Old Hollywood Books and Book Reviews

Reviews of books and biographies about Old Hollywood or the Golden Age of Hollywood and its magical actors and actresses.

Maureen O’Hara: The Biography by Aubrey Malone

April 12, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Maureen O’Hara, The Biography by Aubrey Malone

If you read this old Hollywood blog regularly, follow me on Twitter, and/or know me personally, you know all too well what a huge Maureen O’Hara fan I am. She’s one of the stars I am most identified with because, in many ways, she seems to be part of my dna.

I have many favorite actors and actresses (as my About page can attest) but Maureen O’Hara and Lucille Ball have been favorites of mine since I first knew what a television was. I have adored them and immersed myself in their work for so long, they’re a part of who I am in many ways.

Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It often seems that if I’m not watching a Maureen O’Hara (or Lucille Ball) movie or television show, I’m reading about one of them. Frankly, I don’t make it through a day without one or both of my redhead companions!

As you may know, I collect biographies and autobiographies of old Hollywood stars, jazz and blues legends, and historical figures. The book you see pictured here, Maureen O’Hara, The Biography by Aubrey Malone is one of my favorites. I turn to it and Maureen’s autobiography (‘Tis Herself) regularly.

When I watch (or rewatch) a particular film or television show, I like to go back and read about the making of the film and, when possible, what one of its stars had to say about the film… and, often, their co-stars (extra fun!). When you follow as many stars and watch as many films/shows as I do, the last thing you want to do is rely on your memory. I love having biographies and autobiographies to go back and learn more about what I’ve just watched. It’s fascinating and adds so many layers to what you actually see on film.

When the star is as colorful, charismatic, and honest as Maureen O’Hara, it’s especially fascinating to read what she thought about her films and how she felt about her co-stars.

Many people prefer autobiographies to biographies because, as they put it, “you hear, firsthand, what the star thought and experienced.” While I agree that this is true and reading their thoughts and recollections is very fascinating… as someone who has read countless bios and autobios, I have to counter that a star will often tell (for better or worse) their side of a story, or how they recall the events. I am not saying this is a bad thing and I’m certainly not saying stars (especially incredibly honest ones such as Maureen O’Hara) would be apt to color events.

But think about this example. When filming The Quiet Man, Maureen would be able to beautifully recall her conversations with director John Ford and her experiences with her close friend and co-star John Wayne. She wouldn’t be able to, say, recall a conversation the two men may have had when she wasn’t around. A great biographer, however, will roll up his/her sleeves and dig in. They will research, read, and often conduct interviews to turn up information the stars, themselves, may not have been privy to.

What I’m saying is this: My vast experience with researching anyone (actors, actresses, historical figures…) has taught me that the absolute best way to get to know them is to…

Read about their life in their own words… whether it’s through quotes, interviews, or if you’re lucky, their memoirs or autobiography.
Read about their life through someone else’s words… a biographer who has taken the time to research, interview others, and look at the whole picture, not just through their subject’s eyes, but the eyes of those who knew them.

As is the case with Maureen O’Hara, sometimes you strike gold and you have both a wonderful autobiography and a wonderful, definitive biography. I am so grateful that, in addition to her autobiography, author Aubrey Malone has provided us with a great biography as well. Combining the two provides the ultimate insight into her wonderful life, incredible career, and deliciously unique personality.

Maureen O’Hara was a beautiful force of nature and Aubrey Malone does an excellent job of proving the case.

(Continued Below…)

Photos from Maureen O’Hara, The Biography

Malone’s Maureen O’Hara, The Biography (Amazon link) is interesting, colorful, and enjoyable in every way. The photos included are an extra treat… and a beautiful one, at that.

From her first appearances on the stage and screen, Maureen O’Hara (b. 1920) commanded attention with her striking beauty, radiant red hair, and impassioned portrayals of spirited heroines. Whether she was being rescued from the gallows by Charles Laughton (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1939), falling in love with Walter Pidgeon against a coal-blackened sky (How Green Was My Valley, 1941), learning to believe in miracles with Natalie Wood (Miracle on 34th Street, 1947), or matching wits with John Wayne (The Quiet Man, 1952), she charmed audiences with her powerful presence and easy confidence.

Maureen O’Hara is the first book-length biography of the screen legend hailed as the “Queen of Technicolor.” Following the star from her childhood in Dublin to the height of fame in Hollywood, film critic Aubrey Malone draws on new information from the Irish Film Institute, production notes from films, and details from historical film journals, newspapers, and fan magazines. Malone also examines the actress’s friendship with frequent costar John Wayne and her relationship with director John Ford, and he addresses the hotly debated question of whether the screen siren was a feminist or antifeminist figure.

Though she was an icon of cinema’s golden age, O’Hara’s penchant for privacy and habit of making public statements that contradicted her personal choices have made her an enigma. This breakthrough biography offers the first look at the woman behind the larger-than-life persona, sorting through the myths to present a balanced assessment of one of the greatest stars of the silver screen.

