Jennifer K. Lafferty's Blog: Authors' Musings, page 2
June 4, 2019
Starmaker: The Autobiography of Hal B. Wallis
Starmaker: The Autobiography of Hal Wallis is a good insider's story of early Hollywood. Wallis' talks about his career as a high profile producer/film exec. with great candor. The reader never gets the impression that he is sugarcoating anything. Discussing his adversaries and difficult actors, Wallis pulls no punches. However, he is generous when talking about friends and those he admired.
Reading about the beginning of the film industry, following the shift to the west coast, you really get a sense of how exciting it was to be a part of what was, at the time, the rapidly growing, evolving youth-dominated new medium.
Wallis talks little about himself, focusing more on the icons he discovered or developed like: Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Shirley MacLaine, Martin & Lewis and many others. He also chronicles the making of classic films like Little Caesar, Casablanca, Becket, Anne of the Thousand Days and True Grit.
If you want an unvarnished account of what it was like to be a movie producer during Hollywood's Golden Age, this is a good choice.
Jennifer Lafferty, author of
Anne of the Thousand Days: The and [book:Movie Dynasty Princesses: Irene Mayer Selznick and Edith Mayer Goetz Making of an Epic|46008082]
Reading about the beginning of the film industry, following the shift to the west coast, you really get a sense of how exciting it was to be a part of what was, at the time, the rapidly growing, evolving youth-dominated new medium.
Wallis talks little about himself, focusing more on the icons he discovered or developed like: Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Shirley MacLaine, Martin & Lewis and many others. He also chronicles the making of classic films like Little Caesar, Casablanca, Becket, Anne of the Thousand Days and True Grit.
If you want an unvarnished account of what it was like to be a movie producer during Hollywood's Golden Age, this is a good choice.
Jennifer Lafferty, author of
Anne of the Thousand Days: The and [book:Movie Dynasty Princesses: Irene Mayer Selznick and Edith Mayer Goetz Making of an Epic|46008082]
October 12, 2018
In Pieces
This memoir by America's sweetheart-turned-acclaimed thespian, Sally Field, differs noticeably from the typical celebrity bio. It is deeper and more thoughtful than what we have come to expect from this genre. Instead of glitz, glamour and funny anecdotes it focuses much more on the challenges she faced dealing with sexual abuse by her stepfather, as well as trying to establish herself as a serious actress.
Another thing that sets this book apart from most autobiographical books is the fact that she virtually skips at least 30 years of her life, glossing over her second marriage, third child and some very memorable films, picking up the story with her efforts to play Mary Todd Lincoln in the 2012 film "Lincoln". This was also a very emotional period for Field, as her mother was dying and some painful issues were being resolved. I understood her choice to focus more on the early years of her career, when she was growing as an actress and establishing a career, but I was a little disappointed that there was so little on the three decades between "Norma Rae" and "Lincoln".
One thing I really admired about this book is how bravely and candidly Field shared her story of abuse and other aspects of her life.
Field avoids presenting herself as a faultless heroine, which is a refreshing departure from the standard celebrity memoir. She owns up mistakes she made in both her personal and professional life and is open about her flaws.
This is an interesting and very revealing read for fans of Sally Field. If you have the chance to listen to the audio version, read by Field herself, it's even better.
In Pieces
Another thing that sets this book apart from most autobiographical books is the fact that she virtually skips at least 30 years of her life, glossing over her second marriage, third child and some very memorable films, picking up the story with her efforts to play Mary Todd Lincoln in the 2012 film "Lincoln". This was also a very emotional period for Field, as her mother was dying and some painful issues were being resolved. I understood her choice to focus more on the early years of her career, when she was growing as an actress and establishing a career, but I was a little disappointed that there was so little on the three decades between "Norma Rae" and "Lincoln".
One thing I really admired about this book is how bravely and candidly Field shared her story of abuse and other aspects of her life.
Field avoids presenting herself as a faultless heroine, which is a refreshing departure from the standard celebrity memoir. She owns up mistakes she made in both her personal and professional life and is open about her flaws.
This is an interesting and very revealing read for fans of Sally Field. If you have the chance to listen to the audio version, read by Field herself, it's even better.
In Pieces
August 10, 2018
Morning is a Long Time Coming
I was a little disappointed in this sequel to Summer of My German Soldier, which I loved. As with many other sequels I've read, this novel seemed to lack direction and the first half of the book was very much a rehash of the first. The central character, Patty Bergen, was not as sympathetic a heroine as she was in the original story. Also, her motives were not really explained until almost the end of the book.
