Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven

by Jan MacGillivray, Jan MacGillivray (Contributor)

Here is the first book-length biography of Gloria Jean, one of Hollywood's finest performers, who starred in film, radio, stage, nightclub, and television productions. And what a story it is! This is the first in-depth profile of her public and private life. You'll read about her co-stars, including Bing Crosby, Groucho Marx, Donald O'Connor, and Mel Tormé.go behind the scenes on the set of Never Give a Sucker an Even Break and meet W. C. Fields, her 'Uncle Bill".follow her memorable show-business career with its breathtaking heights and heartbreaking depths, guided-and sometimes misguided-by the studio.enjoy dozens of rare photos from Gloria Jean's personal collection.browse vintage posters and lobby cards. As a special treat for film buffs, you'll see actual frame enlargements of never-before-seen screen tests.and discover three lost Gloria Jean feature films, documented here for the first time anywhere!

346 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2005

Reviews

[Madison Grace]

I got this book solely because I wanted insider information about Donald O'Connor. I wanted to hear about his teenage antics, his behind-the-scenes techniques, what kind of a kisser he was (come on, we all wanted to know that about our celebrity crushes). In short, I read this when I was a pre-teen obsessed with one of Gloria Jean's co-stars.

Well, I did find out fun things about Donald, including what kind of a kisser he was (hint: he was intense), but I also found great information about Gloria herself that I simply loved. Her life is really such an interesting one. The book has large portions that are direct quotations from Gloria herself, making this almost a partial autobiography. Her experience as a child star in that era is eye-opening, and it makes you wonder how much more crazy it is these days to be in the spotlight as a youngster. She also gives delightful information about W.C. Fields, Bing Crosby, Mel Torme, and several other Hollywood favorites, in addition to her own lovely life story.

All in all, this book has it all. Good pictures, insider information, and details on Donald O'Connor's kissing techniques. If that doesn't make for a great book, I don't know what does.

As an afterword, Gloria herself is such a friendly woman! I've e-mailed her several times and she's always replied, and answered many questions for me. It's so nice that she takes the time to personally talk to her fans.

[Gina]

I'll be honest. I only bought this book (using the Barnes & Noble gift certificate my boyfriend's parents gave me for Christmas...thanks Mr. and Mrs. Petersen!) because I wanted to learn more about Donald O'Connor, whom I had a HUGE crush on between the months of November 2009 and January 2010, and I heard that he was prominently featured in this book, as he was her co-star on many of her early films. To my own surprise, I found that even though I had never seen a Gloria Jean film, never seen her act or heard her amazing "coloratura" voice, I was really drawn into the book! As I read about her start in the business, I found myself increasingly curious about her life and the twists and turns that come with "peaking early" as a teen star in 1940s Hollywood. I love 1940s Hollywood, but by reading a book like this, you really come to see how Hollywood now isn't all that different from Hollywood then: 99.9 percent crap, and maybe a couple of unique voices. Gloria Jean was discovered in her hometown of Scranton, PA at a very young age, moved to Hollywood, and starred in a series of B films. You get to see how Hollywood dumps its stars over time: here is a story of one of America's many sweethearts, and you can almost feel, physically FEEL when the showbiz gods begin to leave her by the wayside. It really is a terrible business to be in, that much I'll say. But through it all, this woman maintains incredible graciousness and optimism. I admire her for that. You stay classy, Gloria Jean!

On a personal note, I think that reading this book helped me to get over my helpless crush on Donald O'Connor. Except for the part when Gloria confesses that during the shooting of their last movie together, O'Connor took her backstage, grabbed her and kissed her, saying: "There. I just wanted to tell you how crazy I am over you." That part I read over and over again before bedtime on many nights, hoping for a similar "piece of heaven" of my own.

But I'm better now. I swear.