If you want to know more about Maureen O’Hara, her warm relationship with friends such as Charles Laughton, Lucille Ball, and John Wayne… as well as her unique relationship with director John Ford, you’ll definitely want to read Maureen O’Hara, The Biography (Amazon link). The book is available new as well as used on Amazon and I couldn’t possibly recommend it enough.

Hollywood in Kodachrome: A Book You MUST Have if You Love Old Hollywood

August 10, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Hollywood in Kodachrome

I believe I’ve mentioned on the Old Hollywood blog (as well as on my Old Hollywood Twitter page) just how cruel July treated me. Obviously, I’m in the same quarantine boat with everyone else as this global pandemic tragically carries on. However, July gave me a few more blows. My MUCH loved 17 year old cat died in my arms (gut-wrenching to say the least), and then the next day (while cooking and crying… not a good mix), I badly burned my arm and chest with hamburger grease.

Talk about pain! The emotional and physical pain sort of battled it out to see which one would bring me down first. Naturally, this lasted for weeks… long, long weeks.

My daughter Brittany bought me a book (the gorgeous one you see here, Hollywood in Kodachrome by David Wills) to lift my spirits. The fact that she DID it lifted them sky high (I swear, I have the sweetest family – I thank God for them every single day). Each time I look at the book – which sits out, prominently, because it’s such a work of art, I think about Brittany and smile.

(Review Continued Below….)

Judy Garland and Lena Horne

I’ve been anxious to tell y’all about Hollywood in Kodachrome (link to the book on Amazon) because it’s one I know you’ll love as much as I do. I look through it so often and, each time, notice something about a photograph or star I hadn’t noticed before.

I love to look at the photographs and dissect the colors used, the makeup (when applicable… literally), clothes, props, lighting, etc. Like acting, SO much goes into photography… and yet, when it’s done extraordinarily well, you don’t see the effort… you just see the magic.

This book is one work of magic after the other after the other after the other.

Book Description from Amazon:

Hollywood in Kodachrome is a stunning portfolio of the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, captured in rich, deeply saturated color photographs reproduced from original Kodachrome negatives and curated by collector David Wills and designer Stephen Schmidt, the creative team behind Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis and Audrey: The 60s.

From Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, and Rita Hayworth to Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, and Gregory Peck—and many more—the silver screen’s elite are all here, in the full blush of youth, captured as if they were taken yesterday. But the true star is the medium itself: late-1940s sheet Kodachrome, a film stock that remains legendary for its rich tonal range, precise color, and detail.

Including a foreword by Golden Age star Rhonda Fleming, and featuring more than 200 photos from classic films and publicity shoots, Hollywood in Kodachrome is a magnificent tribute to Hollywood’s most beloved icons, captured at their glamorous best.

There are 329 pages in this extraordinary book – savoring the photos reminds me of walking through my kind of art gallery… one with only photos of Old Hollywood stars!

Some of the stars include:

Maureen O’Hara
Rita Hayworth
Lucille Ball
Lena Horne
Judy Garland
Yvonne DeCarlo (one particular photo that’ll make your jaw drop!)
Humphrey Bogart
Lauren Bacall
Clark Gable
Bette Davis
Frank Sinatra
Errol Flynn
Lana Turner
Elizabeth Taylor
Marilyn Monroe
and just about every star from the 40s you can name… with many featured more than once.

Many of the publicity shots are never-before-seen… something I can attest to and vouch for. I’ve spent my life up to my chin in Old Hollywood photographs and films and there are countless photos in this gorgeous book I’ve never seen before.

I don’t want to post many of the inside photographs, here, for several reasons:

It wouldn’t be fair to the authors, publishers, or photographers. I wouldn’t want people using the photos online without their consent. These professionals work extremely hard and give us so much – I want to always be fair to them. I only use the gorgeous Judy Garland and Lena Horne photos (above) to give you an idea just how big and gloriously beautiful the photos are. I carefully cropped them in a manner where they can’t be used anywhere online and made certain to leave the photographers’ names intact. I also thought these two photos illustrated what I was talking about when it comes to looking at the background colors, clothing, and makeup. Their lipsticks just pop with the colors around them!
I want you to have the same extraordinary experience I did each time I turned the page, wondering who I’d “meet” next! It was unspeakably fun to come across so many unexpected pictures and stars. I want you to experience that for yourself.

(Review Continued Below…)

Hollywood in Kodachrome

I also love the “outtakes” (previously unpublished) of stars in famous ad campaigns (Max Factor, Lipton, Lucky Strike, Lux, Royal Crown Cola…).

I took the picture above to try and give you an idea just how big this magnificent book is – by using one of my coffee mugs and a tumbler as comparison… and yet I’m still not convinced it captures just how big and beautiful this book is!

This is simply a breathtakingly beautiful collection of photographs of the greatest stars the world has ever known. It’s a celebration of their lives, their spark, and their magic.