At the beginning of this novel Patty is graduating from high school and she has a very different plan for her immediate future than her family has for her. She wants to use her grandparents' financial gift, intended for college tuition, to instead travel to Europe, specifically Germany, where her now deceased love, Anton was from, to meet his family. But it isn't completely clear why this trip is so important to her. She doesn't get to Europe until about halfway into the book and after falling for a new man, a Frenchman who is not very likable, she puts off going to Germany for several months.
The book did have some compelling moments in the first few chapters and was interesting at times, but I think it had the potential to be much better, especially considering the author's talent.
Morning Is a Long Time Coming
At the beginning of this novel Patty is graduating from high school and she has a very different plan for her immediate future than her family has for her. She wants to use her grandparents' financial gift, intended for college tuition, to instead travel to Europe, specifically Germany, where her now deceased love, Anton was from, to meet his family. But it isn't completely clear why this trip is so important to her. She doesn't get to Europe until about halfway into the book and after falling for a new man, a Frenchman who is not very likable, she puts off going to Germany for several months.
The book did have some compelling moments in the first few chapters and was interesting at times, but I think it had the potential to be much better, especially considering the author's talent.
Morning Is a Long Time Coming
July 7, 2018
The Girls in the Picture
As a fan of author Melanie Benjamin, this book about silent film legend Mary Pickford and screenwriter Frances Marion, definitely lived up to my expectations. This fictionalized story focuses on a two very unique women and their equally unique friendship/collaboration. The book depicts early Hollywood and these two complex characters in a very interesting way. You feel that you have a provocative insider view of this era in filmmaking and the struggles of women in the business world during the early twentieth century. However, I did find the novel a little long-winded in places. I would've preferred less focus on sociopolitical issues.
These two very different women, whose lives and careers were so intertwined, are vividly drawn. They come across as very human, easily inspiring sympathy as well as criticism from the reader. Benjamin brings us the glamour of classic Hollywood along with the soaring highs and devastating lows of those who succeeded in this industry during its formative years. Above all it's a great relationship book exploring a multi-faceted friendship along with the marriages of the central characters and other deeply important relationships.
The Girls in the Picture
A fun and captivating read, especially for classic movie fans.
These two very different women, whose lives and careers were so intertwined, are vividly drawn. They come across as very human, easily inspiring sympathy as well as criticism from the reader. Benjamin brings us the glamour of classic Hollywood along with the soaring highs and devastating lows of those who succeeded in this industry during its formative years. Above all it's a great relationship book exploring a multi-faceted friendship along with the marriages of the central characters and other deeply important relationships.
The Girls in the Picture
A fun and captivating read, especially for classic movie fans.
May 25, 2018
Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story
Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by JewelMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of the most unusual and intriguing celebrity bios I've ever encountered. I agree with one reviewer who likened it to a self-help book. You get the impression that Jewel is on a noble mission to help those who are dealing with painful issues in their lives, similar to what she went through as a confused, sometimes neglected and abused child, turned homeless, struggling artist with an often dysfunctional family. She chronicles her journey of personal growth and self-discovery; frequently sharing advice along the way, as well as insight on everything from self-esteem, to show business, to parenthood. This book is also entertaining from the perspective of a fan, learning about Jewel's colorful background, with its odd mixture of rustic Alaskan wilderness and music gigs with her family's unique stage show. She discusses her experiences as a fledgling singer-songwriter, explaining her evolution as an artist and her creative process. But the overriding theme of the book seems to be Jewel's quest for true happiness and to become the best version of herself. Many will find Jewel's writing style quirky and avant garde, but that is one of the things that sets it apart from typical celebrity bios. It is clearly written by a poet and a philosopher. It's almost inevitable that those who read the book, and especially those who listen to this compelling audio edition, find some type of inspiration while fans of Jewel will also come to know her on a deeper more meaningful level.
View all my reviews
March 27, 2018
The Dollhouse: A Novel
I've always been intrigued by the legendary Barbizon Hotel for Women in New York, which during its prime, was home to aspiring actresses like Grace Kelly, models and literary figures such as Sylvia Plath. It is the setting of Fiona Davis's novel about Darby, an innocent, small town girl who travels to New York in the early 1950s to attend secretarial school; and Rose, a journalist in 2016, struggling to start a new life following disappointments in love and in her career.
Although there are obvious differences between Darby and Rose, with each woman, very much a product of her own era and background, their lives also parallel one another in significant ways.
The main storyline centers on a mystery involving the tragic death of a young woman at The Barbizon, over sixty years earlier and Rose's attempt to uncover what really happened, while working on a feature about the famous hotel.
The premise is compelling and the protagonists, likable and sympathetic. However, I found it somewhat difficult to stay focused. Part of this may be because there were too many subplots. I think it would have been easier to get into the book and stay engaged if there were not so many different things going in the lives of both Rose and Darby.
My favorite part of the book was actually the last fifty or sixty pages which really got into the mystery, at the center of the story and is told with some great twists and turns.
It is a glamorous and dramatic tale which should appeal many fans of historical mystery novels.
The Dollhouse
Although there are obvious differences between Darby and Rose, with each woman, very much a product of her own era and background, their lives also parallel one another in significant ways.
The main storyline centers on a mystery involving the tragic death of a young woman at The Barbizon, over sixty years earlier and Rose's attempt to uncover what really happened, while working on a feature about the famous hotel.
The premise is compelling and the protagonists, likable and sympathetic. However, I found it somewhat difficult to stay focused. Part of this may be because there were too many subplots. I think it would have been easier to get into the book and stay engaged if there were not so many different things going in the lives of both Rose and Darby.
My favorite part of the book was actually the last fifty or sixty pages which really got into the mystery, at the center of the story and is told with some great twists and turns.
It is a glamorous and dramatic tale which should appeal many fans of historical mystery novels.
The Dollhouse
February 7, 2018
They're Playing Our Song
This was a great read, thoroughly enjoyable. Carole Bayer Sager has always been one of my favorite songwriters and through reading this book I discovered how much I like her as a person. Her songs mean even more to me now since reading her story.
The book is also packed full of great celebrity anecdotes and can be very funny. In addition to being a great songwriter she is very entertaining storyteller, with many colorful tales, some amusing and some poignant, about high profile friends, collaborators and husbands.
This was one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time.
They're Playing Our Song
The book is also packed full of great celebrity anecdotes and can be very funny. In addition to being a great songwriter she is very entertaining storyteller, with many colorful tales, some amusing and some poignant, about high profile friends, collaborators and husbands.
This was one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time.
They're Playing Our Song
January 7, 2018
Memo from David O. Selznick
I recently re-read the highly-praised autobiographical book Memo from David O. Selznick largely made of the legendary producer's famous memos. The first time I read this book it was while researching a book I wrote a few years ago about one of Selznick's films, "Rebecca: the Making of a Hollywood Classic". This time, reading the book, as a fan, I was struck by the valuable insight one can gain from it, whether the reader is an aspiring filmmaker or a film enthusiast. You get an accurate and thorough look at the daily operations at a movie studio during the Golden Age of Hollywood, from a leadership perspective.
Of course, the film industry has changed considerably since these memos were written but there is much that is still relevant. The book is as entertaining as it is informative. Selznick's colorful, energetic, larger than life personality comes shining through on every page, as does his brilliance and originality.
We get a fascinating and detailed, behind-the-scenes look at classic films like "Gone with the Wind"; "Rebecca"; A Star is Born"; and "Intermezzo"; and "Duel in the Sun".
Many of these memos are written to icons such as, Ernest Hemingway, Greta Garbo, John Huston, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Ingrid Bergman and Selznick's father-in-law, MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer.
One of the few criticisms I have is that it tends to be one sided since we do not see the responses of the memos recipients. I wondered, multiple times, about the other person's side of the story, especially while reading a critical or heated memo by Selznick. However, from a practical standpoint this book is already very long, so, while it might have been interesting to read some of the responses to Selznick's memos, more than a little of this would have weighed it down unnecessarily,
Almost all of Selznick's correspondence printed in the book is of a business nature but we do have occasional glimpses of his personal life, in notes he wrote to his first wife socialite-turned-Broadway producer Irene Mayer Selznick, or the many references he made to second wife, actress Jennifer Jones. The book also features autobiographical writings, from various articles in which Selznick explored his life and work.
Memo From David O. Selznick is a treasure for academics and classic film buffs alike.
Of course, the film industry has changed considerably since these memos were written but there is much that is still relevant. The book is as entertaining as it is informative. Selznick's colorful, energetic, larger than life personality comes shining through on every page, as does his brilliance and originality.
We get a fascinating and detailed, behind-the-scenes look at classic films like "Gone with the Wind"; "Rebecca"; A Star is Born"; and "Intermezzo"; and "Duel in the Sun".
Many of these memos are written to icons such as, Ernest Hemingway, Greta Garbo, John Huston, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Ingrid Bergman and Selznick's father-in-law, MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer.
