Customer Reviews (1)

A Definitive Look at Filmmaking in Hollywoods "Goldent Age"
Whether you are a fan of Ms. Astor's work (I am) or not, this book is one of the definitive works on the film industry in it's most influential era.From the 20's into the 1960's Ms. Astor, worked in films along side the legends (Bogart, Barrymore, Davis, Garland, Colman, Robinson etc.)and the contract players alike in everything from classics to everyday potboiler B pictures.Her insights into the art of putting a movie together are fascinating as well as her witty stories about the films she appeared in.If anything,she is overly critical of herself, dismissing some fine work of her own along the way.The hardcover of this book is also loaded with great pictures from the films which show up clearly in this edition. The paperback uses smaller type print and much smaller pictures which diminishes them a bit.The book is out of print now, which is really too bad, (Publishers:are you paying attention here?)but worth seeking out for anyone who would like an insider's story for how films are made as well as the people who made them.It's witty, well written, and a lot of fun to read! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Mary Astor, My Story
I had been looking for Mary Astor, My Story for years, literally.I saw it once at a friend's house and browsed through it and thought it quite hilarious -- obviously really written by Miss Astor herself.But, then no bookstore or library that I tried had even heard of it.One evening while just "wandering through the aisles" at Amazon, I thought I'd tried the book.And there it was.Very low price, anda little over a week later, I had it.I am now convinced that if you look patiently for anything on Amazon, it will eventually be yours.An obscure autobiography by a mostly forgotten movie star may seem a little thing, but it has made an old man very happy.Thank you Amazon.

Remarkably Frank for 1959
Mary Astor wrote this book when she was returning to active life after a long period of alcoholism and self-pity.The result is a remarkably open (for the time) discussion of failed marriages, adulterous affairs and generally self-defeating behavior that led her to hit rock bottom.

My Story is very "of its time" in that the language is a bit over-written and sometimes florid.Mary Astor is very proud of her new sobriety and her Faith in the Catholic Church, and here she wants to tell all of us about it.Surprisingly, she doesn't try to make any "converts;" she tells her story and how she came to her own personal conclusions.She remembers well the people who helped her when she was difficult to love, and minces no words for those who helped drag her down.A refreshing, interesting read. ... Read more

Product Description
Mary Astor has turned from her brilliant career as a renowned and beautiful motion picture actress to a new and highly successful career as a novelist. The Image of Kate is her latest most extraordinary work...It is the story of Kate Martin and the dark scandal that haunted her when she left Madremedos, her family's California ranch home, for a new life in New York City. Kat was intelligent, determined, and stunningly beautiful, but she was driven to more and more reckless acts by forces she could neither understand nor control... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Buy Hardcover Edition To Get Reasonable Easy-To-Read Typeface
This is a good book, but the Dell paperback edition I bought provided obviously shrunken typeface from the hardcover edition, and it is hard to read, hard on the eyes.

It's worth paying more to get OK typeface when paperback editions are not re-set so the typeface is OK in the smaller binding format.

This is a real issue people should consider.It's important to be comfortable when reading a book and the size of the typeface is important.

A LIFE ON FILM by Mary Astor...a brilliant autobiography!
This isn't just well-written (& no ghost writer!), it's also a wonderful tour of the history of movies from the early 1920's through the mid-60's, when Mary Astor retired from film.

She was beautiful and her parents, especially her father, noted early that her looks could be worth money.At the point when it looked like she'd have a shot at the movies, her father quit working and packed the family off to New York to push her career.It was 1921 and she was 15.

Astor paints a vivid portrait of herself as the obedient, eager-to-please daughter of a classic pair: stage father/stage mother. She describes the making of movies in detail: the actor/director relationship, the performance process, the role of crew members. She writes of the strict caste system on the set.She relates the good and bad aspects of being under contract: the good was the security, the bad was being assigned to pictures with little say in the matter - and being typecast (MGM cast her as "the mother" for years).

A couple of details are particulary interesting:Astor was able to make the transition from silents to talkies and discusses what that was like for herself and other silent era stars.She also reveals that she was more suited to being a "featured player" rather than a star because she was never comfortable with the idea of being the one responsible for carrying a picture.Considering she had a domineering father who ran her life with an iron hand, that's not surprising.

This is an intriguing inside look at the movie business during more than one Golden Age.She worked with many legendary stars over the years -John Barrymore (who became her first lover), Humphrey Bogart ("The Maltese Falcon"), Bette Davis (Astor won her Oscar for "The Great Lie"), and James Dean, with whom she performed on live TV.

