Raquel Stecher's Blog, page 12

December 5, 2020

2020 Classic Film Holiday Gift Guide

Today I'm proud to share with you my 2020 Classic Film Holiday Gift Guide. It's a little late to be sharing (better late than never right?) but these are great options for last-minute gifts or to treat yourself with. These are mostly new products but I also included one older release. I did things a little differently this year and decided to present each recommendation in a styled photo. I hope you enjoy them. And I will be adding a few more options in an update so stay tuned.

Shopping with my buy links helps support this site. Thank you!

Happy Holidays!

This Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars & Stories
by Carla Valderrama
TCM and Running Press
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — TCM Shop

52 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter
by Jeremy Arnold
TCM and Running Press
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's — TCM Shop

Bruce Lee: The Greatest Hits
The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), The Way of the Dragon (1972),Enter the Dragon (1973) and Game of Death (1978)2 Disc SupplementsBlu-ray Boxed SetCriterion Collection
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Deep Discount — TCM Shop

Tony Curtis Collection
The Perfect Furlough (1958), The Great Impostor (1960), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962)Blu-Ray setKino Lorber
Amazon — Deep Discount — TCM Shop

Holiday Affair (1949)Dir. Don HartmanStarring Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey, Gordon GebertBlu-Ray
Warner Archive Collection
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Deep Discount — TCM Shop —Warner Archive

Sergeant York (1941)
Dir. Howard HawksStarring Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie, George Tobias, Stanley Ridges4K Restoration Blu-Ray
Warner Archive Collection
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Deep Discount — TCM Shop —Warner Archive

Lonesome (1928)
Dir. Paul FejosStarring Barbara Kent and Glenn TryonBlu-RayCriterion Collection
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Deep Discount — TCM Shop

Outside the Law (1920)Dir. Tod BrowningStarring Lon Chaney, Priscilla Dean, Wheeler OakmanBlu-RayKino Lorber
Amazon — Deep Discount — Kino Lorber — TCM Shop

Drifting (1923)Dir. Tod BrowningStarring Priscilla Dean, Anna May Wong, Wallace Beery
White Tiger (1923)Dir. Tod BrowningStarring Priscilla Dean, Matt Moore, Wallace BeeryBlu-RayKino Lorber
Amazon — Deep Discount — Kino Lorber — TCM Shop

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Published on December 05, 2020 11:52

November 29, 2020

Video: Updated Classic Film Bookshelf Tour

If you love reading about classic film, here is a special treat! Take a peek at my classic film bookshelves which are packed with lots of great books about film stars, studios, genres and much more.

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Published on November 29, 2020 11:53

November 27, 2020

Video: Female Led Pre-Code Movies

I had a wonderful time chatting with Robert and Stephen of the YouTube channel Coffee with Aliens at the Movies about women in Pre-Code film. We discussed The Divorcee (1930), Blonde Crazy (1931), Working Girls (1931), Millie (1931), Safe in Hell (1931), Baby Face (1933), Female (1933) and Design for Living (1933). I hope you'll check out our discussion and subscribe to their channel!

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Published on November 27, 2020 09:32

October 13, 2020

Fright Favorites: Review by Ally Russell

Photo source: @OneDarkAlly on Instagram
Fright Favorites31 Movies to Haunt Your Halloween and Beyond by David J. SkalTCM and Running Press224 pagesSeptember 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Fright Favorites Is a Seasonal Treat!

Was Bela Lugosi buried in his Dracula costume? Would The Thing (1982) be as popular today if it had been directed by Tobe Hooper . . . with Christopher Walken in the role of R.J. MacReady? How many gallons of blood were produced for Scream (1996)?

If these are the kinds of questions that keep you up night—you’re not alone.. because a ghost is probably right next to you! I’m just kidding. I mean you’re not alone figuratively, which is why you should add Fright Favorites: 31 Movies to Haunt Your Halloween and Beyond to your library.

