Pin-Up: The Tragedy of Betty Grable

by Spero Pastos

Recounts the life of one of the greatest movie stars of the 1940s, revealing the dreams and heartbreaks of Betty Grable's career and personal life, from the little girl ruthlessly torn from her family to her years as a cancer patient

Genres: Biography, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Bookworm Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was quite a woman...A ballsy , hard, gruff, gambling woman. The more memoirs, bios and autobios I read of the golden Hollywood ladies I realize they should not have kids...any of them

[Jennifer Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say it was a stretch to give this three stars. It just did not go into depth at all. Also, it was very tiresome reading about Betty Grable's second daughter, who seems to be bitter about anything you can think of. A bit less of her would have been nice.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read. I had trouble following the narrative sometimes because it skipped around timelines A LOT and made it feel disorganized.

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

almost wish i never read this. i can't handle the truth.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite part is when they talk about her terrible film career later in life. I think she was playing a sass-mouthed school marm and one of her lines was like, "You'll learn yer algebra if it croaks ya!". I may have ruined the best part of the book, but you should still read it if you're interested in this era of pop culture.

[Tiffany Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book because it was like i learn a lot from her life. from being on the top then slowly she become to fall. from hitting and not liking her own children and drinking and losing all her money in vegas. from losing her movies done to everyone not liking her and how times were changing. really good book and really sad to

[Nikki Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a lot of fun A LOT..
A really unflattering look at this sassy little chorus girl made good.
siliceous
sleazy romp

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always sad to read about a person whose life was so dominated by a parent to the point where their childhood was taken away, and as a result they had a wonderful work ethic but were terrible to their children. Betty Grable has never been a favorite of mine for some reason, although I enjoy many of her films. I always preferred Alice Faye and June Haver, both of whom seemed more down-to-earth. Betty was beloved by her many colleagues and friends but left her daughters with shattered self-esteem. Her husband, Harry James, who also endured a terrible childhood, was a lousy husband and father. This book is, as far as I know, the only time one of their daughters has agreed to be interviewed; since then both have made it clear that they don't want to talk about their parents, and after reading this book, you'll understand why. Betty Grable was a wonderful actress and dancer; she captured the public's imagination, was a huge star but is not as well-remembered as many of her contemporaries, in large part because of her early death, those close to her having passed away and her daughters' lack of participation. I have compassion for Grable but I feel even more compassion and empathy for the children who ultimately suffered and paid the price for their mother's unhappiness.