Arts and Entertainment Books

Actress Shirley Eaton examines her career and film history from the 1950s-60s, blending her memoirs with an insider's examination of the changing film industry and its many complications. Chapters do more than provide reviews of Eaton's experiences in film; they consider changing images of glamour and stars, and provide insights on fellow actors. Black and white photos pepper this coverage.

The beautiful Shirley Eaton has written an impressive, fascinating autobiography that tells you everything you ever wanted to know about her life and about the classic James Bond film, "Goldfinger." Miss Eaton played the "golden girl" who was suffocated to death by gold paint early in the film -- her playful scenes with Sean Connery are among the best in the whole series of Bond films, and the image of her covered in gold paint is one of the icons of '60s cinema (landing her on the cover of Life magazine in '64). Miss Eaton tells all the behind-the-scenes stories of that film, making this book a must-have for Bond fans. What's more, she chronicles her own life and long career in witty, intelligent fashion, proving herself to be not just a lovely, talented actress but an inspiration for others. Especially fun are her reviews of other actresses -- Miss Eaton's critiques are insightful and on the money. If you don't know much about Shirley Eaton, you should, and this book is the best way to see what she's really like.

Toward the end of his life John Barrymore frequently experienced a disorientation of time and place. On may 19, 1942 he searched in vain for his Japanese gardener. He had forgotten that his devoted employee had been moved to an internment camp, forgotten that he had run after the government car to protest against this injustice. He dragged himself for the last time to the rehearsal of his weekly radio program. He had not been drinking for the last 2 or 3 days. After the rehearsal he was no longer able to locate his dressing-room. "Some tourists watched him as he tiredly leaned against the wall. Several of the sightseers shook their heads as though in disapproval of the moral character of the man". Ten days later he was "beyond anyone's censure or praise". Fowler was present during his agony and spares us no detail: "Nurses now found it necessary to restrain him. I now found myself unable to look at him again".

Such moments compensate for Fowler's literary sins: Invented dialog, blow-up anecdotes, irritating omissions. Fowler was forced to skip certain omissions out of consideration for people still living: Three ex-wives with a mania for lawsuits. He could not bypass the actor's ex-manager though: This smart businessman eased Fowler of a considerable sum of money for the permission to cite from John's sea log and his reminiscences of his flight to India. Fowler could of course presume that the readers of 1943 were familiar with John's escapades and his frank and sympathetic account of his friend's addiction to alcohol that wrecked everything - health, career, marriages, friendships, fatherhood, self-esteem - made his book into a deserved bestseller.

Lionel was of course the main source about his brother's childhood. Born into a family of actors in 1882 John lost his mother at ten and was educated (spoiled) by his easygoing father Maurice. He spent the summer of his fifteeth year with his dying grandmother ("He bathed her swollen ankles and feet"). Fowler becomes melodramatic when he describes John's debut in the bedroom at 14: "The woman was unable to restrain her desire for the son of the man to whom she was supposed to be attached. She brought to this occasion the a virtuosity that belonged to Persian literature". Fowler disguises her identity - John's stepmother; he could not shove under Lionel's nose that he failed to protect his little brother...

Fowler continues with the tragic collapse of Maurice's once brilliant mind (without mentioning syphillis) and John's art-studies. At 21 he succombed to the family curse: acting. Besides: his relatives - uncle Drew, sister Ethel - were more tolerant of his laziness and unreliability than his editor at the Hearst press where he worked as cartoonist. His indulgent audience forgave him everything because he "inspired love". Absinthe was always handy.

THE FORTUNE HUNTER 1909 made him a star. (I will give details about his plays and biographies in my review of MARTIN F. NORDEN: JOHN BARRYMORE - A BIO-BIBLIOGRAPHY). He married a stagestruck society girl. He drank. They quarreled. And finally she told the judge: "He read all night and slept all day". Edward Sheldon inspired the lazy dreamer into becoming America's greatest actor. Precious-curious anecdotes creep around his New York apartment, his triumphs, his altercations with the audience and his pranks. Arthur Hopkins and Alexander Woolcott shared their memories of RICHARDIII and HAMLET with Fowler.