You can find Hollywood in Kodachrome (link to the book on Amazon) on Amazon. When you click through the link, you’ll notice it is available “used” as well as “new.”

I couldn’t possibly recommend this showcase any more than I do. It not only lifted my spirits when they needed them most, it provides joy on a regular basis.

And Lauren looks so gorgeous sitting out to greet me each time I walk into the room!

Hollywood in Kodachrome (link to the stunning book on Amazon)

Hollywood in Kodachrome: A Spectacular Book for Anyone Who Loves Old Hollywood, Beauty, and Photography

July 20, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Hollywood in Kodachrome by David Wills

As I said in a previous post, I’ve had a really, really rotten July. I just did my makeup, so I won’t get into the details again.. runny mascara isn’t much of a look on anyone not named Ava Gardner.

To lift my spirits, one of my daughters (Brittany) bought me the book you see here, Hollywood in Kodachrome. Knowing my GREAT love for Old Hollywood, she knew I’d lose myself in its pages at a time when losing myself would be just what I needed.

This book is absolutely spectacular – if you love old Hollywood and/or photography, this is the next book you’ll want to add to your collection. Each time I sit, looking through the gorgeous photos, I think how it feels this book was made just for me… just for now.

However, that’s dangerously short-changing the book. Hollywood in Kodachrome is an ideal book for anyone – whether their spirits need to be lifted or their spirits are soaring just fine, thank you very much.

Photographers, understandably, are very particular about where, when, and how their photos are shared with others, so I don’t want to include any here in the post. When you click through one of the links in this post, you can see some of the photos in a preview on Amazon. Even though they appear there, I’m just not comfortable publishing them, here.

I will tell you a few names you can expect to see gorgeous photos of:

Lena Horne
Maureen O’Hara
Henry Fonda
Veronica Lake
Rita Hayworth
Lana Turner
Frank Sinatra
John Wayne
Martha Vickers
Marilyn Monroe
Bette Davis
And many, many, many more.

Many of these photos are never-before-seen!

From the Back Cover

Kodachrome film saturated the 1940s with an unprecedented explosion of color. Movie audiences, accustomed to seeing photographs of their favorite stars on magazine covers, billboards, and cinema marquees in monochrome or black-and-white, were suddenly enthralled as their idols came to life in vibrant hues as flesh-and-blood human beings. For the first time, the world was treated to the glory of Rita Hayworth’s auburn hair, Gary Cooper’s blue eyes, Betty Grable’s rosy cheeks, and the multicolored fruit bouquets of Carmen Miranda’s hats.

Curator and photographic preservationist David Wills has amassed one of the world’s largest private collections of original Kodachromes and color photographs from the 1940s. Now, in Hollywood in Kodachrome, he has gathered spectacular, museum-quality work from many of the great photographers of Hollywood’s golden era—George Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull, John Engstead, Paul Hesse, Ernest Bachrach, Bernard of Hollywood, Robert Coburn, Ray Jones, Bud Fraker, Frank Powolny, Eugene Robert Richee, and many others—to create this stunning portfolio of images that pays homage to the richest, clearest, most brilliant, and archivally dependable film stock in history.

Among the highlights:

Rare and classic images digitally restored from their original 4×5, 5×7, and 8×10 Kodachrome sheet transparencies, vintage Carbro and dye transfer prints, and modern Cibachrome prints.

Never-before-seen publicity photos, scene stills, and work shots from many of Hollywood’s most beloved films of the 1940s.

Previously unpublished portraits of Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Cary Grant, Lana Turner, Errol Flynn, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, and many others.

Rare “posed candids” and behind-the-scenes photos of stars at play, poolside, relaxing at home, and with family.

Unpublished outtakes of stars in famous ad campaigns, including Max Factor, Lux, Lipton Tea, Lucky Strike, and Royal Crown Cola.

Never-before-seen WWII patriot photography of stars in service uniform and posing with the American flag.

Pairing more than 250 first-generation photographs with vintage magazine covers, advertisements, movie posters, quotes from photographers, and a personal foreword by Hollywood’s “Queen of Technicolor,” Rhonda Fleming, Hollywood in Kodachrome is an unforgettable showcase of a time when movies were truly glamorous and color photography reigned supreme at its most luscious.

Find this extraordinary book on Amazon (Hollywood in Kodachrome) or in a bookstore. You’re going to love it each time you look through it. Talk about a fascinating coffee table book – only problem is, you’ll lose your guest’s attention entirely as they look through this very, very large 352 page book!

Great Gift Idea for Fans of Classic Hollywood: Renegade Women in Film & TV

November 23, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Renegade Women in Film & TV

I love my family. Okay, that should probably go without saying, but seriously… I really, really love my family.

Not only because they’re the coolest, most colorful, and lovable group of people you could ever hope to meet but also because they’re uncommonly thoughtful, kind, generous, and… well…. DARN good. Not just good. DARN good.