Written by David J. Skal and published by Turner Classic Movies and Running Press, this 224-page book guides readers through a century of horror film history, and boy is it a treat. To put it in terms you might better understand—Fright Favorites is like the full-size candy bar in your trick-or-treat bag: it’s small enough to hold in one hand, delicious, and is written in digestible, bite-sized sections so that you can savor it or eat read all of it in one sitting!

If you usually finish your Halloween candy in one sitting, then you’re in luck. There’s plenty more to read from Skal, whose other books include Hollywood Gothic, The Monster Show, and Something in the Blood.

Fright Favorites is small, but it packs a monstrous punch. The book includes 200 photos (full-color and black and white) on thick magazine-style paper, cast and crew details, historical information, and fun facts. Each section of the book also includes a comparable movie recommendation, so while the cover promises 31 films to haunt your Halloween, readers will actually get 62 suggestions! The book is available as an e-book, but the print edition is so much more delightful to hold in your hands.

Fright Favorites sets the stage with an entertaining and informative history of Halloween in Hollywood, which includes a glorious full-page black and white still of Vincent Price beneath the shadowy image of a bat. Readers are then introduced to classic monster cinema, which begins with Nosferatu and wraps up with The Mummy (1932). From there, readers are whisked into post-war horror films like Them! (1954) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). If you look to your left, you’ll see treats from Hammer Films, William Castle, and Alfred Hitchcock. Literary classics get their turn in the ethereal limelight with films like The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and The Shining (1980). Night of the Living Dead (1968) eventually shambles from its grave to give you a small but yummy taste of zombie cinema. (Except they’re not called zombies in George Romero and John A. Russo’s classic film—they’re ghouls!) Then we make our way into the present—sort of—with classic and new slashers like Halloween (1978) and Scream. Finally, the book concludes with fun-sized treats—horror lovers with a funny bone will enjoy reading about Young Frankenstein (1974), Beetlejuice (1988), and Hocus Pocus (1993).

As excellent as this book was, I have to note that the film selections were lacking in diversity. Only two films feature Black leads—Night of the Living Dead and Get Out (2017). Sure, the book is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of horror films, but I do hope that a second volume is on its way because Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color have also contributed to the horror film industry and those films deserve a place among these pages.

Skal’s introduction was so engaging and fun to read that I would have liked a proper send off. However, if a book about horror cinema must end abruptly, then I suppose a full-page black and white photo of Vincent Price is a fitting goodbye.

One of the most exciting things about Fright Favorites is the thrill that comes with each turn of the page. Rather than peek ahead, it’s more fun to try to guess which film will come next. Try it—you’ll have a blast while reading.

From its menacing black and orange cover to its full-color end papers featuring horror movie posters, David J. Skal’s Fright Favorites: 31 Movies to Haunt Your Halloween and Beyond is a seasonal treat that horror and classical film fans will want to keep on their coffee tables all season long.

About the writer: Ally Russell has a ghastly passion for horror writing. She has created podcasts episodes and written content for the Horror Writers Association’s Young Adult & Middle Grade blog, Scary Out There, and has written for Night Worms and reviewed horror films for Out of the Past and QuelleMovies.com. She also hosts the FlashFrights podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. Ally holds an MFA in writing for children from Simmons University. When her childhood dreams of becoming a full-time witch didn’t work out, she settled for a career in publishing. She lives in Boston but hails from Pittsburgh—ground zero for the zombie apocalypse. She can be found on Instagram at @OneDarkAlly.

Thank you to Running Press for a copy of Fright Favorites for review.All content is property of Out of the Past ~ A Classic Film Blog. Copyright © 2007-2018

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Published on October 13, 2020 10:00

October 10, 2020

New & Upcoming Classic Film Books (15)

This new list is long overdue. After what seems like a month of research, I finally gathered up some notable classic film book releases. A few of these I have already dived into myself and many more have found a new home on my wish list.

Are you new to my list? Here are the details. The books include biographies, memoirs, scholarly texts, coffee table books and more from a variety of publishers. Publication dates range from September 2020 to December 2020 and these are subject to change.

