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In Morticia's Shadow: The Life & Career of Carolyn Jones
A biography of Carolyn Jones
Before captivating America as Morticia in the 1960s hit television series The Addams Family, actress Carolyn Jones appeared in 30 movies (including starring roles with Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra) and had a decade-long marriage to producer Aaron Spelling. But the road to Hollywood from her native Amarillo, Texas, was studded with rejection, typecasting, and unwanted comparisons to an actress who hated her: Bette Davis. Determined to succeed, Carolyn reinvented herself by enduring plastic surgery and dyeing her blonde hair black. Hollywood rewarded its rising star with an Oscar nomination and The Addams Family,which would become a curse, overshadowing the future of her acting career.
Before captivating America as Morticia in the 1960s hit television series The Addams Family, actress Carolyn Jones appeared in 30 movies (including starring roles with Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra) and had a decade-long marriage to producer Aaron Spelling. But the road to Hollywood from her native Amarillo, Texas, was studded with rejection, typecasting, and unwanted comparisons to an actress who hated her: Bette Davis. Determined to succeed, Carolyn reinvented herself by enduring plastic surgery and dyeing her blonde hair black. Hollywood rewarded its rising star with an Oscar nomination and The Addams Family,which would become a curse, overshadowing the future of her acting career.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
259 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2012
12 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
James Pylant
12 books7 followersAn award-winning writer, James Pylant is the author of a family-authorized celebrity biography, In Morticia's Shadow: The Life & Career of Carolyn Jones. He has also interviewed several famous personalities, including Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street), Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal), Audrey Landers (Dallas), Ruth Buzzi (Laugh-In), Peter Mark Richman (Dynasty), Linda Purl (Matlock), Stanley Livingston (My Three Sons), Mother Dolores Hart (King Creole), Dr. Henry Louis Gates (Finding Your Roots), among many others.
Using his skill as a researcher, James extensively documented a case of identity theft and bigamy for the book Destiny in Texas. He is also the author of Blood Legacy: The True Story of the Snow Axe Murders, Sins of the Pioneers, and co-wrote The Oldest Profession in Texas. His book, Texas Gothic: Fame, Crime & Crazy Water, won first place in the 2016 North Texas Book Festival Book Awards for Adult Non-Fiction.
A former contest judge for the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, James wrote for The Bottom Line, Family Chronicle, and Ancestry. He currently serves as editor of GenealogyMagazine.com, a source utilized by wikipedia.org, the Texas Historical Commission, and Learning and Teaching Scotland’s SCET.NET for History: A Virtual Department.
Using his skill as a researcher, James extensively documented a case of identity theft and bigamy for the book Destiny in Texas. He is also the author of Blood Legacy: The True Story of the Snow Axe Murders, Sins of the Pioneers, and co-wrote The Oldest Profession in Texas. His book, Texas Gothic: Fame, Crime & Crazy Water, won first place in the 2016 North Texas Book Festival Book Awards for Adult Non-Fiction.
A former contest judge for the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, James wrote for The Bottom Line, Family Chronicle, and Ancestry. He currently serves as editor of GenealogyMagazine.com, a source utilized by wikipedia.org, the Texas Historical Commission, and Learning and Teaching Scotland’s SCET.NET for History: A Virtual Department.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 13, 2024
In Carolyn's Shadow...
IN MORTICIA'S SHADOW by James Pylant
5 stars. What a wonderful, insightful look into the life and career of Carolyn Sue Jones (AKA Morticia Addams)...
The author did an excellent job taking the reader through Carolyn's entire life with her equally kooky and ooky real family tree...
Ending with her death from colon cancer...
Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, as a natural blonde, she used to curl her hair with empty orange juice cans.
She eventually found that brunettes had more fun and movie roles...
She was married 4 times... one of her husbands was producer Aaron Spelling, who she proposed to. They had a solid and long-lasting marriage...
... and remained good friends even after their divorce up until her 1983 death... although he had remarried, Aaron helped her financially through her final illness...
Carolyn felt typecast but, surprisingly, not as Morticia but as the new Bette Davis because of her large blue eyes...
This biography left Morticia in Carolyn's shadow...
I'm a sucker for a good biography, and this was one of the better ones. I may be a little biased because I've been an Addams Family fan since childhood, but I honestly couldn't put this book down. There were some great pictures at the end of each chapter, but I would advise getting a paperback copy of the book for better viewing... I sure did!
IN MORTICIA'S SHADOW by James Pylant
5 stars. What a wonderful, insightful look into the life and career of Carolyn Sue Jones (AKA Morticia Addams)...
The author did an excellent job taking the reader through Carolyn's entire life with her equally kooky and ooky real family tree...
Ending with her death from colon cancer...
Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, as a natural blonde, she used to curl her hair with empty orange juice cans.
She eventually found that brunettes had more fun and movie roles...
She was married 4 times... one of her husbands was producer Aaron Spelling, who she proposed to. They had a solid and long-lasting marriage...
... and remained good friends even after their divorce up until her 1983 death... although he had remarried, Aaron helped her financially through her final illness...
Carolyn felt typecast but, surprisingly, not as Morticia but as the new Bette Davis because of her large blue eyes...
This biography left Morticia in Carolyn's shadow...