Highly recommended.Extremely well-written. Intelligent.Insightful. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes many photos spread throughout. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Gary Forrester, Mary Astor, Krystle Russin, Rick Reuschel, Michael Swango, James Scott, John W. Henry, D. A. Weibring, Albert Cashier, Augustine Tolton, Josh Rabe, Ralph Carmichael, John Wood, Ezra T. Benson, Benjamin Prentiss, Bruce Douglas, Jean Rabe, Dev Reeves, Milton Mcpike, Jennifer Nobis, Micki Free, William Alexander Richardson, Harry Forrester, Neysa Mcmein, James D. Morgan, James B. Stewart, List of People From Quincy, Illinois, Arthur Pitney, Orville Hickman Browning, Kevin Koetters, Tad Hilgenbrink, Jesse W. Fell, Henry Kolker, Michaele Vollbracht, Jim Finigan, Roy Brocksmith, Margaret Feldner, Bob Havens, Frederick Kreismann, Edgar J. Goodspeed, Paul Reuschel, Al Demaree, El Tappe, Fritz Ostermueller, Brian Munzlinger, George Mcvey, Donald Gallaher, Gary Phillips. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 199. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Gary Forrester (aka Jeshel Forrester) (born in the United States, 1946) is a New Zealand-Australian musician, composer, novelist, poet, and memoirist. He was profiled by Random House Australia (Australian Country Music, 1991) as one of the major figures in the Australian music scene during the 1980s and 1990s. Also a law professor, he represented Indian tribes in securing restoration legislation through the United States Congress; authored a text on American Indian law; and wrote numerous articles on the rights of indigenous peoples, the environment, and other legal topics.Strangers To Us All: Lawyers and Poetry (featuring biographies and works of poets and writers who have a legal background) declared that "Gary Forrester is a hard man to pigeon-hole. He has practiced law, taught law, and spent time away from the legal profession. He is a singer, musician, poet and writer." Forrester's musical compositions were recorded (under...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=14454274 ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Joan Crawford, Loretta Young, Jean Arthur, Ginger Rogers, Mary Astor, Lois Wilson, Dorothy Mackaill, Joan Blondell, Fay Wray, Rochelle Hudson, Clara Bow, Gloria Stuart, Lilian Bond, Laura La Plante, Julie Bishop, Anita Louise, Virginia Brown Faire, Martha Sleeper, Eleanor Boardman, Pauline Starke, Karen Morley, Frances Dee, Helen Ferguson, Colleen Moore, Dolores Del Río, Janet Gaynor, Anita Page, Bessie Love, Helen Foster, Sally Eilers, Helen Twelvetrees, Kathleen Key, Dolores Costello, Kathryn Mcguire, Marian Marsh, Barbara Kent, Sally Rand, Marian Nixon, Sally Blane, Sidney Fox, Lupe Vélez, Jobyna Ralston, Marceline Day, Mary Philbin, Lila Lee, Constance Cummings, Mary Brian. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Joan Crawford, de son vrai nom Lucille Fay LeSueur, est une actrice et une productrice américaine née le 23 mars 1905 à San Antonio au Texas et décédée le 10 mai 1977 à New York. Joan Crawford est l'une des stars les plus symboliques de l'âge d'or d'Hollywood. Sa carrière couvre, sur plus de quarante ans, les différentes époques des grands studios américains. Elle joua les filles délurées (les « flappers ») des années folles, les jeunes femmes arrivistes dans les années 1930, les femmes victimes dans des mélodrames des années 1940 et 50. Elle obtient un Oscar en 1945 pour Le Roman de Mildred Pierce. Elle a été l'une des actrices américaines dont l'étoile a brillé le plus longtemps et la seule vedette du muet qui soit demeurée encore une grande star au cours des années 1960. Joan Crawford dans les années 20D'origine modeste et de parents séparés avant sa naissance, Lucille Fay LeSueur se passionne pour la scène et le spectacle dès son plus jeune âge (son beau-père, qui quitte également sa m...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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This digital document, covering the life and work of Mary Astor, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1215 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Product Description
The era of the bootlegger is past but liquor runner Bugs Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson) has a plan for what he'll do now that Prohibition is history. He decides to head for California's posh, polo-playing Santa Barbara to become part of the high society. What he finds there -- swindlers, gold diggers, great fun -- makes first class entertainment in this pre-Code gem. Edward G. Robinson shows his comedic chops for the first time, paving the way for such subsequent films as A Slight Case of Murder, Brother Orchid, Larceny, Inc. and more persona-skewering frolics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Amazing Edward G.!
If you're a fan of Edward G. Robinson, you probably like everything he's done.This is no exception.Lot's of humor, lots of action, and lots of Edward G.Good supporting cast, and a fun plot makes this movie very worthwhile.If you have a collection of Edward G. Robinson movies, add this one, for sure.

Standard Warner's programmer
"The Little Giant" is a typical Warner Brothers pre-code programmer.Starring the then hot Edward G. Robinson, who had become a big star due to his ground breaking performance in "Little Caesar", this film uses that persona but moves into farce as the Chicago beer baron goes straight and enters high society in California. Warners churned such films as this out and the film has the following features:

- a screenplay which is certainly entertaining but not really funny
- a competent performance from Robinson but without the sense of parody which was evident in the later and far superior "A Slight Case of Murder".Maybe in 1933, he was still too close to "Little Caesar"
- a charming Mary Astor in support
- endless slang and a number of pre-code zingers e.g. Astor notes that predatory Helen Vinson has been "a sister-in-law to the world".

The print is excellent and the DVD contains the usual comprehensive set of extras. The Newsreel is about the repeal of prohibition which ties in nicely to the film. The musical short stars gangly dancer Hal Le Roy and a young rubber legged Mitzi Mayfair in a pleasant but corny musical fantasy.The original trailer is included as well as the trailer for "Hard to Handle", another programmer of the period but a much funnier film than "The Little Giant". A commentary is included and it is reasonably interesting shared between the articulate John McCarty but spoilt by the dreadful Daniel Bubbeo, a Warner's biographer with a repetitious sing song delivery and gossipy observations. Bubbeo should be axed from providing commentaries.

The DVD is OK value but best if purchased as part of the Warner's Gangster Collection Volume 4. ... Read more