He pours mockery and derision over the actor's second marriage ("Michael Strange had he face of a Romney portrait and the spirit of a U.S. marine"). That she made him wear partner-look, that she exposed him to ridicule in her self-written CLAIR DE LUNE 1923...Later biographers - John Kobler, Margot Peters - were even more malicious.

John's Hollywood years are the best-documented part of his life, tales about his legendary prodigality - villa, yacht, private zoo, art-collection - colorful. Dolores Costello is regarded as his "good" wife - and yet he was afraid of her. She owed him her career. He coddled her like a princess. I don't mind that she left the sinking ship with the major part of his possessions - but was it really necessary to sue him when he was down and out although she earned her own money? No Barrymore biographer had something nice to say about Mrs. Barrymore nr.4, Elaine. Fowler's account reaches the bottom on page 241 when poor John meets his future manager-couple. Make sure your stomach is empty before reading about their "enormous services - for free!".

Fowler's description of the breakdown and aftermath of his friend's life is perceptive and powerful. His emotional attempts to penetrate the oppressive and suffocating world of the late John Barrymore can move even hardened readers.

Gene Fowler wrote gracefully and eloquently of his great friend John Barrymore in this, a biography from an era in which private lives were not seen as tabloid fodder and in which an author could concentrate on the significant moments of an artist's journey rather than sensationalism. As Fowler intended, Barrymore emerges from this book not as a hell-raising, womanizing alcoholic who was also an actor, but as an artist of real merit and significance whose life was by turns quixotic, hilarious, tragic, the man himself an authentic genius (as can still be seen in some of his film performances) doomed by self-destructive alcoholism. And yet, as Fowler states, "...his spirit remained essentially young and unconquered." Highly recommended for any readers interested in writing as elegant as a Fred Astaire dance number about a great, misunderstood man and actor.

True heroes who are also literary heroes come along only once in a generation. A few that come to mind include Henry David Thoreau (Walden), John Reed ("10 Days that Shook the World"), T.E. Lawrence ("The Seven Pillars of Wisdom"), Anne Frank ("The Diary of Anne Frank"), Ernest Hemingway ("For Whom the Bell Tolls") and Jack Kerouac ("On the Road"). Now there is another name to add to this short list of literary and real-life heroes: Bernard Gordon.
Gordon, a prolific Hollywood screenwriter ("55 Days at Peking," "The Thin Red Line," "The Day of the Triffids," "Battle of the Bulge") was blacklisted in the 1950s because of his politics. Now he has written a great and important book, "The Gordon File: A Screenwriter Recalls Twenty Five Years of FBI Surveillance," which weaves documents from his voluminous FBI file together with his remarkable life story.
Gordon, who is one of the last surviving members of the brotherhood of blacklisted writers, took a courageous stand 50 years ago when he refused to bow to the government's - and the film studios' - pressure to "name names." His brave stand cost him dearly. He had to write under phony names, and then had to leave the country to find work on films in Europe. All this is recalled with great style and remarkable wit, and is masterfully interwoven with more than two decades worth of the FBI's hilariously inaccurate reports that document their surveillance of him.
Never before has anyone shown, in such embarrassing detail, how the government wasted so many resources trying to punish dissent while the country was in real danger. As the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war in October of 1962, the FBI was still fanatically pursuing Gordon. And as Lee Harvey Oswald was preparing to shoot President Kennedy, the FBI was pursuing Gordon.
"And just what of any value did they find out during these...years of unremitting `investigative efforts?'" Gordon asks.
The answer is: nothing.
"From all this effort, any intelligence office with the least amount of intelligence should have been able to see that GORDON never knew anything that could be of any value to anyone, much less to any enemy of the United States," he writes. "It is a comment on the timid bureaucracy of the FBI that no one had the honesty, the courage, or even the common sense to say to someone in authority: `We've been following this guy for years, and it is apparent he has no knowledge of anything meaningful, and has had no contact with anyone like an enemy, so why go on? Why not drop this fruitless pursuit?'"
But this book is not just a chilling - and often very funny - story about a shameful and distant chapter of American history. It is a wake up call for America today.
Gordon reminds us that the same bungling mentality at the FBI that allowed agents to pursue him while the country was in real danger 40 years ago is still prevalent inside the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover Building today - only now they are armed with the First Amendment-crushing powers of The Patriot Act.
And unlike the FBI, Gordon asks the right questions.
"When will we demand that they spend their billions of dollars and millions of hours pursuing perpetrators of crime and true threats to our safety rather than political dissidents?" he writes.
Gordon's book is the best reminder that dissent is not only good, but also that it is patriotic; and that attempts to quash dissent are not only bad, but un-American. Everyone worried about the future of this democracy should read this book. It should be taught in every high school and university in the country.