Links go to Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Powell's. When you use my buy links to purchase and order a title you’re interested in you help support this site. Thank you!
Happy reading!

Fright Favorites 31 Movies to Haunt Your Halloween and Beyond by David J. SkalTCM and Running Press224 pages — September 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Hollywood Hates Hitler! Jew-baiting, Anti-Nazism, and the Senate Investigation into Warmongering in Motion Pictures by Chris Yogerst University Press of Mississippi 208 pages — September 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Before Bemberg
Women Filmmakers in Argentina
by Matt Losada
Rutgers University Press
196 pages — September 2020
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Camera Lies
Acting for Hitchcock
by Dan Callahan
Oxford University Press
272 pages — September 2020
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Jose Ferrer
Success and Survival
by Mike Peros
University Press of Mississippi
320 pages — September 2020
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Psycho Puzzles
Thrilling Puzzles Inspired by the World of Alfred Hitchcock
by Jason Ward
Carlton Books224 pages — September 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Zorro's Shadow How a Mexican Legend Became America's First Superheroby Stephen J.C. AndesChicago Review Press
304 pages — September 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Quick Takes: The Femme Fatale
by Julie Grossman
Rutgers University Press
174 pages — September 2020
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Boxing Film
A Cultural and Transmedia History
by Travis Vogan
Rutgers University Press
208 pages – October 2020
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Cary Grant
A Brilliant Disguise
by Scott Eyman
Simon & Schuster
576 pages – October 2020
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Cary Grant
The Making of a Hollywood Legend
by Mark Glancy
Oxford University Press
568 pages – October 2020
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Celeste Holm Syndrome
On Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Ageby David LazarUniversity of Nebraska Press168 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Essentials Vol. 2
52 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter
by Jeremy Arnold
TCM and Running Press
312 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Nichols and May InterviewsUniversity Press of Mississippiby Robert E. Kapsis336 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Exorcist BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby Mark KermodeBFI136 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Night of the Living Dead BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby Ben HerveyBFI128 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Picturing Indians
Native Americans in Film, 1941-1960by Liza BlackUniversity of Nebraska Press354 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Servant BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby Amy SargeantBFI120 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Stanley Kubrick
New York Jewish Intellectual
by Nathan Abrams
Rutgers University Press
344 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Story of Film Revised Editionby Mark CousinsPavilion544 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Steve McQueen In His Own Wordsby Marshall TerrillDalton Watson Fine Books504 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Sunrise BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby Lucy FisherBFI97 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Throne of Blood BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby Robert N. WatsonBFI98 pages – October 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

100 Iconic Gangster Movies by Pierre ToromanoffGingko Press240 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Big Sleep BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby David ThomsonBFI80 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Harry Dean Stanton
Hollywood's Zen Rebelby Joseph B. AtkinsThe University Press of Kentucky256 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The James Bond Movie Encyclopedia by Steven Jay RubinChicago Review Press400 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

L'Age d'or BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby Paul HammondBFI85 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Last Word The Hollywood Novel and the Studio Systemby Justin GautreauOxford University Press218 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Movie-Made Appalachia History, Hollywood, and the Highland Southby John C. InscoeThe University of North Carolina Press256 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Muscles in the Movies Perfecting the Art of Illusionby John D. Fair and David L. ChapmanUniversity of Missouri Press
426 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Rocco and his Brothers
BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby Sam RohdieBFI85 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Sally Rand American Sex Symbolby William Elliott HazelgroveLyons Press280 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

She Damn Near Ran the Studio
The Extraordinary Lives of Ida R. Koverman
by Jacqueline R. Braitman
University Press of Mississippi
352 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Seventh Seal BFI Film Classics: 2nd Editionby Melvyn BraggBFI73 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

The Stardom Film Creating the Hollywood Fairy Taleby Karen McNallyWallflower Press160 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

This Was Hollywood Forgotten Stars and Storiesby Carla ValderramaTCM and Running Press240 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Anita PageA Career Chronicle and Biographyby Allan R. Ellenberger and Robert Murdoch PatonMcFarland121 pages – November 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Charlie Chaplin and A Woman of Paris The Misunderstood Masterpieceby Wes D. GehringMcFarland215 pages – December 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

S. Sylvan Simon, Movie MakerAdventures with Lucy, Red Skelton and Harry Cohn in the Golden Ageby David C. TuckerMcFarland188 pages – December 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Stanley Kubrick Produces
by James Fenwick
Rutgers University Press
230 pages – December 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

In case you missed it...