One of the few criticisms I have is that it tends to be one sided since we do not see the responses of the memos recipients. I wondered, multiple times, about the other person's side of the story, especially while reading a critical or heated memo by Selznick. However, from a practical standpoint this book is already very long, so, while it might have been interesting to read some of the responses to Selznick's memos, more than a little of this would have weighed it down unnecessarily,
Almost all of Selznick's correspondence printed in the book is of a business nature but we do have occasional glimpses of his personal life, in notes he wrote to his first wife socialite-turned-Broadway producer Irene Mayer Selznick, or the many references he made to second wife, actress Jennifer Jones. The book also features autobiographical writings, from various articles in which Selznick explored his life and work.
Memo From David O. Selznick is a treasure for academics and classic film buffs alike.
November 4, 2017
The Rainbow Comes and Goes
The memoir, The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by journalist Anderson Cooper and his legendary socialite/artist/writer, mother Gloria Vanderbilt, is charming and very insightful.
Those who have read and admired Gloria Vanderbilt's poignant memoirs in the past, will be glad to discover that her unique and enchantingly poetic writing style is present in this book as well. But it is balanced by Cooper's more direct, literal writing. The two make a great collaborative team in this book, which is a collection of email correspondence between mother and son, with Vanderbilt answering questions from Cooper about her long fascinating, often turbulent life.
In addition to Vanderbilt's colorful and sometimes heartbreaking memories, she and her youngest son both examine their respective past, present and future in a way that yields inspiring, life lessons.
Fans of Anderson Cooper and, or Gloria Vanderbilt, can't help but be moved by this candid, emotional series of very personal conversations.
Those who have read and admired Gloria Vanderbilt's poignant memoirs in the past, will be glad to discover that her unique and enchantingly poetic writing style is present in this book as well. But it is balanced by Cooper's more direct, literal writing. The two make a great collaborative team in this book, which is a collection of email correspondence between mother and son, with Vanderbilt answering questions from Cooper about her long fascinating, often turbulent life.
In addition to Vanderbilt's colorful and sometimes heartbreaking memories, she and her youngest son both examine their respective past, present and future in a way that yields inspiring, life lessons.
Fans of Anderson Cooper and, or Gloria Vanderbilt, can't help but be moved by this candid, emotional series of very personal conversations.
October 20, 2017
Tippi: A Memoir
Tippi Hedren, the beautiful and mysterious ice princess, best known for her successful but turbulent collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock during the early 1960s penned "Tippi: A Memoir" last year. I had high expectations for this book because I am a fan of Tippi Hedren and was sure that she's led an amazing life.
The first half of the book lived up to my hopes. It is very interesting and surprisingly well-written compared to so many celebrity memoirs.
The book presents a very human portrait of a woman who seems a mystery to so many classic film devotees. We see beneath the frosty, sophisticated, strikingly elegant persona to a much more relate-able Tippi Hedren.
The most fascinating part of the book deals with the experiences she had working with Alfred Hitchcock, on two very memorable films: "The Birds" and "Marnie". This is also probably the most disturbing part of the book, because it deals with extremely serious sexual harassment allegations. While Hitchcock fans would likely find this book interesting they should be prepared to also be disillusioned about the iconic director as a person. Although Hedren seems able to separate Hitchcock the man from the artist and celebrate the work they did together, I think there are many people, myself included who will never be about to think of him in the same way as we did before reading about this shocking side to his personality.
The second half of the book is difficult to get through. The main problem from my point of view is that such a large portion of it is devoted to her experiences with lions and a film about lions that took many years to complete. I have mixed feelings about this memoir but I would recommend it to true Tippi Hedren fans.
Tippi: A Memoir
The first half of the book lived up to my hopes. It is very interesting and surprisingly well-written compared to so many celebrity memoirs.
The book presents a very human portrait of a woman who seems a mystery to so many classic film devotees. We see beneath the frosty, sophisticated, strikingly elegant persona to a much more relate-able Tippi Hedren.
The most fascinating part of the book deals with the experiences she had working with Alfred Hitchcock, on two very memorable films: "The Birds" and "Marnie". This is also probably the most disturbing part of the book, because it deals with extremely serious sexual harassment allegations. While Hitchcock fans would likely find this book interesting they should be prepared to also be disillusioned about the iconic director as a person. Although Hedren seems able to separate Hitchcock the man from the artist and celebrate the work they did together, I think there are many people, myself included who will never be about to think of him in the same way as we did before reading about this shocking side to his personality.
The second half of the book is difficult to get through. The main problem from my point of view is that such a large portion of it is devoted to her experiences with lions and a film about lions that took many years to complete. I have mixed feelings about this memoir but I would recommend it to true Tippi Hedren fans.
Tippi: A Memoir
Authors' Musings
Jennifer K. Lafferty, author of Movie Dynasty Princesses, reviews a wide range of books and discusses various aspects of contemporary and classic literature.
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