This is a highly readable, smartly written, surprisingly entertaining, but ultimately sobering look at a very disturbing chapter in our history, the era of the blacklist and the hysteria about 'communists' in our midst. What becomes quickly clear, and what Mr. Gordon effectively shows, is that this sad story is almost certainly being repeated right now in 2004 with the FBI's newly expanded mandate from the Patriot Act and the 'War on Terror'.

Those of us on the left who have been protesting the war, who subscribe to certain progressive magazines or web sites, or who are active in liberal causes will benefit greatly from reading Mr. Gordon's reflections on his FBI files. These files, obtained through the Freedom of Information act, are fascinating and hugely revealing about how our government works. One cannot help but conclude after reading this fine book that little of substance has changed since the McCarthy era, especially with the current administration in Washington. The book makes it abundantly clear that all activist, progressive citizens remain at risk of being treated suspiciously by their own government, and of having their civil rights and rights to privacy violated.

Let's hope that this book is widely read. Mr. Gordon belongs in the company of our best liberal writers, those who are fighting for democracy, justice and human rights (Roy, Zinn, Vidal) and who are not afraid to speak truth to power.

This is a nice paperback version of the complete libretto/script for Grey Gardens, the musical. It includes several photos (the same that are in the show's brochure program) and it is a wonderful volume for any musical theatre lover, especially now that the show has closed. This was a lovingly produced show, and the main reason was the heartfelt music, and the amazing script. What brought this to life was the amazing cast. Read this book and play the CD as you go along, pausing to read the next passage, and you will have a partial "feel" for the show -- although you will miss the wonderful live performances, and the beautiful (and clever) stagecraft - projected cats, and all.

Grey Gardens closed all but too quickly on Broadway. It was absolutley enchanting, thrilling, funny, sad and altogether, brilliant. The music of Scott Frankel, while not represented here, was inventive and complex, while being memorable and tuneful at the same time. The lyrics of Michael Korie, printed in this volume, were witty, moving and intricate. Doug Wright's libretto was absolutely stunning.
Thankfully, the libretto of the show has been released for our reading pleasure. What memories it brings back of this wonderful show and the performances of Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson. Bravo to all involved!

The First, I've found, but hopefully not the last book about the Vancouver Rock'n'roll scene. Modernette's Bass Player Buck Cherry(John Armstrong) lets us know his experiences of not wanting to enter the grind of an ordinary life. Guitar lessons, 7 Elevens, Touring. Vividly descriptive, with all the mess, beer & music rightfully in it's place. Things may not have turned out the way he might have wanted, but This guy's no loser or Quitter. I admired these guys for taking it on the road in a Very different Punk Rock world than what we have today. I will be on the look out for those Lost Canadian punk records & future books. My home now seems more empty without them.

as guitarist/singer for the powerpop/ punk legends the MODERNETTES...he gives you a candid sordid drunkseye veiw of the fertile and psychotic late 70s-early 80s vancouver canada punk/indie scene. vivid and detailed and a hell of a fun ride thru the wastlands of pre-MTV music america. fans of D.O.A, SUBHUMANS, POINTED STICKS and many canadian others need this book...as well as the out of print MODERNETTES retrospective disc "get it straight" on ZULU records. start here first.

If you want to take a trip down memory lane this is the book. Great concert photos of G'nR. Wow!

if you want to see what it is like to live in the fast lane then this book is for you!

This book is a combination of pure Annie Sprinkle and the deconstruction of Sprinkle as provided by critical theorists. The academic sections can be heavy going if you're not used to that kind of writing, but this book is definitely worth getting, even if you end up skipping over the academic parts. The theory is like a frame around the artwork of Annie's life and like any good frame, takes up a small portion of the book, leaving the bulk of the pages for the actual art and information by and about Annie. Annie's art and life are just as vibrant and gorgeous whether you look at the frame or never notice it exists. The critique can help to set Annie's work into a larger context and it's worth reading, in my opinion, but if you love Annie Sprinkle but aren't into the post-modern scholarship thing, don't let that scare you away from "Hardcore from the Heart."

So what else is in this book? Well, there are great photos of Annie from important moments in her life, interviews with Annie and with others about Annie, a fantastic and respectful debate between Annie and an anti-porn feminist, biographical info about Annie and selections of Annie's work -- both scripts from her performances and work written by Annie. If you enjoy collecting and reading Annie Sprinkle's words, you need this book because it has things that don't appear in any other book by or about her. Overall, the book is a buffet of Annie Sprinkle, examining her from every imaginable angle, inside and out.

Annie Sprinkle has been delighting us at the intellectual and visceral levels for at least a decade with her cutting edge approach to sexual taboos. I love the humor and wisdom she brings to the world of sex, and the way she makes me thinkthinkthink about the IDEAS underlying my sex life. Great stuff from a brilliant sexual philosopher and an adventurous feminist. Brava!!

Hands down, the best book on Harold Lloyd, one of the geniuses of silent comedy. The tome is filled with rare information on Lloyd: details on his comic genius, his films, both silent and sound, his acting, his co-stars, his family, his hobbies, and "Greenacres," his unforgettable mansion. If you don't have this book, you're not into Harold Lloyd.

This is a wonderful compendium of and for everything Harold Lloyd! What a great reference. It's filled with facts and fun trivia about the great silent comedic film genius and the people, places and animals that were all part of Harold's world of comedy... and his life on and off the silver screen. I just love this book!

This is not a biography. It is, rather, a detailed exploration of Harold Prince's process, his methods, from his beginnings in the 1950s with 'The Pajama Game,' on through his string of musicals with Stephen Sondheim. the two revivals of Bernstein's 'Candide,' his work with Andrew Lloyd Webber and, in this newly expanded version of a book originally published in 1989, the latest work by Prince, another Sondheim musical, 'Bounce,' the story of the Mizner brothers who were responsible for the real estate boom in Florida.

What makes this such an interesting read is that Prince is amazingly candid about his work, and this includes telling us what he believes went wrong with various of his less-successful ventures, and how even the successes might have been made better. We get inside his mind and come to admire his utter honesty and his immense creativity. Author Foster Hirsch, a professor who is an expert on American musical theater, writes in a neatly crafted style which makes the book un-put-downable.

This is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the Broadway musical, particularly of the last fifty years.

Scott Morrison

Fans of producer/director Harold Price, who was a giant in musical theatre circles, will relish an expanded edition of the classic coverage which even includes an updated foreword by Prince himself. Prince's works are wide-ranging, from his direction of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita" to his productions of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "West Side Story". Various chapters cover Prince's more recent work as well, adding insights and numerous rare photos which make Harold Pricne And The American Musical Theatre a 'must' for discriminating audiences.

Carol Ilson has written a readable, interesting and informative book about the career of Broadway's foremost director/producer, Harold Prince. It covers all of his shows from Pajama Game to Parade, a forty year career. It's a book that should be eagerly read by theater-goers and anyone interested in the American Musical Theater. It has been called a "treasure trove of the theater."

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Carol Ilson's Harold Prince: A Director's Journey is the definitive biographical work on one of the most successful and influential men of Broadway and American musical theatre during the decade of the 1990s. Candid, informative, insightful, occasionally inspiring, Harold Prince is very highly recommended reading for students of American theatre in general, and Harold Prince in particular.