Cinemastrology The Movie Lover's Guide to the Sun, the Moon, and the Starsby Stella WonderlyRunning Press240 pages – June 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Murder and the Movies by David ThomsonYale University Press240 pages – June 2020Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

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Published on October 10, 2020 08:54

September 22, 2020

2020 Summer Reading Challenge: Final Round-Up

This year's reading challenge is officially over! Congratulations to everyone who reviewed books whether it was one book or all six. You all did a wonderful job.
A special shout-out to those who read and reviewed all six books and completed the challenge:
Andy of AndyWolverton.comBreanna of Bresfilms41Carl of The Movie Palace PodcastJess of Box Office PoisonsRobby on InstagramShawn of Every Day CinephileSteve on GoodreadsVanessa of Super Veebs
I also completed the challenge for the first time in a few years. Woot!
This year I randomly selected three winners of the giveaway. And they are:
Breanna of Bresfilms41 Carl of The Movie Palace Podcast Steve on Goodreads

Now on to the reviews!

Photo Source

Andy of AndyWolverton.com
Scoundrels & Spitballers: Writers and Hollywood in the 1930s by Philippe Garnier
Jess of Box Office Poisons A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True Vol 1 . by Victoria Wilson
Le of Critica Retro Mario de Andrade no Cinema by Mario De Andrade Tutto Fellini by Sam Stourdze

Miriam of Cine Gratia Every Frenchman Has One by Olivia De Havilland
Molly of Classic Mollywood
Dynamic Dames: 50 Leading Ladies Who Made History by Sloan DeForest

Peter of Let Yourself Go... To Old Hollywood Bogart by Ann Sperber and Eric Lax The Brothers Mankiewicz: Hope, Heartbreak, and Hollywood Classics by Sydney Ladensohn Stern Memoirs of an Amnesiac by Oscar LevantMiss D & Me: Life with the Invincible Bette Davis by Kathryn Sermak
Ralph on LibraryThing Casablanca: Movies and Memory by Marc Auge The Making of Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, and World War II by Aljean Harmetz
Raquel on Out of the Past Hollywood Hates Hitler! by Chris Yogerst Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before by Steve Taravella West Side Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic by Richard Barrios
Rich of Wide Screen World Robert Ebert's Book of Film by Roger Ebert

Photo source

Rob on Instagram Jean Arthur: The Actress Nobody Knew by John Oller The Monster Movies of Universal Studios by James L. Neibaur Orson Welles: The Road to Xanadu by Simon Callow
Shawn of The Everyday Cinephile Film Music: A History by James Wierzbicki Lois Weber in Early Hollywood by Shelley Stamp
Steve on Goodreads Conversations with Wilder by Cameron Crowe

All content is property of Out of the Past ~ A Classic Film Blog. Copyright © 2007-2018

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Published on September 22, 2020 09:00

September 15, 2020

Hollywood Hates Hitler! by Chris Yogerst

Hollywood Hates Hitler!
Jew-baiting, Anti-Nazism, and the Senate Investigation into Warmongering in Motion Pictures
by Chris Yogerst
University Press of Mississippi
Paperback ISBN: 9781496829764
September 2020
208 pages

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

“Those skeptical of motion pictures had long spread fear about the medium’s ability to influence.” — Chris Yogerst