I'm a sucker for a good biography, and this was one of the better ones. I may be a little biased because I've been an Addams Family fan since childhood, but I honestly couldn't put this book down. There were some great pictures at the end of each chapter, but I would advise getting a paperback copy of the book for better viewing... I sure did!
May 27, 2013
Every child wanted to grow up to marry Morticia. If they didn't they wanted to grow up to be her.
In Morticia's Shadow is a rare find when it comes to celebrity biographies. Author, James Pylant tells the story of the unusual life of Carolyn Jones without pulling any punches or whitewashing. Jones became an icon for her TV role as the captivating Morticia in The Adams Family, and remains a cult figure to this day. However, her film career was incredibly impressive. She was also a first-rate actress and a beautiful woman. It remains a mystery why she didn't get the acknowledgment and celebrity she deserved.
The book details the odd story of Carolyn's life including her 4 marriages. The author meticulously interviews all who knew her in film and TV as well as in her personal life. The story is fascinating, as is Carolyn's personality. Her many films clearly document her considerable talent, but something about this story doesn't make sense, even though It is obviously told honestly and accurately. Why isn't Carolyn remembered as a movie star? The reader is invited to come up with a theory based on what James Pylant revelas about the life of this great icon.
Hilarious Hollywood stories abound in this book, so that anyone who loves to know about important people in cinema will enjoy reading In Morticia's Shadow.
In Morticia's Shadow is a rare find when it comes to celebrity biographies. Author, James Pylant tells the story of the unusual life of Carolyn Jones without pulling any punches or whitewashing. Jones became an icon for her TV role as the captivating Morticia in The Adams Family, and remains a cult figure to this day. However, her film career was incredibly impressive. She was also a first-rate actress and a beautiful woman. It remains a mystery why she didn't get the acknowledgment and celebrity she deserved.
The book details the odd story of Carolyn's life including her 4 marriages. The author meticulously interviews all who knew her in film and TV as well as in her personal life. The story is fascinating, as is Carolyn's personality. Her many films clearly document her considerable talent, but something about this story doesn't make sense, even though It is obviously told honestly and accurately. Why isn't Carolyn remembered as a movie star? The reader is invited to come up with a theory based on what James Pylant revelas about the life of this great icon.
Hilarious Hollywood stories abound in this book, so that anyone who loves to know about important people in cinema will enjoy reading In Morticia's Shadow.
April 9, 2014
I love Carolyn, really enjoyed reading about her life.
Shocks me to think she stopped getting good roles because she was in her mid thirties! Madness how that was considered old.
I would not recommend buying this book on Kindle as the images do not appear. They cut off and at times cut into the words. I was very frustrated at this by the end of the book.
Shocks me to think she stopped getting good roles because she was in her mid thirties! Madness how that was considered old.
I would not recommend buying this book on Kindle as the images do not appear. They cut off and at times cut into the words. I was very frustrated at this by the end of the book.
October 14, 2023
A Good Resource of Information Unavailable Elsewhere
I was a child of the late 60s and much of the 70s. I grew up watching The Addams Family in cindication, and am a huge fan of the TV show and the series and movies that followed. I enjoy reading non-fiction books about Old Hollywood, and this was no exception. I learned much about Carolyn Jones that simply doesn't exist anywhere else, and found her life to be interesting and inspiring, though she lived through a great deal of hardship. I find it difficult to accept that so many actors who had successful careers have not a single book written about them to commemorate the stories of their lives and professional careers. It's quite sad, really - like they newer existed. I highly commend the author for writing about this brilliant actress who would otherwise have become yet another obscure, forgotten performer that almost no one recognizes. Excellent book!
I was a child of the late 60s and much of the 70s. I grew up watching The Addams Family in cindication, and am a huge fan of the TV show and the series and movies that followed. I enjoy reading non-fiction books about Old Hollywood, and this was no exception. I learned much about Carolyn Jones that simply doesn't exist anywhere else, and found her life to be interesting and inspiring, though she lived through a great deal of hardship. I find it difficult to accept that so many actors who had successful careers have not a single book written about them to commemorate the stories of their lives and professional careers. It's quite sad, really - like they newer existed. I highly commend the author for writing about this brilliant actress who would otherwise have become yet another obscure, forgotten performer that almost no one recognizes. Excellent book!
February 2, 2022
I found this to be a rare and interesting peek into Carolyn's life, but I had hoped for something a bit more detailed about Carolyn, the person, as opposed to just Carolyn, the celebrity. From what I gather, even though she was very kind, generous, and polite, she was also guarded and private, so this may really be all the author could learn of her. I was greatly saddened in the final chapters dealing with her illness and death. All in all, the book was an enjoyable read, and one I will probably pick up again at some point.
December 12, 2024
Carolyn Jones is one of my favorite actresses and this biography was superb! It was very thorough and I learned a lot of new information about her life and films that I didn’t know before. Very enjoyable read!
June 18, 2025
interesting autobiography
this autobiographical novel is told through the perspective of her friends and family so some liberties and taken and other seemingly are glossed over but others wise a good read on a wonderful, fascinating, captivating and talented individual.
this autobiographical novel is told through the perspective of her friends and family so some liberties and taken and other seemingly are glossed over but others wise a good read on a wonderful, fascinating, captivating and talented individual.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews