Russ Columbo and the Crooner Mystique

by Joseph Lanza, Dennis Penna

The Hollywood Babylon-like story of the short-lived, Valentino-like crooner.

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

Joseph Lanza is the author of several books with subjects ranging from popular music to obsessive film directors, including ELEVATOR MUSIC: A SURREAL HISTORY OF MUZAK, EASY-LISTENING, AND OTHER MOODSONG (University of Michigan Press) and PHALLIC FRENZY: KEN RUSSELL & HIS FILMS (Chicago Review Press, 2007) -- a psycho-sexual, hyper-humorous, biographical thriller celebrating the great director. He recently appeared as himself in the 2011 BBC4 documentary: THE JOY OF EASY LISTENING.

He recently contributed the essay "Foreground Flatland" in the OXFORD HANDBOOK OF NEW AUDIOVISUAL AESTHETICS (2013) and the CD booklet essay for "RONNIE DOVE: The Complete Original Chart Hits (1964-1969)" from Real Gone Music (2014).

His forthcoming book is entitled, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE AND ITS TERRIFYING TIMES, from Skyhorse Publishing -- scheduled for release in mid-January 2019.

Reviews

[Tom Breen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Russ Columbo was a minor celebrity in the early 1930s who died very young in a firearms mishap, although the conceit of this book is that he was one of the most important artists of the 20th century. It's a lot of fun to read largely because of the absolute commitment by the authors not only to that dubious notion but to a writing style that isn't purple so much as incandescently heliotrope. Why say that someone died after falling off a horse when you can say he "made the death plummet from atop an untameable steed"?

A little of this goes a long way, and the book maybe spends too much time in the minutia of Columbo's life (among other things, the authors are evidently indefatigable researchers), but if you can get into the spirit of the thing, it's a little bit like spending an afternoon with a slightly crazed fanzine editor obsessed with old Hollywood, showing you a bulging scrapbook thick with publicity stills of Pola Negri and Rudy Vallee.

[Nancy Loe · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's hard to find one's way through the overwritten prose in this disappointing biography. Here's a sample:

"Some crooners belched romantic perfume but slyly alluded to a gamy climax, but Columbo celebrated the maddening energy of protracted foreplay." (p. 90)

That's just a sample; the book's loaded with more purple prose. Lou Miano's book is better but I think the definite Columbo biography yet to be been written.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Columbo was a big star in his day, and his talents promised a longer and more successful career. He was, by far, a more talented and natural artist than, let's say, Der Bingle. I enjoyed reading this biography, but I was left wanting more pertinent info.