Many of us classic film enthusiasts are well aware of the House Un-American Activities Committee's communist witch hunt that resulted in the blacklisting, or in some cases the incarceration, of numerous members of the film industry. But how much do you know about Senate Resolution 152, the investigation run by the Senate subcommittee that accused Hollywood moguls of spearheading warmongering propaganda? In the Fall of 1941, a group of Senators gathered forces to take on the big studios of Hollywood claiming that movies were used to turn isolationists into interventionists. Anti-Nazi and anti-fascist films were examined, albeit superficially, for their ability to persuade. Among those brought in to testify were Harry Warner of Warner Bros., Darryl F. Zanuck of 20th Century Fox, Nicholas Schenck of Loew's Inc, Barney Balaban of Paramount. The subcommittee made the argument that Hollywood studios, through consolidation and monopolization, had developed too much power and wielded that power to influence the public. However the Senators, who were staunch isolationists, had several things going against them: 1) a weak argument based on limited knowledge (some hadn't even seen the movies in question) 2) opposition from the press 3) Hollywood's strong rebuttal and 4) the impending attack on Pearl Harbor that would finally thrust the U.S. into the throes of WWII.

Author and historian Chris Yogerst explores this little known yet important moment in film history with his book Hollywood Hates Hitler! Yogerst examines American culture at the time, isolationist vs interventionist mentalities, anti-Semitism, and the events that lead to Senate Resolution 152. And then there is the deep dive to the investigation. The reader gets a front row seat to all of the action; the interrogation, the testimonies, the press response and the inevitable fallout. Films discussed include Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), Foreign Correspondent (1940), The Mortal Storm (1940), Four Sons (1940), The Man I Married (1940), Escape (1940), Man Hunt (1941), The Great Dictator (1941), Sergeant York (1941), among others. The subject matter can be quite dry and the details overwhelming but there is enough context given that makes this scholarly book a fascinating read. If you want to expand your knowledge on the film industry and censorship, I highly recommend giving this book a try!

This is my sixth and final review for the Summer Reading Challenge.
Thank you to University Press of Mississippi and Chris Yogerst for sending me a copy for review.All content is property of Out of the Past ~ A Classic Film Blog. Copyright © 2007-2018

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Published on September 15, 2020 14:30

September 12, 2020

West Side Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic

West Side Story
The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic
by Richard Barrios
TCM & Running Press
Hardcover ISBN: 9780762469482
232 pages
June 2020

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

When West Side Story was released in 1961, moviegoers had never seen anything quite like it. It threw out all conventions of what a musical should be, offering instead a young cast, an urban setting, on location shooting and ethnic strife. As author and musicals expert Richard Barrios writes, West Side Story was unique in "subject matter, unity of music and dance, overall presentation and seriousness of intent."

West Side Story was born out of a time when teenage culture was thriving and gang violence among youths was making headlines. Upon the success of Kiss Me Kate (1953), which gave Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew a modern twist, writer Arthur Laurents, director and choreographer Jerome Robbins and composer Leonard Bernstein came together to create the next big splash on the musicals scene. West Side Story would take Romeo and Juliet, strip it of its upper class stature and its pomp and circumstance to tell a story of lower class immigrant teens at war. The thumb biting Montagues and Capulets became the finger snapping Jets and Sharks. The musical was a hit on Broadway but when it came time to adapt it into film executives still thought the project was a gamble. What they didn't bank on was how enthusiastically audiences would embrace this vastly new and different approach. It all worked. The story, the music, the dance sequences, the urban backdrop, the colorful costumes, etc. And of course, the stars made a huge impact. There was Natalie Wood's effervescence, Richard Beymer's youthful innocence, Russ Tamblyn's spirited physicality, George Chakiris' elegant intensity and Rita Moreno's charming vivacity.

Look at that beautiful self cover!