The book you see here is an early Christmas gift from my youngest daughter Stephany. She and her two sisters (Emily and Brittany) have contributed to my Old Hollywood book and dvd collections tremendously and I love that they love supporting my obsessive habit!

They’ve helped create the monster behind these words.

Renegade Women in Film & TV is an absolutely remarkable book. Not only is it gorgeous (hardcover and packed with colorful illustrations of the women it celebrates), it is an exceptionally inspiring read.

Within the pages I was reminded of just how remarkable some of my favorites are (Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Dorothy Dandridge, Hedy Lamarr, Hattie McDaniel, Dorothy Arzner, Mary Pickford, Rita Moreno, Anna May Wong, Marlo Thomas, Oprah…). I also learned a lot about some ground-breaking women I knew very little about (Ida Lupino, Mae West, Edith Head, Barbra Streisand, Susan Harris, Mary Tyler Moore, Lesley Visser, Barbara Walters, Geena Davis…) and met ladies I knew nothing about and a few I’d never heard of before but will never forget now.

(Continued Below Lucille Ball… how mesmerizing are those eyes??)

Lucille Ball

As expected, there are outstanding women who are missing that I’d have LOVED for them to have included..

Olivia de Havilland
Bette Davis (she gets a mention at the end)
Greta Garbo
Betty White
Etc.

However, the ones who AREN’T there should not and do not detract from the ones who are. Besides, maybe there’ll be a follow-up. I certainly hope so!

Renegade Women in Film & TV would make the most wonderful gift for fans of Old Hollywood and/or Classic TV imaginable. You will, however, want to get your hands on a copy for yourself, too, trust me.

But, here’s the thing… you may want TWO copies. I know I do. One for enjoying and keeping whole (it would make a perfect coffee table book) and one for removing the gorgeous photos for framing. They are truly stunning.

See Renegade Women in Film & TV for more information.

Renegade Women in Film & TV

The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne

October 30, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne

As I’ve often said on Hollywood Yesterday, I collect Old Hollywood biographies and autobiographies like it’s my job. I’m content with one or two biographies of some stars, while others are such favorites, I collect anything and everything written about them. John Wayne is one of these “give me one of everything” stars. He’s a favorite and has been since I watched him on television with my day. That may be part of the reason I love The Duke so much. The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss is the newest addition to my John Wayne collection and I was anxious to tell you about it.

This book would make a great gift idea for anyone in your life who loves John Wayne. It’s a “fast read” with plenty of pictures, so even those “old cowboys” you love will enjoy it!

In addition to the wonderful content and pictures (lots of things even I didn’t know and quite a few pictures I’d never seen), the book includes great quotes about John Wayne and his influence on family and co-stars. I love these quotes so much because what people say about us is one of the strongest blocks in the building of our legacy.

From the Back Cover:

By the time Stagecoach made John Wayne a silver-screen star in 1939, the thirty-one-year-old was already a veteran of more than sixty films, having twirled six-guns and foiled cattle rustlers in B Westerns for five studios. By the 1950s he was Hollywood’s most popular actor—an Academy Award nominee destined to become an American icon.

Through rare photographs and revealing family anecdotes, The Young Duke offers an unflinching look at how Marion Morrison became the legend known as John Wayne—from his boyhood in Winterset, Iowa, and his days as a college football star, to his stunning box-office success in Westerns and war movies in the 1930s and 1940s. Shedding new light on Wayne’s formative years and early Hollywood roles and influences, this stirring biography uncovers the true stories behind the screen legend’s public and private lives.

About the Authors:

Chris Enss is an award-winning screenwriter and the author or coauthor of more than two dozen books.

Howard Kazanjian is an award-winning producer and entertainment executive who for three decades has been producing television programs and feature films, including two of the highest grossing films of all time, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Great Addition to a Collection

There are, of course, more detailed biographies of John Wayne – many delve into his life and you can spend glorious weeks reading every detail. This book is a much different book from other biographies. Would it provide a complete picture of John Wayne, the actor or the man? No – certainly not. This book was intended more for a “quick read” or for collectors, like me, who simply must have everything related to their favorite stars!

This is a great addition to any biography collection and a very fun read. Whereas some biographies are “heavy” with filmographies, research, quotes, and information, this one is “light.”

When you want a fast-paced overview of a star’s life, sometimes that’s just what you’re looking for!

Find The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne on Amazon or in your favorite second-hand bookstore.

Lana: The Life and Loves of Lana Turner (Review)

October 24, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Lana: The Life and Loves of Lana Turner

As both a collector and AVID reader of biographies and autobiographies (old Hollywood and history), I often group these books into three categories when adding to my collections:

The stand-alone, ultimate biography or autobiography – as in the only one you really need for a certain star or historical figure.
A component biography or autobiography – one that is a wonderful (even necessary) addition to a collection of memoirs of the individual.
The one I have to have no matter what – one that it simply doesn’t matter which of the above slots it fits into because I collect everything ever written about the individual!

