings and gives an insight to the human side of Elvis Presley.

If you want to experience Elvis, read this book. It has everything a fan wants to know. Great book! I read it five times. It starts at the beginning of his career and continues after his death at Graceland during Elvis Week.