An inside spread

Author Richard Barrios offers fans and musical enthusiasts a valuable companion to this iconic film with West Side Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic. This is a soup to nuts exploration of the Broadway play's origins, it's transformation to film, the casting, the production, the release and the story's continued legacy. Barrios has a way with words and his elegant turn of phrase along with his thoughtful and informed insights make this a thoroughly enjoyable read. Mimicking the structure of the film, the book even has a prologue, intermission and epilogue. There are plenty of behind-the-scenes photos, film stills and publicity shots in both color and black-and-white. The biggest takeaways for me were how many obstacles had to be overcome in order to make the film and how there was a natural divide during production separating the cast in two camps. There were naturally those who were playing the Jets and those who were playing the Sharks. Directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins kept them separate as much as they could to build up natural tension. Then there were the Broadway veterans vs. the Hollywood Stars and team Robert Wise vs. team Jerome Robbins and other divisions that happened on set. It's fascinating to read how everything came together, despite so many challenges.

This the perfect gift for the West Side Story fanatic in your life. I am not even that big of a fan of the musical and I found this an engrossing read.

This is my fifth review for my Summer Reading Challenge.

Thank you to Running Press for sending me a copy of this book to review.All content is property of Out of the Past ~ A Classic Film Blog. Copyright © 2007-2018

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Published on September 12, 2020 07:00

September 8, 2020

Mary Wickes: I Know I’ve Seen That Face Before

Mary Wickes
I Know I’ve Seen That Face Before
by Steve Taravella
University Press of Mississippi
Hardcover ISBN: 9781604739053
370 pages
May 2013

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powells

“Mary was one of the most recognizable character actresses in the United States. Though the general public might not have been able to recall her name immediately, generations of moviegoers, television viewers, and theatre lovers delighted in her distinctive presence.” — Steve Taravella

I have always admired ambitious and driven people. If you work hard at your dreams and follow through on your goals, you're someone I want to know more about. Mary Wickes was just that kind of person. From the moment she realized she wanted to be an actress until the day she died, Wickes was always pursuing her dream.

"Singularly devoted to her craft, Mary was happiest when at work." — Steve Taravella

Wickes was never going to become a leading lady. She didn't have the looks that Hollywood wanted in order to do so. Instead, she focused on what she did have: a strong work ethic and a knack for comedy and playing high-strung characters. Wickes honed her skills on the stage and excelled at delivery and timing. She found work in theater as well as radio and film and was early to embrace the new medium of television. She blossomed into one of the finest character actresses of the 20th century giving us memorable performances in films such as The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), Now, Voyager (1942), White Christmas (1954), Dear Heart (1964), The Trouble with Angels (1966), Postcards from the Edge (1990), Sister Act (1992) and Little Women (1994). Wickes played nuns, nurses, maids, spinsters, aunts, grandmothers, society matrons, landladies, etc. And even if you couldn't quite remembered her name, you'd remember her face.

"I just happen to have been given a face which could play an age and any period, and it never bothered me not to have been the romantic leading lady. It has always been my ambition to be the best supporting actress in the business..." — Mary Wickes

Author Steve Taravella offers readers an intimate look at the life and work of the much beloved actress in Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before. This biography is not your typical one. Taravella's book is essentially a collection of thematic essays with each chapter unlocking an aspect of Wickes' personality or exploring an era in her life. While there isn't all too much in the form of behind-the-scenes informations about her films, we do get a lot about Mary Wickes herself, who she was as a person and as a performer. Wickes was fiercely private in real life and this book felt maybe too intimate. However, Wickes had left all of her papers to be archived at Washington University so it's safe to say that she was willing to be an open book as long as it happened after her death.

Taravella explores many aspects of Wickes' private life including her close friendship with Lucille Ball (which gets its own chapter) and her personal and professional relationships with countless others. Wickes was the epitome of propriety, something born out of the close bond she had with her mom Isabella who taught her to mind her manners. The author paints a portrait of a woman who lived to perform, who became her own advocate and was always tenacious about getting work. Her story can sometimes be very sad. It was difficult to read how Wickes' old-fashioned sensibilities held her back in many regards and how she never found romantic love. Her private struggle with breast cancer was eye-opening and heart-breaking.

Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before is one of the most intimate biographies I've ever read. I finished the book feeling like I had just made a new friend.

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Published on September 08, 2020 05:54