A few examples of number 1:

These books give you such a perfect all-around account of the star that (unless you collect everything written about them, you may not find it necessary to add another book about them to your collection).

Ginger by Ginger Rogers

June Allyson’s Autobiography

Barefoot to the Chin

Esther Williams’ The Million Dollar Mermaid

A few examples of number 2:

These books are so wonderful that they should be added to any collection you have on the star(s). However, either because of their laser focus on one particular topic or because they cover more than one star (Feuding Fan Dancers, for example), they wouldn’t be considered the ultimate biography. There’s also the… shall we say chance… that the author’s recollections are clouded by emotion(s) – such as Georgia Hale’s biography of Charlie Chaplin, a man she spent nearly a lifetime loving.

Feuding Fan Dancers

Georgia Hale’s Charlie Chaplin Biography

Bob Hope: My Life in Jokes

My Examples of number 3:

I collect anything and everything pertaining in any way, shape, or form for the following, so I grab every book associated with them!

Lucille Ball, Maureen O’Hara, Barbara Stanwyck, Rita Hayworth, Katharine Hepburn, June Allyson, Audrey Hepburn, Georgia Hale, Buster Keaton, Bob Hope, Elvis, Abbott & Costello, John Wayne, Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis (I get a special kick out of always listing these two together.. strange sense of humor, I guess)…

Back to Lana….

I lay all of this out merely to set the stage for Lana: The Life and Loves of Lana Turner – because it is a “component” type biography that also happens to (for me, anyway) fall into the third category as well – I collect all Lana Turner books!

As you can tell by the title, “The Life and Loves of Lana Turner,” this book has Lana’s (eventful!) love life in mind. In fact, the wonderful author (Jane Ellen Wayne) focuses the bulk of time on the men in the beautiful Lana Turner’s life… to be more precise, the effect(s) they had on the actress.

Make no mistake about it, each man left fingerprints all over her life – for better or worse. A certain amount of naivety existed with Lana, because she seemed to sincerely believe that each one was her Prince Charming.

Not only does the author provide a great deal of insight into what Lana Turner was thinking (even when she seemed to not be thinking at all!), she presents her as she truly was – a human being, just as capable of mistakes as any of us.

Things I Love Most About This Biography

When I think about things that make this biography stand out, the one that comes to mind first is the respect with which author Jane Ellen Wayne treats Lana. Instead of, “She did this wicked thing… she made this irrational decision…,” her response seemed to be more, “I wish I’d been there to help her avoid that guy!” I feel the same way when it comes to Lana and many of my other favorites – I wish I could have been there to tell them, “No… absolutely not!” Heck, with Lana, I’d have been tempted to lock her in a room once or twice! Her heart led down some very destructive roads and left her a beautiful and easy prey for more than one low life.
I am in love with the way the author presents Lana’s beautiful daughter, Cheryl and her relationship with her mother.
While there are a few men you meet along the way who you’d love to throw rotten garbage at, there are a few who you’ll find especially intriguing and want to learn more about (Tyrone Power, for example).
The pictures – just wow! There are gorgeous pictures of Lana throughout her career as well as candids with the men in her life and her beautiful family.
As you’d expect from someone who reads as much as I do, I appreciate a “fast read.” Books that are easily digested and don’t take a lot of time to read have a special place in my heart and Lana: The Life and Loves of Lana Turner is a very fast read – yet it’s one that stays with you.
The “staying with you” aspect is something else I love about this book. Since I first read it, I often think back to moments in Lana’s life when I see pictures or films. When I see her during a particular time, smiling for her fans and looking radiant, I’ll instantly think back to this book and remember what she was going through at the time. It’s very memorable and will stay with you long after the last page.

One could say that Lana was weak in some ways – weak to “allow” herself to become more than one man’s (and more than one situation’s) victim. She often, when faced with two decisions, made the absolute worst one as though it were her job to torment herself. As a Lana Turner fan (and one that has studied her more than I ever studied any subject in school), I would hasten to say this: Yes, she displayed moments of great weakness BUT the fact that she survived the madness and is, today, one of the greatest, most-recognized icons of Old Hollywood took greater strength.

If you are (or even if you are not YET), a fan of Lana Turner’s, I hope you’ll read Lana: The Life and Loves of Lana Turner. I have a feeling it will help you understand her better. Trust me, she’s very much someone worth getting to know.

One of the Best Old Hollywood Biographies I’ve EVER Read: June Allyson’s Autobiography

October 21, 2019 By Joi 1 Comment

June Allyson by June Allyson

My husband has a passion for BBQ that is, in my opinion, completely unrivaled. The man can smell a BBQ restaurant three miles away – when he locates one, we either visit it right away or, if we’ve recently eaten, he instantly make plans for when we WILL be back.

Sometimes he even tells it, on the way by, that we’ll be back.

When he has a plate of BBQ in front of him, it’s quite the production. JUST the right amount of sauce is added (after first tasting it to see how much will be required), the perfect amount of onions and perfect number of pickles are invited to the party, the napkin placed in his lap and… he dives in without a care in the world. It’s one of his greatest passions and seeing him “BBQ happy” makes me happy.

This is very much how I am with cats, chocolate, strawberry sundaes, fried catfish, old movies, classic tv and radio, and old Hollywood biographies/autobiographies. Fortunately, for cats, I only eat three of these passions.

As I’ve often said in my Hollywood Yesterday Book Reviews, I am always, always, always in the middle of at least 3 books at any given time. I can’t help myself, I just love them that much.

I recently read one that is, now, officially one of my all-time favorites: June Allyson by June Allyson.

First, a few words about how I feel about June Allyson. She’s my Doris Day. Is that a strange thing to say? Well, stick with me, kid, you’ll get used to it. I say a lot of strange things – sometimes within one sentence.

Doris Day is sunshine, personified to many people. Perhaps they were going through a rough patch in their life when they saw her in a movie and her rays of sunshine broke through their clouds. Or, maybe they didn’t have any dark clouds to break through – maybe she simply caused the sun to seem brighter.

I have nothing against the wonderful Doris Day, mind you – but June Allyson is MY personal Doris Day.

Except she’s my June Allyson.

I warned you about me.

June Allyson and Her Beloved Husband, Dick Powell

My parents both died far too young. My dad was just in his 50s (after a long illness) and my mom was in her early 60s (complications from diabetes and heart disease – both of which are monsters). June Allyson movies were like medication on both occasions.

Recently, one of my beautiful daughters had a high-risk pregnancy that had this mother hen beside herself. I can’t even begin to tell you how many June Allyson movies I watched!

Naturally, I watch June Allyson even when my world isn’t turned upside down. I just adore her and everything about her. Whether she brings Van Johnson or Dick Powell with her into my den, it doesn’t matter -she is always, always, always welcome.

Her wonderful autobiography, June Allyson is as sunny, honest, and unpretentious as she was. It was an absolute joy to read every single step of the way.

In fact, I did something after finishing this one that I have never done before. Instead of placing her on one of my Old Hollywood book shelves, I turned back to page one so I could enjoy the journey through her life one more time.

I say “one more” but there will be other journeys – and plenty of them.

June Allyson pours her heart out in this poignant autobiography. She takes us inside her early days in Hollywood with wonderful stories about Mickey Rooney, Van Johnson, and her very close friend Judy Garland. As is the case with all exceptional memoirs, you meet household names along the way and, in this case, you get to enjoy their presence as well as June’s adorable instances of being starstruck.

Stars you’ll meet along the way: Lucille Ball, Dick Powell, Judy Garland, Claudette Colbert, Joan Crawford, James Stewart, Van Johnson, JFK, Peter Lawford, Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan, Alan Ladd (oh boy, is there some Alan Ladd content), Merle Oberon, Rita Hayworth, Susan Hayward, Joan Blondell (who happened to be Dick Powell’s glamorous wife, then ex-wife during the course of the book), Charles Boyer, Mary Pickford, Jack Benny, Ronald Colman, Gracie Allen, George Burns, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Margaret O’Brien, Gloria DeHaven, Louis B. Mayer, Kathryn Grayson… and more.

Reading about the movie “The Conqueror” (the deaths of John Wayne, Dick Powell, Susan Hayward, Pedro Armendariz, and Agnes Moorehead have all been tied to the making of this film) was unsettling and interesting at the same time.

Most compelling (for me, anyway) was the love story between her and Dick Powell. Their marriage lasted 17 years – until his death. When she lost her soulmate, she had a horrifying downward spiral – understandably. Her book tells how her friends helped her find her way out of the devastating darkness.

With a personality few stars could even hope to rival, spending time with June Allyson, the author, is as joyful as spending time with June Allyson, the actress.

While you journey through the valleys and mountaintops with this wonderful lady, you can’t help but be awestruck how she survived it all. One of the things I love most is that it all ends on a mountaintop with her husband Dr. David Ashrow. It may sound like a Hallmark greeting card but there’s only one way to put it: He helped her find happiness again.

As I often say, one of my greatest and perhaps guiltiest pleasures with autobiographies and memoirs is hearing about the other stars. When an actor or actress tells about their experiences with fellow stars, you learn a lot about the stars they are referring to as well as the one doing the reminiscing. Katharine Hepburn, June Allyson, and Fred Astaire are three that come immediately to mind when thinking about stars who were kind to other stars.

There are one or two stars who June Allyson doesn’t shine an especially favorable light on, but it isn’t, shall we say, an unflattering light we didn’t already know about!

Overall, she is extremely positive about everyone she knew along the way and I love that about her.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about June Allyson (the book or the actress!). Every word is a delight – whether it makes you feel warm, happy, shocked (two words: Alan Ladd), or sad. You’ll laugh out loud in places and probably swipe at a few tears in others (I certainly did). You’ll come to love stars you already loved even more (for me: Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, James Stewart, Rita Hayworth, Van Johnson, Ronald Reagan, Susan Hayward, John Wayne) and you’ll become a fan of stars you didn’t know much about before but want desperately to know them better now (for me: Alan Ladd, Alan Ladd, Alan Ladd, and Alan Ladd).

You’ll also find that some of your favorite stars were as complex and multi-layered as you always suspected (for me: Joan Crawford, Joan Blondell). I love that June doesn’t attempt to judge anyone – she knows something I always preach: Everyone fights their own battles in their own ways. Period.

In addition to the wonderful writing and priceless memories and stories, the pictures in this book are extra wonderful. I have been a huge fan of June Allyson and Dick Powell for years and there were many pictures I have never seen.

Read more about June Allyson by June Allyson on Amazon. As for me, I’m going to kick back and read another chapter right now. Yes, for the second time. What can I say… she’s my Doris Day.

Bob Hope: My Life in Jokes by Bob Hope with Linda Hope (Review)

October 19, 2019 By Joi 1 Comment

Bob Hope: My Life in Jokes

One of my favorite entertainers of all time is synonymous with the word, itself: Bob Hope. The man was simply brilliant in everything he did – every word, every joke, every film… brilliant.

Not only was Bob Hope a wonderful actor and entertainer, like some of my other favorites, he was also all class – with some to spare. James Stewart, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Hattie McDaniel, Maureen O’Hara, Olivia de Havilland… some stars were such high quality people that it makes being a fan as easy as an autumn breeze.

The book above, Bob Hope: My Life in Jokes by Bob Hope with Linda Hope is one of my all-time favorite books in my collection. It’s like sitting down in your favorite chair with a hot cup of tea (or tall glass of iced raspberry tea, depending on the season) and having Bob Hope, himself, stand in the middle of your room making you laugh until your sides ache.

“I was destined to be an actor. The day I was born, I stood up and took a bow. Really. When the doctor slapped me, I thought it was applause “

The stories, jokes, and vintage Bob Hope self-deprecating humor are such a joy, I’m really at a loss for words. If you, or anyone in your life loves to laugh, this book is a must have…. if you love to laugh and are a fan of the wonderful Bob Hope, Bob Hope: My Life in Jokes is an absolute MUST HAVE.

To comedians, ‘material’–their jokes–has always been precious, worthy of protecting and preserving. On stage, a good vaudeville routine could last years as it was performed on tour across the country. On radio, a year’s vaudeville material might be fodder for one week’s broadcast. Bob Hope used new material not only for his weekly radio series, but also for the several live charity appearances he made each week.

Organized by the stages of his life, accompanied by black-and-white photographs, this book gives readers a chance to enjoy the very best of Hope’s jokes, from his early years in vaudeville, his top-rated radio show in the ’30s and ’40s, his legendary television appearances, and much more.

Bob Hope’s wonderful, one-of-a-kind personality comes shining through on every page of this delightful and fun book.

“I knew the troops would be glad to see me. I said, ‘Look at me, fellas, these are the kind of clothes you’ll be wearing when you get home!’ Fifty guys re-enlisted.”

About the Authors

Bob Hope was in the forefront of the entertainment industry for virtually his entire life. Primarily a comedian, he also acted, sang, and even danced, hosted his own radio and television shows, and starred in sixty movies. Bob Hope’s dedication to and love for the American GI is legendary. He traveled around the world to entertain the men and women in uniform during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Desert Storm. No individual in the history of show business journeyed so far–and so often–to entertain so many. He received more than two thousand awards and citations for his humanitarian and professional efforts, and was honored and befriended by every U.S. president since Franklin Roosevelt.

Linda Hope, Bob and Dolores Hope’s daughter, is chief operating officer of Hope Enterprises, Inc., and producer of her father’s television specials for the last twenty-five years.

“Jobs didn’t come easy. For months at a time, I forgot what kind of work I was out of.”

Bob Hope: My Life in Jokes is absolutely hilarious and would make a perfect gift idea for anyone. They broke the mold when Bob Hope came along and this collection is a perfect reminder of this very fact.

The Making of the African Queen by Katharine Hepburn

October 1, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

The Making of The African Queen

One of my guiltiest of pleasures is getting inside of Katharine Hepburn’s head.

What a place!

Whether it’s listening to interviews, coming across her quotes, or (my favorite) reading her memoirs – getting a front row seat to the intriguing thoughts of one of our greatest actors/actresses of all time is a treat I never pass up.

Needless to say, I collect all Katharine Hepburn biographies, memoirs, autobiographies, magazines… if she’s in it, I’m on it.

One of my favorites is The Making of The African Queen. In this larger-than-life account (Let’s face it, what associated with Katharine Hepburn isn’t larger-than-life?), she tells, in her own priceless words and in her own delicious way, everything that went on behind the scenes of this legendary film. She tells of Bogie and Bacall’s great love for one another, the time she basically told John Huston to scram… only to become very close to him…. how they all made the absolute best out of difficult situations, etc.

As luck has it…

Katharine Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses.
Humphrey Bogart is one of my favorite actors.
Lauren Bacall is one of my favorite actresses.
John Huston is one of my favorite directors.
The African Queen is one of my favorite movies.

No wonder I love this book – it was practically written for me! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Continued below the legends…

I’ll tell you a few of the things I love the things I love most about Katharine Hepburn:

She was a straight-shooter. She didn’t mollycoddle anyone or anything. If she didn’t like something, she said so. If she did like something, she said so.
She knew who she was and didn’t need anyone’s approval and she darn sure didn’t need their permission.
She was one of the greatest actors/actresses EVER. I’ll go a step further – there will NEVER be another like her.
While she was deliciously frank and honest, she was also uncommonly fair and positive. Yes, positive… and in VERY positive. She seems to have an image (when it comes to some people, anyway) as being kind of “hard” and edgy. Here’s the facts: I read a lot…. a lot a lot a lot a lot…. of Old Hollywood biographies and autobiographies. Seriously, I couldn’t even begin to count the number I read in just a year, let alone over a lifetime. I always have at least three going at any given time. Of all the stars’ memoirs I’ve read or quotes they’ve given, I have never read a star who was more giving to those they worked with or more positive about their experiences than Katharine Hepburn. In fact, I could count on one hand, probably, stars who were AS positive. It’s simply the way she was and I love it.

Not only is The Making of The African Queen fascinating because of the firsthand details our wonderful author gives us, it is also fascinating because of the wonderful pictures – many never seen anywhere else.

As you know, when it comes to my movie reviews and my book reviews, I like to keep things short and sweet when possible and I detest the thought of giving away too much information that I want you to come across on your own – heck, I refuse to spoil your fun! I will keep this review short and sweet as well. If you love Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Huston, The African Queen or simply are a fan of Old movies… you need to add this book to your collection. When you click through to Amazon, be sure to look at the “Used” books available.

I’ve gotten to where I always buy “Used” books on Amazon (I’m just sure to mark “excellent” or “very good” as determiners). I figure that saving money on one book simply means I can buy two or three!

And there you have it… a look inside my devious, plotting, book-greedy mind!

~ Joi

P.S. If you don’t know much about Katharine Hepburn, please start reading more about her – particularly in her own words. She was a fascinating, larger-than-life, inspiring, one-of-a-kind woman and the more you get to know her, the more you’ll love her. This would make me unspeakably happy.

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball (An Autobiography You Can NOT Put Down)

September 24, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball

One of my greatest obsessions in this world? Well, you’re looking at her – the talented, beautiful, one-of-a-kind, they-broke-the-mold legend, herself, Lucille Ball. As I’ve often said on this very blog, I collect anything and everything connected to this lady.

As I said, she is an obsession and I offer no apologies. She has brought so much laughter and joy into my life over the (many) years and continues to do so each day.

What a legacy… to bring joy to countless people even after you’re gone. Does not get much better than that.

Over the years, I have read and reread this particular autobiography – as I do my absolute favorite books. I mean, if once through is wonderful – why not want that experience as many times as possible??!

After Lucille Ball died in 1989, this autobiography (written prior to 1964) was discovered among her papers. In these memoirs, she describes a childhood deeply affected by her father’s death and her mother’s withdrawal from her life.

Lucille was raised by her maternal grandparents and, over the years, developed a fiery, determined, larger-than-life personality and temperament that would help her years later as she made a name (and legacy) for herself.

Lucille Ball – oddly enough – was not an overnight sensation. Personally, I don’t know how everyone in Hollywood kept from falling all over themselves for her – but boy did they manage. I don’t think they knew quite what to make of her because there had never (and would never) be anyone quite like her. It took years of plodding and B movies to make herself a household name. Along the way, she met and usually befriended some of the top names and faces in Hollywood.

One of the funnest things about this autobiography is the same as the others – “meeting” a seemingly endless cast of stars and getting to know them through another star’s eyes. In this case, Lucille’s beautiful wise blue eyes.

The many photographs are a real treat, as are her very humorous accounts and stories. The early pages pull at your heart’s strings as you realize how overwhelming everything must have been for such an innocent little girl.

My favorite parts of the book, however, are the ones which include her soulmate, Desi Arnaz. Yes, it can be frustrating to realize that these two couldn’t remain together – downright sad, actually. But, during the time they were together, they made the best kind of magic together. What’s more, even after they no longer shared rings or even a home together, the love was ALWAYS there.

Her chapters dealing with her and Desi are absolutely breathtaking. Actually, the entire book is. If you’re a Lucille Ball fan, you are going to love Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball as much as we all love Lucy.